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espanolLan honetan, erregistro antrakologikoak eta palinologikoak erabili ditugu, Erdi Aroko Zaballa herrixka abandonatukoak (Euskal Herria, Espainiaren iparraldea), landa-paisaiek izan duten eraldaketa aztertzeko. Gune horretan, eskala handiko proiektu arkeologiko bat egin zen eta okupazio-aldi luze bat aurkitu zen (VI-XVI. mendeak). Gainera, askotariko ebidentzia bioarkeologikoak eta geoarkeologikoak aurkitu ziren. Hondakin arkeobotanikoei esker, tokiko ekonomia, paisaiaren dinamika, nekazaritzako lurrak eta soroetarako sistemak hobeto ulertzeko erabil daitezkeen adierazle integralak eskuratu genituen. Datu horiek aukera ematen dute nekazaritzako eta etxe giroko espazioei forma eman zieten tokiko komunitatearen eta kanpoko eragileen rola aztertzeko; baita nekazaritza-kokaguneetan botere aristokratikoek izandako eragina aztertzeko ere. Polenetik eta ikatzetatik ateratako datuak gurutzatuta erabiltzeari esker, loturak egin ditugu, Erdi Aroan zuhaitz eremuak pixkanaka murriztearen eta nekazaritzako ekoizpena areagotzearen, landutako lurren aldizkako berrantolaketaren eta ekoizpen-estrategia berriak erabiltzen hastearen artean. espanolEn este trabajo se emplean registros antracologicos y palinologicos de la aldea medieval abandonada de Zaballa en Alava (Pais Vasco, norte de Espana) para estudiar la transformacion de los paisajes rurales. En este enclave se llevo a cabo un proyecto arqueologico a gran escala y se descubrio un largo periodo de ocupacion (siglos VI-XVI). Ademas se encontro una gran variedad de evidencias bioarqueologicas y geoarqueologicas. Los restos arqueobotanicos aportaron indicadores integrales que pueden utilizarse para comprender mejor la economia local, la dinamica paisajistica, las terrazas agricolas y los sistemas para el campo. Estos datos permiten estudiar el papel de la comunidad local y los agentes externos que dieron forma a los espacios agricolas y domesticos, asi como el impacto de los poderes aristocraticos sobre los asentamientos rurales. El uso cruzado de datos procedentes del polen y el carbon nos permite relacionar la reduccion progresiva del componente arboreo durante la Edad Media con el aumento de la produccion agraria, la reorganizacion periodica de los espacios de cultivo y la introduccion de nuevas estrategias de produccion. EnglishIn this paper, anthracological and palynological records of the Medieval deserted village of Zaballa in Alava (Basque Country, Northern Spain) are used to examine the transformation of rural landscapes. At this site, a large-scale archaeological project was carried out and a long period of occupation (6th-16th century) discovered. A good range of bioarchaeological and geoarchaeological evidence was also found. Archaeobotanical remains provided comprehensive proxies, which can be used to better understand the local economy, landscape dynamics, agrarian terraces and field systems. These data permit an examination of the role of the local community and the external agents that shaped agrarian and domestic spaces as well as the impact of aristocratic powers on rural settlements. The cross use of pollen and charcoal data allow us to relate the progressive reduction of the arboreal component during the Middle Ages with the increasing of the agrarian production, the periodical reorganization of the cultivated spaces, and the introduction of new production strategies.

