Our final report of the Transylvanian wood-pastures project is now available in German language. It was a fantastic trip, where we met several extraordinary people, inventories wood-pastures and published nice papers.
tinyurl.com/m6etve9b
@luca-at-ifas.bsky.social @umweltstiftung.bsky.social
🫎 🐸🌳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/...
The future of Europe’s forest disturbance regimes– a thread.
Tl, dr: Disturbances from wildfire, bark beetles & wind will continue to increase in the coming decades. Under unabated climate change disturbances could more than double by 2100.
New paper out in @science.org doi.org/10.1126/scie...
The results of our DBU funded Transylvanian wood-pastures projekt in numbers, and some key insights. Plus the final report. The book (in 4 languages: RO, HU, EN, DE) is close to be sent to publisher.
bsky.app/profile/luca...
📣 Survey: human–large carnivore coexistence in Europe
For professionals in wildlife management, land-use decisions and research. Focused on governance, coordination & collaboration.
⏱️ ~15 min | Please take part and share widely.
Thank you!
Link in 1st reply.
Colourised photo, Bucharest c.1923. Around New Year, “bear dances” were still a real custom: captive brown bears led through the streets, made to perform for luck and entertainment.
Thank you! It transposes what people with high knowledge and care for wood-pastures developed through a full day deliberative exercise. See a small glimpse in this picture, where one of the team presented and defended the progress of developing the features and dynamics of an ideal wood-pasture.
We asked 22 innovators (in 3 separate groups) embedded in the ancient wood-pastures of Transylvania to draw the ideal wood-pasture, and explain how it functions. Ideal wood-pasture features are already (still) present and only need maintenance. The social dimensions are, however, to be restored.
Thanks for sharing! We made a wonderful team with IfaS colleagues, led by Frank Wagener!
...of the fence...sorry
Wilderness beyond fence. Imagine you wake up, go back to your yard for an innocent walk and a curious and relaxed bear is saying hello from the other side of the yard.
Forms, practices, relationships, presented through old willow pollards:
youtu.be/mBZ07g6frDk?...
In romanian about biocultural refugia.
youtu.be/5g0r6p2IKes?...
Indeed. Exactly this happens.
Beaver, the engineer; a keystone species helping landscapes navigate drought.
Bear and fox tracks nearby, cows and sheep grazing around. Near Sfântu Gheorghe.
Regularly pollarded willows near Sfântu Gheorghe keep an old tradition alive. Every 4–6 years, they provide firewood and stakes—while sustaining biodiversity, cultural memory, and even habitats for protected insects.
Your point is also legitimate.
One of the many wood-pastures we assessed to understand them under the lens of the Cultural Values Model by Janet Stephenson. See link of our paper published in People and Nature below.
We have so much to learn from traditional Transylvanian wood pasture management.
Mixed farming communities need to be supported for their true value of working with nature and preserving food systems not just how they compete with the short term thinking of corporate agriculture.
We used the Cultural Values Model to assess biocultural change in Transylvanian wood-pastures. Traditional features persist but mix with electric fencing (establishing) and mechanization, especially in lowlands. Stewardship is eroding.
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
I am also in this list LOL. Thanks Euan!
Inspiring paper, congrats to the team!
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.
In a more inclusive formulation: "negative contributions of (urban) nature to people"
In a more popular formulation: bird shit
Funnily: Birds took one look at our pipe and said “nice toilet”
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.
Good morning!
Breite ancient oak wood-pasture, Sighișoara - Schäßburg - Segesvár.
