How are values, knowledge & context shaping environmental stewardship & visions for meaningful human-nature relationships in protected areas? Led by Miguel Angel Cebrián. A result of the @BiodiversaPlus funded ENVISION project, now out in "People and Nature". https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70083.

„Hedges are one of the best bits of wildlife on a farm. And hedges rely on farmers: without the blood, sweat and tears that goes into rejuvenating a hedge, they would slowly turn into a line of trees.“ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/17/england-ancient-hedges-wildlife

#Agroforestry is often discussed in terms of its benefits for biodiversity & diversified production. However, it can also support sustainable diets. Khant Sandar Htet showcases her study on the nexus of agroforestry & dietary diversity in Myanmar in #PeopleNatureLandscapesBlog. https://medium.com/people-nature-landscapes/the-pathways-towards-dietary-diversity-of-myanmars-dry-zone-7eae71666276

@Melf Thanks, Melf!

How to motivate farmers to participate in cooperative agrienvironmental schemes at landscape scale? (1) Offer adequate financial compensation; (2) communicate environmental advances; (3) enhance social interaction and invest in building social relationships; and (4) create cooperative governance structures and cooperation-oriented scheme design. By J. Huber et al., in "Earth Stewardship". #bpbv. https://doi.org/10.1002/eas2.70011

#Agroforst erfreut sich in Deutschland (und anderswo) großer Beliebtheit, aber die Umsetzung von Agroforstpraktiken in der Landwirtschaft stößt auf rechtliche und andere Hürden. In dieser Studie in "Sustainability Science" erklären wir aus einer sozial-ökologischen Perspektive, wie eine komplexe Gesetzgebung im Zusammenspiel mit anderen Barrieren Landwirt*innen davon abhält, Agroforstwirtschaft zu betreiben. Mit Marina Klimke und Cathrin Zengerling. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-024-01623-1

Biological & cultural diversity is closely linked in many landscapes with a long land-use history. Here, Emmeline Topp reports on our oral history approach that explores biocultural diversity in forests & grasslands within the three German Biodiversity Exploratories. #PeopleNatureLandscapesBlog. @dfg_public https://medium.com/people-nature-landscapes/oral-histories-fb54b9dfeb92

The Sundarbans (Bangladesh) are rich in biodiversity, but massively degrading. In this study, led by Abul Polas, we use participatory mapping (#PPGIS) to identify drivers, pressures & impacts of mangrove degradation as well as restoration opportunities. Key insights:

👉 Resource overharvesting is seen as a main local driver of degradation.

👉 Forest-dependent people place more importance on degradation than others.

👉 Habitat management is a prefered restoration measure.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2025.103460

"It truly felt like a rollercoaster ride — highs and lows in quick succession, with moments of accomplishments followed by doubts about whether I was truly ready for the finish line." A very personal report on the PhD journey by Sukanya Basu, leading her to amazing urban wetlands in Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai & Kochi (and some university campuses). @unigoettingen. #PeopleNatureLandscapesBlog. https://medium.com/people-nature-landscapes/the-phd-rollercoaster-highs-lows-and-the-moments-that-mattered-387ca7a7421b

Terrace landscapes are exemplars of biocultural landscapes, rich in natural & cultural heritage and jointly created by people & nature. We're super-happy that our project "A social-ecological analysis of co-production of Mediterranean terrace landscapes" will be funded by @dfg_public! @unikassel, @unigoettingen.

Trees on farms provide not only environmental benefits, but also have cultural importance. In this study, we identify olive (and walnut & almond) trees as cultural keystone species in Indigenous communities in Morocco's High Atlas. Considering the cultural meanings of trees is crucial for developing sensitive conservation approaches, landscape stewardship & social-ecological restoration in Mediterranean mountain regions. C. Mobarak et al. Mountain Research & Development. https://doi.org/10.1659/mrd.2024.00024

@earthworm I agree that this diagram is slightly over-complex. Indeed, by that it depicts the complexity that agroforestry farmers are exposed to. So the compassion should go to these people, not to the researchers (no worries, we can manage a 15 minutes presentation on this topic...).

#Agroforestry is on the rise in Germany, but its adoption is facing many legal & other hurdles. Here, we use a social-ecological traps perspective to explain how a complex legislation interacting with local processes disincentivizes farmers to implement agroforestry. Now out in "Sustainability Science" (#OpenAccess). A wonderful collaboration with Marina Klimke and Cathrin Zengerling. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-024-01623-1

#TreesOutsideForests (a common landscape feature across South Asia) provide crucial contributions to human wellbeing (but different trees affect wellbeing dimensions differently). A systematic review, led by Pooja Choksi, in Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adb7f4

Wie kann Transformativer Wandel gelingen, der den weltweiten Biodiversitätsverlust aufhält? Ein Interview des Projektträger DLR mit drei deutschen Beteiligten (Kristina Raab, Yves Zinngrebe, Tobias Plieninger) am @ipbes #TransformativeChange-Assessment. https://www.fona.de/de/aktuelles/nachrichten/2025/02/250224_IPBES_Assessment_Transformativer_Wandel.php

Rehabilitated quarries exhibit richer cultural ecosystem services than abandoned or operational ones, and accessibility significantly influences public engagement. Our findings from a study of sociocultural restoration of quarries in the Czech Republic, Denmark & Germany. With Kamila Svobodova, Ping Chang & Anton Stahl Olafsson, in "Restoration Ecology". #OpenAccess. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70009

Traditional resource use is remarkably persistent on the Faroe Islands, despite rapid ecological & social modernization. In this new study, we investigate the values, rules & knowledge around hare, pilot whale & fulmar hunting. It has been maintained by poverty, while identity & social relations have stabilised it. Understanding the interplay of values, rules, and knowledge is vital for sustaining traditional hunting while addressing current social-ecological challenges. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10780

Quarrying is a wide-spread extractive activity in Central Europe, but its social dimensions (effects on local communities, land use & cultural landscapes) are rarely investigated and regulated. In this recent paper, we explore how relations between mining companies & communities can be improved, identifying 4 factors as central. With Kamila Svobodova. Kamila Botková. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124440

„We know what’s coming, but we also know what to do. In addition to aggressively accelerating the energy transition away from fossil fuels, changing individual behavior and reducing carbon emissions from other sources, we have to expand efforts to build resilience to unavoidable impacts. That means strategies such as improving resilience to wildfires with better land management […].“ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/los-angeles-fires-force-us-to-confront-our-dystopian-present/

Für alle, die sich für das Thema #Agroforst interessieren, gibt es heute um 19:30 Uhr im Rahmen unserer Reihe "Wir können auch anders" einen Vortrag von Tobias @plieninger "Agroforstsysteme - Renaissance einer Kulturlandschaft?" bei Senckenberg in Frankfurt: 🤗
https://www.senckenberg.de/wir-koennen-auch-anders
Auch online kann man zuhören, der Link findet sich auf der Seite.
Bis nachher!