A thesis for applying for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture. Estonian and Latvian rural landscapes are not static; they evolve under environmental influences, both natural and socioeconomic. The landscapes have undergone rapid transformation from the collectivised Soviet period to independence and privatisation, followed by changes fuelled by accession to the European Union. The people’s relationship to landscape has also changed as perceptions and values respond to their experiences of landscape changes. Investigations were made in small rural communities examining the landscape values that attach inhabitants to place; the elements shaping landscape identity; place-shaping processes that transform communities; and conflicting views of the landscape-scale wildlife management. Data were collected from stakeholder interviews, workshops and an ongoing observation. This study revealed inhabitants had multiple anchors with varying degrees of attachment to the physical and cultural aspects of landscapes that gave them a sense of place. The inhabitants appreciated the peace and quiet, the quality of life afforded by access to natural food, the freedom to forage and a connection to natural landscapes. Cultural and family networks also gave strength and support to rural lifestyles. In some places, landscape identity was strengthened through place-shaping processes, such as revitalising old or initiating new traditions, leading to rising self-esteem among inhabitants. However, this was not enough to reverse the decline exacerbated by dwindling resources and outmigration. Willingness and ability to participate in landscape-scale management processes varied. A lack of effective dialogue discouraged inhabitants from participating, thus there was a need to listen to those most affected. These findings revealed important networks where planners could engage with local inhabitants and identified possible barriers to participation. Rural landscapes need healthy, thriving communities to provide the food, recreation and renewable energy of the future. Therefore, it is recommended that communities are provided the resources to support them in facing the challenges of an ageing population and draw younger generations to reinvigorate rural landscapes. Eesti ja Läti ruraalmaastikud ei seisa muutumatult, vaid on pidevas arengus. Muutused lähtuvad keskkonnaoludest, nii looduslikest kui sotsiaal-majanduslikest. Maastikud on läbi teinud kiire ülemineku kollektiviseeritud nõukogude perioodist vabaduse ja eraomanduse oludesse, mida on võimendanud Euroopa Liiduga ühinemise järgsed muutused. Inimeste suhe maastikusse on ka teisenenud, kuivõrd taju ja väärtused vastavad maastiku muutustele. Väikestes maa-kogukondades uuriti kohaga siduvaid maastiku väärtusi, identiteeti kujundavaid maastikuelemente, kogukonda teisendavat säästvat kohakujundusprotsessi ja vastanduvaid vaated ulukikorraldusele maastiku tasemel. Andmed koguti asjalistelt intervjuude, seminaride ja vaatluste vahendusel. Uuringud tõid ilmsiks mitmeid ankruid, mis seovad elanikke kohatunde andnud maastike füüsiliste ja kultuuriliste aspektidega. Maakogukondade liikmed hindasid kõrgelt maaelu rahu ja vaikust ning elukvaliteeti, mida andis loomulik toit, vabadus korjata metsaande ja lähedus looduslikule keskkonnale. Maalistele eluviisidele lisasid tugevust kultuurilised ja perekondlikud võrgustikud. Mõnelpool oli maastikuidentiteet tugevam tänu kohaloomele, nagu näiteks vanade või uute traditsioonide ellukutsumine, mille tulemusel tõusis kogukonna eneseväärikus. Sellegipoolest polnud see piisav, et ümber pöörata kahanevatest ressurssidest ja väljarännust põhjustatud allakäiku. Maastiku-taseme korraldustegevuses osalemise huvi ja võimekus oli kogukondades varieeruv. Tõhusa dialoogi puudumine heidutas elanikud kaasamisüritustelt, sel moel olid ära kuulamata need, kes kõige enam abi vajavad. Uuringu tulemused tõid esile võrgustikud, millega planeerijad võiksid arvestada kohalike elanike kaasamisel ning ka võimalikud tõkked osalemisele. Ruraalmaastikud vajavad tervislikke, edualteid kogukondi, et pakkuda ühiskonnale tulevikus toitu, virgestusvõimalust ja taastuvenergiat. Seepärast on soovitatav, et sealsed kogukonnad saaksid vahendeid, et tulla toime väljakutsetega, nagu elanikkonna vananemine ja noore põlvkonna tagasisaamine maamaastike taasjõustamiseks. Publication of this dissertation has been supported by the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

This chapter traces the emergence of domestic nature appreciation and tourism in Scotland. In the initial stages much of the narrative associated with that travel was dominated by members of the English upper classes who produced numerous pieces of travel writing extolling the aesthetic and epistemological virtues found up north. The chapter interrogates the emergence of these walking tours through two case studies: Elizabeth Diggle’s Journal of a Tour to the Highlands of Scotland (1788), and Dorothy Wordsworth’s Recollections of a tour made in Scotland (1803), concentrating on the underlying formal structures and concepts which were central to the valorization of the cultural practice. It argues that when placed within this larger historical context walking took on its own ideological role, addressing increasing anxiety towards industrialization and the loss of traditional forms of labour and relationships with rural landscapes.

