Traditional irrigation systems have shaped Mediterranean mountains, plains & oases - supporting agricultural production, biodiversity & cultural heritage. We're happy to share our review of community-based stewardship of traditional irrigation systems. doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
Using the opportunity to highlight our study on peatlands & people. Claudia Heindorf et al. elicited societal values of a peat landscape under transformation in the form of participant-voiced poems. Top cited in @britishecologicalsociety.org's "People & Nature". doi.org/10.1002/pan3...
🧑🌾🐃🌾🐸 FAO-Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems introduce a cultural heritage perspective to #IntegratedLandscapeManagement. In this study, we identify 4 #GIAHS types, varying in how they balance food production & nature conservation. 1st PhD paper by MC Camporese. doi.org/10.5751/ES-1...
🥀 #Natura2000 protects the crown jewels of Europe's nature. How can this protected area network be future-proofed against environmental backlash? Here are some ideas how a biocultural perspective may help.
👉 Press release: www.uni-goettingen.de/en/3240.html...
🔗 Full paper: doi.org/10.1111/con4...
Native farms trees of Myanmar’s Central Dry Zone: (a) Toddy palm, (b) Jujube and (c) thanakha
Reciprocity (the mutal care between humans & ecosystems) is a core value of a nature-positive society. Here, we disentangle the multiple dimensions of reciprocity between farmers in Myanmar & farm trees. @khant-htet.bsky.social @laurakmoch.bsky.social @esandpeople.bsky.social doi.org/10.1080/2639...
Repeat photography is a simple but effective method for visualising changes & assessing long-term developments of landscapes. Participatory research methods for sustainability Toolkit #16, now out in GAIA. By Matthias Bürgi, Elena Siegrist, Susan Lock & Tamara Estermann. doi.org/10.14512/gai...
🫎 🐸🌳Happy to share a Perspective on how a biocultural approach can strengthen the Natura 2000 network. It may help future-proof protected areas in times of populism, environm. backsliding & land-use conflicts. With M. Jay & @thartel.bsky.social. @consletters.bsky.social.
🔗doi.org/10.1111/con4.70038
🫎 🐸🌳Happy to share our Perspective on how a biocultural approach can strengthen the European Natura 2000 network. Such approach may help future-proof protected areas in times of populism, environmental backsliding & land-use conflicts. With M. Jay & @thartel.bsky.social.
🔗doi.org/10.1111/conl.12958
New paper out in @consletters.bsky.social. We propose 5 leverage points for maintaining biodiversity in N2K sites: people, network design, monitoring, funding, and research. Nice collaboration with @plieningerlab.bsky.social and Marion Jay.
Link:
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
What motivates actors to collaborate in #IntegratedLandscapeManagement? The work group “Navigating trade-offs & synergies between biodiversity & society in protected multifunctional landscapes” is happy to present its first output. With F. Turkelboom, M. Torralba et al. doi.org/10.5751/ES-1...
Protected areas are boundary objects that facilitate multiple connections between people and nature. Marion Jay showcases narratives of nature experiences by visitors & users of Natura 2000 reserves in Germany in our #PeopleNatureLandscapesBlog. medium.com/people-natur...
🌿@ipbes.net defined archetypes of human-relationships, the "Life Frames" (living in, as, from & with nature). How do life frames define the perception of nature's values by residents around protected areas? Our new study, out now in "Biological Conservation", led by M. Jay.
🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
Congrats to Abul Polas for defending his PhD on "A people-centered approach to counter ecosystem degradation & support restoration" at @unikassel.bsky.social:
📍Sense of place: doi.org/10.1080/2639...
🌱Degradation/restoration: doi.org/10.1016/j.fo...
🌿Human-nature-connections: doi.org/10.1111/rec....
EASAC infographic on nature restoration
Degraded nature is increasing Europe's exposure to risks. The EU #NatureRestorationRegulation is thus not an environmental luxury, but provides basic risk management, says this interesting position paper from @easac.bsky.social. easac.eu/publications...
Interested in learning about #TransformativeChange of agriculture toward sustainability? At @unikassel.bsky.social we have an exciting interdisciplinary Master programme "Agriculture, Ecology & Societies". Application deadline for international candidates: 01.03.26
Paludiculture (wet agriculture) can align peatland restoration with farming, yet remains in a niche in Germany. Our new PLOS Sustainability & Transformation study examines pioneer farmers’ motivations & barriers. With M. Merkelbach, @laurakmoch.bsky.social & C. Heindorf. doi.org/10.1371/jour...
International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists
3 days to go to the International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists! Some work from our group:
🌱🐄Biocultural diversity & livestock: doi.org/10.1016/j.an...
