Biocultural Diversity for Sustainable Ecological, Cultural and Sacred Landscapes: The Biocultural Landscape Approach - Landscape Ecology for Sustainable Environment and Culture - page 61

Ecosystem, by which we humans, together with all other organisms, are integrated
with our total environment into an irreducible whole'. He has advocated a change
in the way of thinking, with a true synthesis between nature and culture indicated
in interdisciplinary landscape science which serves as a bridge between nature and
mind, between bio-ecological processes and cognitive-perceptual dimensions, and
between tangible and intangible values.
Tangible values in traditional landscape ecology have been extensively studied,
analysed, designed and managed. They include physical elements, species and
natural resources. The need to preserve our natural heritage, endangered species
and non-renewable natural resources has led governments to put strategies in place
for biodiversity and nature conservation, based also on landscape ecology prin-
ciples (see IUCN 2008 and Convention on Biological Diversity 2010 ).
Intangible values in holistic landscape ecology, instead, need further explora-
tion. They include cultural elements, language diversity, traditional knowledge,
spiritual practices and cultural heritage. Intangible cultural heritage is recreated by
communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with
nature and their history (see UNESCO 2002 , 2007 ). Besides, cultural and spiritual
heritage, language diversity and traditional knowledge are increasingly valued in
international programmes related to biodiversity, nature conservation and land-
scape ecology (see Pungetti et al. 2012 ).
4.5 Sacred Landscape and Heritage
The above intangible values, and in particular the spiritual dimension of ecology,
has been emphasised by scientists, as well as numerous religious organisations,
indigenous peoples and local communities as illustrated in literature (Næss 1989 ;
Berkes 1999 ; Tucker and Grim 2000 ; Dudley et al. 2005 ; Pungetti 2008 ). The
common effort is to prevent destruction of sacred landscapes and places, thus
healing social wounds and aiding ecological and environmental struggles.
Long ago indigenous people marked their territories, leaving traces visible
today in archaeological sites, and shaping a land for which they claim spiritual
responsibility—their sacred landscape. If, on the one hand, several of these
landscapes are today protected, on the other hand many shrines and pilgrim trails,
crucial for indigenous religions, are left outside the protected zones and are under
threat, if not destroyed, by human impact such as mineral and water extraction,
quarrying, aggressive tourism and ski resorts among others.
One of these threatened landscapes is the San Francisco Peaks. To the Hopi
people they represent the spirit of the land, what we call 'genius loci'. The Hopi,
the legend tells, promised to their genius loci, the bringer of rain, to be good
stewards of the earth (Beggs and McLeod 2003 ). Evidence of this spiritual
stewardship is visible on the petroglyphs and shrines of sacred places, still used by
the native people who, through this use, maintain their claim to these sacred
landscapes.