Forests have re-taken centre stage in global conversations about sustainability, climate, and biodiversity. Here, we use a horizon scanning approach to identify five large-scale trends that are likely to have substantial medium- and long-term effects on forests and forest livelihoods: forest mega-disturbances; changing rural demographics; the rise of the middle-class in low- and middle-income countries; increased availability, access, and use of digital technologies; and large-scale infrastructure development. These trends represent human and environmental processes that are exceptionally large in geographical extent and magnitude, and difficult to reverse. They are creating new agricultural and urban frontiers, changing existing rural landscapes and practices, opening spaces for novel conservation priorities, and spearheading an unprecedented development of monitoring and evaluation platforms that can be used by local communities, civil society organisations, governments, and international donors. Understanding these larger-scale dynamics is key to support not only the critical role of forests in meeting livelihood aspirations locally, but also a range of other sustainability challenges more globally. We argue that a better understanding of these trends and the identification of levers for change requires that the research community continue to build on case studies that have dominated research efforts so far, but place a greater emphasis on causality and causal mechanisms, and generate a deeper understanding of how local, national, and international geographical scales interact.

There are many ways in which large carnivores and humans interact in shared spaces. In this study we provide insights into human-leopard relationships in an entirely modified, human-dominated landscape inhabited by dense populations of humans (266 per km2), their livestock (162 per km2) and relatively high densities of large predators (10 per 100 km2). No human deaths were recorded, and livestock losses to leopards numbered only 0.45 per km2per year (averaged over three years) despite the almost complete dependency of leopards on domestic animals as prey. Predation was not the major cause of livestock mortality as diseases and natural causes caused higher losses (80% of self-reported losses). We also found that ineffective night time livestock protection and the presence of domestic dogs increased the probability of a farmer facing leopard attacks on livestock. Resident farmers faced much lower livestock losses to leopard predation in contrast to the migratory shepherds who reported much higher losses, but rarely availed of the government compensation schemes. We recommend that local wildlife managers continue to shift from reactive measures such as leopard captures after livestock attacks to proactive measures such as focusing on effective livestock protection and informing the affected communities about safety measures to be taken where leopards occur in rural landscapes. The natural causes of livestock deaths due do diseases may be better prevented by involving animal husbandry department for timely vaccinations and treatment.

In the Italian Region Friuli Venezia Giulia, 71% of the Municipalities count less than 5,000 inhabitants, with a stop in population growth and an increase of aging trends. In the frame of the cohesion policies (National Strategy for Inner Areas – SNAI), three Project Areas were identified in the mountain sector. However, the presence of middle lands is even more per-vasive. This term stands for marginalised contexts, outside those identified by the SNAI; they are dotted by natural and rural landscapes, small urban centres, and the peripheries of medium cities. Here the number of inhabit-ants and the functioning of services still hold on, economic crisis and abandonment have not reached their climax. Nonetheless, the risk to slip into more serious conditions of fragility is strong. Since some years, at the University of Trieste, these areas have been the ob-ject of Urban Planning Courses. The methodology is that of research by de-sign to support local planning and regional policies. Starting from the char-acters of marginalised contexts in Friuli Venezia Giulia, this paper presents the outputs of the activities developed in the middle lands along the river Cormor. Through the interaction with the Municipalities involved in the construction of a River Contract, the request to draw the extension of a horse/cycle path offered the opportunity to reflect on how to reconceive economies and services related to slow tourism within a larger planning perspective. Project investigations interpreted Cormor as the spine of a network of ecological services, and new functions were defined for existing collective facilities. The research is in progress, and more contexts will be studied within Friuli Venezia Giulia SNAI’s areas. In view of the next sea-son of EU cohesion policies, the closing paragraph questions the definition of place-based development strategies for marginalised territories, and the need to go beyond spatial perimeters centred on abstract statistical indica-tors and accessibility parameters.

