An holistic approach to landscape management : an application with Mediterranean-wide potential

Abstract

The characteristic landscapes of the Mediterranean region harbour within them an immensely important biodiversity. Both landscapes and biotic elements, however, are increasingly under threat from various human-induced pressures. Conservation planning for safeguarding ecosystems and landscapes must therefore seek to incorporate both insights from ecological sciences and consideration of the human dimension. This chapter outlines a methodology which combines specialists' ecological knowledge with stakeholder inputs in a process of evaluating and planning for ecological resources within the landscape matrix. The case study utilised is the island of Gozo, Malta, with parallel study sites in Berkoukech, Tunisia, and Maremma, Italy. A landscape-scale evaluation is conducted through the application of conservation value appraisal criteria, which are developed to identify hotspots of ecological interest. This is followed by a participatory process of Systemic Sustainability Analysis, during which stakeholders identify major landscape pressures and rank these in order of perceived importance. Results from both stages then provide a basis for specialists to derive recommendations and insights for strategic planning at a landscape scale. The process illustrates that the involvement of both specialists and stakeholders in such a process is crucial, particularly within the Mediterranean context, where ecological and cultural assets co-exist in close proximity.