Biocultural Diversity for Sustainable Ecological, Cultural and Sacred Landscapes: The Biocultural Landscape Approach - Landscape Ecology for Sustainable Environment and Culture - page 70

From here, the IALE Biocultural Landscape Working Group has been set up to
support research on biocultural landscapes from a worldwide landscape ecology
perspective. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate ways in which biocultural land-
scape and landscape ecology can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and
cultures.
Research findings of the working group have demonstrated so far that a sense of
sacredness helps in safeguarding natural and cultural heritage of sites and species,
although it sometimes puts the latter in danger. However, research has just started
to systematically study biocultural landscape; qualitative analyses and assessment
of intangible values require further attention. International, intercultural and
interreligious understanding, together with respect, dialogue and cooperation
between communities, are needed on the ground, to couple research on biocultural
landscape and diversity with a multidisciplinary and multifunctional approach.
4.9 Conclusions
In acknowledging the current degradation and rapid transformation of European
landscapes, the 10th Council of Europe meeting of workshops for the imple-
mentation of the European Landscape Convention has underlined the urgent need
to contribute to preserving the quality of our landscapes. To reach this goal, the
multifunctional value of these landscapes should be taken into account, and those
implementing the Convention should take steps to secure their intrinsic quality and
multiple values. This paper has built on this precondition to correlate it with the
emerging landscape ecology perspectives on the link between ecological and
cultural diversity.
As outlined before (Council of Europe 2000 ) European landscape enriches the
quality of life of people and plays a key role in the ecological, cultural, social, and
we add spiritual, realms. It therefore constitutes a resource from which it is pos-
sible to develop a more sustainable future with the support of responsible or-
ganisations, public authorities and citizens, able to define the framework in which
the cultural landscape function, quality and value can be secured.
The framework proposed here is the biocultural landscape approach. Biocul-
tural diversity, it is argued, needs to be considered in landscape ecology studies in
order to promote respect for landscape and nature, and ultimately to integrate the
spiritual and cultural values of land and local communities into ecological land-
scape design and planning, nature conservation and sustainable development.
Conversely, biocultural landscapes become pillars for interdisciplinary landscape
science, which serves as a connection between nature and culture, and between
their tangible and intangible values.
A biocultural vision implies equally that heritage conservation, whether natural
or cultural, should consider the human context and local communities, and should
expect to achieve optimal results only when taking an approach that employs and
integrates the cultural outlook in nature conservation.