Noricum was part of the Roman Empire from 15 BC to 488 AD. On the one hand, specific areas of this province, such as the so-called Danube Limes border zone of present-day Austria with its numerous military sites like watchtowers or camps, have been continuously in the focus of various archaeological investigations. On the other hand, hardly anything is known about the rural settlement (e.g., farmsteads or villages). Thus, the archaeological knowledge of the utmost parts of Noricum's hinterland requires an in-depth, scientific evaluation this applies particularly to the northern area located in the present-day federal state of Lower Austria. Consequently, the Danubian border's archaeological rural hinterland settlement activities of the Roman period's different phases are newly studied to improve the relatively low research state through the PhD-project Roman Rural Landscapes in Noricum by Dominik Hagmann. The project is a critical landscape archaeological study and focuses on the rural component in the study area, which has received little attention for various reasons so far. The project has an inclusive approach. All available archaeological sources (ranging from single coin finds to whole military camps) are taken into account in a well-defined Area of Interest to provide new insights into the rural landscape through basic research. Besides, two known farmsteads ( villaeof Oberndorf a. d. Melk and Petzenkirchen) serve as exemplary case studies for rural sites. Learn more: rrl.univie.ac.at/en/ research / rrln /

After developing a systematic analysis of the vernacular phenomenon in different disciplines, this paper presents a flexible model to understand the multiple factors and the different degrees of vernacularity behind the many processes that lead to the generation of material culture. The conceptual model offers an open, polythetic and integrative approach to the vernacular by assuming that it operates in different dimensions (temporal, socio-political, sociological, locational, epistemological, procedural, economic and functional), and that the many attributes or characteristics included in those dimensions are all relevant but not strictly necessary. The model is intended to facilitate a more methodical and rigorous connection between the vernacular concept and contemporary discourses on sustainability, resilience, globalization, governance, and rural-urban development. In addition, and due to its transdisciplinary character, the model will enable the development of comparative studies within and between a wide range of fields (architecture, landscape studies, design, planning and geography). A prospective analysis of the use of the model in rural landscapes reveals its potential to mediate between the protective approach that has characterized official planning during the last decades and emergent approaches that advocate the reinterpretation of the vernacular as a new form to generate new collective identities and to reconnect people and place.

RESUMEN: Desde que en el año 2003 se instituyera la denominada Lista Representativa del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad, a instancias de la UNESCO, esta vía ha sido ampliamente transitadas por los Estados integrantes de la organización para salvaguardar aquellos bienes culturales más desprotegidos, especialmente cuando podían producir importantes réditos económicos. Sin embargo, los complejos procedimientos establecidos para llevar a cabo las declaraciones, tanto por la UNESCO como por los propios Estados, no siempre garantizan la eficacia de los resultados. La decisión adoptada por la organización en 2018 en relación con las técnicas de la de la piedra seca constituye un significativo ejemplo. El objetivo del presente artículo es mostrar, a título de ejemplo entre otros posibles, la relevancia que adquieren las técnicas constructivas de la piedra seca en un singular paisaje cultural, localizado en la Comunidad Autónoma de Cantabria, la cual, sin embargo, no se halla entre las que obtuvieron el reconocimiento de la UNESCO en aquella ocasión. ABSTRACT: Since the establishment of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2003, at the request of UNESCO, this route has been widely travelled by the organisation's member states to safeguard the most vulnerable cultural assets, especially when these could produce significant economic returns. However, the complex procedures established to carry out the declarations, both by UNESCO and by the States themselves, do not always guarantee the effectiveness of the results. The decision taken by the organisation in 2018 regarding dry stone techniques is a significant example. The aim of this article is to show, by way of example among others, the importance of dry stone building techniques in a unique cultural landscape, located in the Autonomous Community of Cantabria, which, however, is not among those that obtained recognition from UNESCO on that occasion.

A multidisciplinary project challenges traditional approaches to the rural landscape of Petra in order to understand its agricultural systems and the quantitative and qualitative aspects of a lived landscape.

