Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Biocultural Diversity for Sustainable
Ecological, Cultural and Sacred
Landscapes: The Biocultural
Landscape Approach
Gloria Pungetti
Abstract The interactions between natural, cultural and spiritual components of
landscape, and the values that people associate with them, are key elements to
landscape research based on both ecological and cultural principles. The under-
standing of these interactions and values is an essential prerequisite for the healthy
and sustainable management of our planet. Such understanding can be achieved
through research on biocultural diversity, meant as the diversity of life on earth in
both nature and culture. This paper explores recent developments in ecological
landscape research to support biocultural diversity, and offers a new approach
based on biocultural landscape.
Keywords Biocultural landscape research
Biocultural diversity
Ecological,
cultural and sacred landscapes
Landscape values and heritage
Traditional
ecological knowledge
Right to landscape
If we take care of the earth, the earth will take care of us.
Native Hopi saying
4.1 Introduction: Holistic Landscape Approach
To advance studies on the natural and cultural diversity of landscape, a holistic
approach is required. Different aspects of landscape, i.e. natural, cultural, analyt-
ical, political and interventional, should be addressed in all their dimensions
(Fig.
4.1
). These have been comprehensively illustrated in previous research based
on ecological landscape design and planning (Pungetti
1999
), and landscape
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