🌿🌍High nature value farming: doi.org/10.1002/pan3...
🏷️🐑Geographic Indication: doi.org/10.1080/1747...
🏜️🤝Pastoral values: doi.org/10.1016/j.la...
A powerful call by Amitav Ghosh for locally led climate solutions. In the Sundarbans of Bangladesh & India this means moving away from embankment construction, shrimp farming & assisted migration, toward community-based agroecology approaches. www.equator.org/articles/bey...
Dimensions of Tamazirt thinking
Many Indigenous philosophies acknowledge respect & reciprocity between people & nature. Affective ties to land & home are also at the heart of Tamazirt thinking of Amazigh communities in Morocco. Tamazirt could serve as an Indigenous anchor point for rural revitalisation.
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s132...
Conceptual representation of how residents’ mobility and land abandonment decisions are shaped by proximate and underlying causes
How do multiple & interconnected social-ecological crises (water scarcity, economic crisis, sociocultural value crisis) affect traditional rural lifeways & drive land abandonment and migration decisions in Morocco's High Atlas? Our new paper, led by @laurakmoch.bsky.social.
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s132...
"Iran’s greatest current existential crisis is what hydrologists are calling its rapidly approaching water bankruptcy." Great essay on Iran's existential water crisis & how restoration of ancient qanat water collection technologies could provide a sustainable solution. e360.yale.edu/features/ira...
Die Etablierung von Bäumen und Sträuchern auf Agrarflächen wie hier auf dem Hof Werragut in Eschwege bietet die Möglichkeit, verarmte Agrarlandschaften zu renaturieren und gleichzeitig die landwirtschaftliche Produktion fortzuführen und zu diversifizieren – Foto: Tobias Plieninger
Wie lassen sich Europas #Agrarlandschaften so wiederherstellen, dass die #Ökosysteme und auch die #Gesellschaft profitieren? Forschende haben Empfehlungen für eine sozial inklusive Umsetzung der neuen EU-Verordnung veröffentlicht.
Mehr: www.uni-goettingen.de/de/3240.html...
Multifunctional agricultural landscape in Lower Saxony / Germany
The EU #NatureRestorationRegulation may sound dry, but it can inspire ideas for reconnecting people with nature. Our policy article outlines how to foster active learning, cultural values, caring attitudes, land-use synergies & collaboration.
doi.org/10.1111/rec....
www.uni-kassel.de/uni/aktuelle...
A woman selling freshly foraged greens on a Bengaluru street, connecting urban consumers with wild local foods.
@ipbes.net flags conserving & regenerating places of value to nature & people as key for #TransformativeChange. Our India study shows urban lakes, ponds & canals act as such places, supporting livelihoods while shaping #BioculturalDiversity & urban #FoodSystemSustainability. doi.org/10.1038/s442...
The photograph shows three women in colourful clothes wading in greyish green water on a sunny day. They are bent over to collect food from the floor of some drying wetlands in Kolkata (a megacity in India). The rocks and mud on the banks are grey-brown. It isn’t visible from the photo but the women are collecting small fish, snails and other aquatic foods. This image provides a glimpse into the everyday lives of urban household workers from a wetland in Kolkata on their way home. Image thanks to researcher Sukanya Basu.
Urban Blue Spaces: the overlooked rivers, lakes and wetlands in cities.
Researchers surveyed 1,200 people in 4 cities in India and found foraging to be widespread, providing valuable food, income, culture, connections: www.uni-goettingen.de/en/3240.html...
#NatureCities: doi.org/10.1038/s442...
Restoration through multifunctional agroforestry
The #NatureRestorationRegulation is a landmark for EU policy. How can National Restoration Plans boost human–nature relations? Some ideas in our article:
✨Positive restoration stories
🎨Cultural values
🏺Heritage sites/products
🌾Multifunctional landscapes
💡Shared ideas platform
doi.org/10.1111/rec....
🌍 New study: Foraging in India’s urban blue spaces is widespread yet overlooked.
Surveying 1,200 people in 4 cities, we found that lakes & wetlands provide food, income, culture & social ties.
👉 Recognizing foraging can support more equitable, resilient urban food systems.
🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s442...
We are looking for new Associate Editors of "People and Nature". If you work on people-nature relations & like handling papers, please apply by 23.02.26. @britishecologicalsociety.org
🔗 www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/appl...
Working on #ParticipatoryMapping or #CitizenScience approaches to advance #EcosystemServices? Please submit an abstract to our session at the Ecosystem Services Partnership Europe Conference (Prague, 18.-22.05.26). Submission deadline: 31.12.25. www.espconference.org/europe2026/h...