In the last decades, Mediterranean rural landscapes have undergone significant changes, with relevant considerable environmental and socio-economic impacts. These phenomena are often triggered by agricultural abandonment, especially in environmentally-sensitive areas, which are usually located in marginal and less profitable regions, and which could indeed irremediably compromise the identity and role of these Mediterranean landscapes. On the other hand, the progressive increase of available multi-source geodata allows to reconstruct the landscape original structure, providing new tools able to prevent negative impacts on environment. Hence, thanks to the development of increasingly advanced and open-source GIS tools, it is possible to implement several geodata typologies that can be mutually integrated in an increasingly efficient approach. In this paper the process of landscape reshaping pattern is analyzed in a study area of Basilicata region (Southern Italy) using remote sensing. In particular, the vegetation component of a landscape has been assessed by means of SAR images by using an artificial intelligence approach, that is machine learning to understand landscape dynamics in two different time periods. In this way, it has been possible to integrate data of different source and composition into landscape analysis methodologies, hence developing a suitable tool for planning and managing the rural landscape.

Rural landscape dynamics are challenging existing policy regimes for a number of reasons and new approaches to landscape governance are needed [...]

Although the transition to energy supply through renewables (RE) is, in general, politically accepted in Germany, its progress is slowed by conflicting interests, primarily nature conservation and protesting residents. This study aims to find ways to solve these conflicts in Germany. To this end, the researchers developed a geospatial model that calculates RE potentials and vulnerabilities of nature and humans. Both data input and some evaluation standards are variables in the model. The outcomes are compared to an estimated total energy demand in 2050. Two ambitious scenarios (“no regret” and “compromise”) show that a maximum of 4% of the German territory is available to meet the energy demand. This demand can be met using PV in urban areas and wind in rural landscapes without significantly impairing nature's and people's wellbeing. Solar parks and other potentials not considered in the model are treated as a reserve, which can be included if the energy targets are not met under the assumed scenario conditions. Such reserves also provide flexibility for co-determination in public participation.

Landscape may be defined as a stretch of country with environmental characteristics and dominated by certain landforms. Landscape analysis is the subdivision of landscape for some purpose or another. It may be for a scientific study such as the environmental conditions that prevails at present-day or in the past. By using satellite images of different types, the analysis of Egypt’s landmass made it possible to recognize various types of landscapes according to the dominant surface features. Examples of Egyptian landscapes are karst landscape on the carbonate plateaus, riverine landscape in the Nile Valley and the Nile Delta, and dune landscape in the sand seas of the Western Desert and Sinai. Since most of the Egyptian landscapes, especially the physical ones, do not develop under the present arid environmental conditions, it can be said that they were inherited from past environments.

Human recognition, valuation, and communication lie at the heart of ecosystem goods and services. We explore how the wellbeing effects of ecosystems are recognized and communicated based on data obtained from an information campaign to increase public awareness of the health and wellbeing benefits of rural nature areas in Finland. Interested members of the public from different backgrounds were asked to outline and publicly share short descriptions of their personal recommendations for improving their wellbeing through interacting with rural landscapes. The results indicate that a wide variety of ecosystem types and functions are perceived to be important for producing a range of wellbeing benefits through experiencing and multisensory observations of natural landscapes. The importance of cultural and experiential ecosystem services were highlighted while provisioning services received only minor attention, and regulating services were almost entirely unnoted.

espanolHablar de abandono significa hablar de territorios fragiles que necesitan un proyecto de regeneracion territorial. En este articulo, el fenomeno del abandono se convierte en una oportunidad para identificar relaciones entre recursos no utilizados, dinamicas antropicas y paisajes originales. El biorregionalismo se propone como un posible enfoque teorico que guie las acciones del proyecto, revele y mantenga unidos los recursos tangibles e intangibles e identifique la escala espacial mas adecuada para la regeneracion de los territorios despoblados. El proyecto VENTO, una ruta ciclista de 780 km, financiada por Ministerios italianos, que conecta el norte de Italia, se convierte en un estudio de caso para investigar el potencial de la linea lenta para ser un proyecto biorregional EnglishTalking about abandonment means talking about fragile territories that need a regeneration territorial project. In this paper the phenomenon of abandonment becomes an opportunity to identify relationships between unused resources, anthropic dynamics, original landscapes. Bioregionalism is proposed as a possible theoretical approach that guides actions of project, reveals and holds together tangible and intangible resources and identifies the most suitable spatial scale for regeneration of depopulated territories. VENTO project, the 780 km cycle route financed by Italian Ministries that connects northern Italy, becomes a case study to investigate the potential of the slow line to be a bioregional project

Estonian and Latvian rural landscapes are not static; they evolve under environmental influences, both natural and socioeconomic. The landscapes have undergone rapid transformation from the collectivised Soviet period to independence and privatisation, followed by changes fuelled by accession to the European Union. The people’s relationship to landscape has also changed as perceptions and values respond to their experiences of landscape changes. Investigations were made in small rural communities examining the landscape values that attach inhabitants to place; the elements shaping landscape identity; place-shaping processes that transform communities; and conflicting views of the landscape-scale wildlife management. Data were collected from stakeholder interviews, workshops and an ongoing observation. This study revealed inhabitants had multiple anchors with varying degrees of attachment to the physical and cultural aspects of landscapes that gave them a sense of place. The inhabitants appreciated the peace and quiet, the quality of life afforded by access to natural food, the freedom to forage and a connection to natural landscapes. Cultural and family networks also gave strength and support to rural lifestyles. In some places, landscape identity was strengthened through place-shaping processes, such as revitalising old or initiating new traditions, leading to rising self-esteem among inhabitants. However, this was not enough to reverse the decline exacerbated by dwindling resources and outmigration. Willingness and ability to participate in landscape-scale management processes varied. A lack of effective dialogue discouraged inhabitants from participating, thus there was a need to listen to those most affected. These findings revealed important networks where planners could engage with local inhabitants and identified possible barriers to participation. Rural landscapes need healthy, thriving communities to provide the food, recreation and renewable energy of the future. Therefore, it is recommended that communities are provided the resources to support them in facing the challenges of an ageing population and draw younger generations to reinvigorate rural landscapes.

The problem examined in this research is how the loss of rural settlements, small towns, villages and farms contributes to changes in rural landscape and how can this change be managed? The survey was conducted in matching locations in Poland, Slovakia, Germany and in the southern part of Cyprus. The research methods were based on the analysis of source materials and on field analyses in the studied regions. Source research included searching for information in a literature on the subject, as well as planning documents, strategies and studies of spatial development conditions. The main causes of the decline of abandoned rural areas are the decrease in population and migration to cities, the intensification of production and the increase in production areas and the change in the nature of the activities of rural homesteads. The results of the research also show that in addition to common trends comprising the transformation of landscapes in rural areas, each of the analyzed regions differs in terms of the degree of adverse changes, the period in which changes were noted and the possibilities to prevent these changes. In order to prepare a village rehabilitation strategy, a comprehensive diagnosis of whole changes is required, in which the state and causes of landscape changes are determined, and possible solutions for halting rural depopulation are foreseen. JEL Codes: O18, R00, R51.

Economic and social transformation of rural areas in Poland after 1990 reveals itself through disintegration of previous spatial order. Building a new pattern requires a vision, which would counteract complex causes of disintegration. The latter belong to institutional domain of planning strategies and the area of common practices. Therefore, agreement on aims and means between spatial policy strategies and tactics of space users would favour the protection and sustainable shaping of environmental resources. The attempt which will merge both aforementioned life domains may be successfully realized only within landscape and at the level of commune, where local development takes place. The article refers to symptoms and causes of deformations in rural landscapes. It describes landscape rurality as desired development vision and utility of landscape tools in space management of a small commune. The article defines the idea of public space in a landscape aspect and indicates directions and areas of explorations, which would need to be developed according to the suggested perspective.

Light is fundamental to biological systems, affecting the daily rhythms of bacteria, plants, and animals. Artificial light at night (ALAN), a ubiquitous feature of urbanization, interferes with these rhythms and has the potential to exert strong selection pressures on organisms living in urban environments. ALAN also fragments landscapes, altering the movement of animals into and out of artificially lit habitats. Although research has documented phenotypic and genetic differentiation between urban and rural organisms, ALAN has rarely been considered as a driver of evolution. We argue that the fundamental importance of light to biological systems, and the capacity for ALAN to influence multiple processes contributing to evolution, makes this an important driver of evolutionary change, one with the potential to explain broad patterns of population differentiation across urban-rural landscapes. Integrating ALAN's evolutionary potential into urban ecology is a targeted and powerful approach to understanding the capacity for life to adapt to an increasingly urbanized world.

Rapid modernization has brought about massive changes in the urban and rural landscapes of China. While many old places and ancient buildings have been pulled down and replaced with more modern alternatives, others have been protected and restored. These include ancient ancestral temples, an important cultural space in China. Previous research has shown how different level governments and rural communities work together to restore ancient temples, but didn’t bring to light artistic and non-government financed and patronized cases of restoration projects. This article adopts a bottom-up perspective to examine a case in Guangzhou how an individual artist transforms an ancient ancestral temple into a new cultural space. Through an ethnographic-style exploration of the practice of restoration, we unfold the interconnections between an individual’s social memory of the past, their love of place, and their enthusiasm for restoration work. Differing from the government’s ‘standardized’ and functionalist restoration of ancestral temples, this case study shows an individual’s emotional and material devotion to transforming a neglected ancestral temple into an eclectic cultural space where the art works are a result of freedom of creative expression.

Question:What are the woody vegetation encroachment patterns after agricultural land abandonment? Focusing on two parameters, woody plant species richness and vertical vegetation heterogeneity (number of different vegetation strata and their relative cover) we investigated: (a) the effect of forest encroachment following land abandonment ; (b) the comparative importance of forest encroachment vis- a- vis top- ographic and climatic parameters, and finally ; (c) the ecological importance of eight land- cover types encountered in abandoned agricultural landscapes. Location: The Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece). Methods: We set up a standard methodology for 1 × 1 km site selection (70 sites) and data collection within 497 plots, along a well- defined forest encroachment gradi- ent that reflects land abandonment in terms of woody vegetation cover. Results: The pattern that emerged was neither clear nor common for the Balkan re- gion, regarding the effect of forest encroachment on the woody plant species rich- ness in young forests, formed from 20 to 50 years after land abandonment. However, at national level, species diversity was significantly affected by elevation (Bulgaria and Croatia) and temperature (Croatia), with lower and cooler areas being richer. Elevation was of great importance in determining vertical vegetation heterogeneity. Woodlots, broad- leaved forests, hedges and shrublands held the highest woody spe- cies richness in comparison to the more open land- cover types, and vertical vegeta- tion heterogeneity was higher in open forests and woodlots. Conclusions: We expect the expansion of broad- leaved forests following land aban- donment to enhance woody species richness. However, other land- cover types that were found to be important for woody plants should be maintained. As woody plants play a key role in supporting overall biodiversity, by providing suitable habitat for many species, we consider the preservation of a mosaic of patches of different land- cover types essential for the conservation of both plant and animal species diversity. Young forests should be preserved at intermediate stages of succession, through in- termediate disturbance activities, including medium intensity grazing and the en- hancement of wild ungulates.

A multifunctionality analysis of built environments within rural landscapes can deepen understanding of how contemporary rural places function. There is an urgent need for this knowledge as small t...

This paper focuses on threatened future intrusions of energy infrastructure on rural landscapes. In recent years there has been a large outpouring of publications apparently related to “the energy landscape” and “urban energy landscape”. In the author's view this is a misleading use of the word “landscape”. Here the words “rural landscape” refer to rural and countryside, as distinct from town, as they have done in the English language for over 400 years (according to the Oxford English Dictionary). There are many reasons for concern about the future of our rural landscapes due to human initiatives, among which are scarcely constrained developments of onshore wind turbines, ground-mounted solar PV, and “modern” biomass and biofuels. Guidelines and regulations aimed at protection are frequently evaded. Those supposed to apply guidelines and regulations often fail in their duty. Areas supposed to be protected from intrusion by international, national, or local regulations are exploited. A sustainable future requires us to preserve scenic values and protect many rural landscapes. This will require much stricter limits on the location of renewable energy developments in the countryside.

The rural landscapes of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta have undergone a dramatic change, where flood management and adaptation are at the forefront. This article investigates how these synergies facilitate policy change. Drawing on qualitative information from the literature, focus group discussions, and interviews, the article argues that there are confrontational but complementary effects between them, which evolve towards adaptive co-management. Collaborative learning between local governments and farmers enables shared understanding of water management drawbacks, leading to policy change. The article recommends that more attention be given to this approach to guide strategic water policy development in the region.

The agriculturization process reflects both the expansion and intensification of land use arising from the generalization of industrial cropping in Argentina. This process has potentially deep and partially unknown trade-offs arising from the increase in agricultural commodities production (eg. soybean) at expenses of cultural ecosystem services and traditional livelihoods. The aim of our study was to evaluate the extent and mechanisms by which agriculturization has affected the opportunities for recreation and tourism (OR&T), taking as a case study the Mar Chiquita Basin (Argentina). An OR&T indicator was created by combining individual preferences and biophysical landscape data and changes between years 2000 and 2014 were analyzed. Preferences data were obtained through semi-structured interviews to different local actors (eg. ecotourists) and were combined with spatial data (eg. local attractions). Agriculturization maps were created analyzing land cover changes (cultivated versus others) for the same period. OR&T and agriculturization maps were physically overlaid to evaluate the magnitude and location of trade-offs. The resulting map showed a relatively low and spatially diffuse trade-off relationship between commodity production and OR&T, derived from land cover changes. However, these trade-offs were deeply perceived as adverse by the interviewees, involving dimensions as the loss of good water quality, biodiversity and rural houses inhabited due to the increased use of agrochemicals and machinery, presence of feedlots and landscape homogenization. These results support the adverse effects that land use intensification can have on people wellbeing, which should be considerated in the evaluation of economic policies and decisions that transform the landscape.Keywords: Cultural ecosystem services; Industrial agriculture; Mapping ecosystem services; Opportunities for recreation and tourism; Rural landscapes. Fil: Auer, Alejandra Denise. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina Fil: Nahuelhual, Laura. Universidad Austral de Chile; Chile Fil: Maceira, Nestor Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina

Architectural research about country homes is often focused on the genealogy of their occupants and/or their place in the history of architecture. Much of the latter is based on fabric, as well as on the discussion of the attributes of artifacts identified with the home. In the rural Australian context, while this adoption of a "style" might have some resonance with geography and climate, it was also informed by imported architectural ideas that took hold during the period of occupation of rural landscapes in the mid-late ninetennth century.

Economic and environmental pressures are rapidly changing the identity of rural landscapes, but the inhabitants of these spaces are too often neglected. The outcomes of the UK’s 2016 EU Referendum ...

A expansão da soja no Brasil tem transformado áreas rurais e fomentado a instalação de estruturas logísticas, sobretudo na região amazônica. O objetivo deste artigo é compreender a dinâmica de expansão da soja e de estruturação de corredores logísticos nesta região e seus impactos sobre a mercantilização da terra. A partir de levantamento bibliográfico, dados secundários e da realização de trabalho de campo, se problematiza as formas pelas quais esse processo vem se dando na área do Oeste do Pará, uma das principais e recentes “fronteiras agrícolas e de estruturação de corredores logísticos” no Brasil. Os resultados indicam uma intensa expansão da soja na região, bem como a consolidação deste corredor logístico, fruto de um conjunto de estratégias, nem sempre convergentes, implementadas por diferentes atores sociais., The expantion of soybean in Brazil has transformed rural landscapes and fostered the installation of large logistical structures, especially in the Amazon region. The aim of this paper is to understand the dynamics of soybean expansion and the structuring of logistical corridors in this region and its impacts on land commodification. Based on a bibliographic survey and secondary data, and the realization of fieldwork, in this article we seek to problematize the ways in which this process has been taking place in the Western Pará region, one of the main and recent “agricultural borders and structuring of logistical corridors” in Brazil. The results indicate an intense expansion of soy in the region, as well as the consolidation of this logistical corridor, the result of a set of strategies, not always convergent, implemented by different social actors., Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales