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Sustainable Landscape Management

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2017) | Viewed by 55052

Special Issue Editor

Wageningen University, Land Use Planning Group and ALTERRA Research Institute, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Interests: landscape ecology; landscape sustainability; community-based landscape planning; the influence of landscape knowledge on social-ecological networks; green infrastructure; landscape services

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, landscapes are considered as spatially-heterogeneous social-ecological systems that develop as the result of the interaction of landscape-ecological processes and interventions by the community of land-owners and users. These interventions aim to adapt the functioning of the natural component of the system to better fit the societal demands for social and economic value. However, landscape users vary in their perception of desired value, and in what would be the best adaptation measure and the best location to implement it, which implies a major role of negotiation in the community-process.

In this context, landscape management is sustainable if it promotes social and economic benefits from landscape services as a result of a community-wide decision-making about a desired balance of values. Sustainable landscape management is also characterized by solutions to make resource use circular, as well as by the inclusion of regulatory ecological services in production chains, such as natural pest control, water purification and health improving services.

For this Special Issue we welcome contributions about innovative interdisciplinary approaches that could support such community-based landscape governance, such as interactive valuation of actual benefits and negotiation about adaptation measures, analysis of social-ecological networks and community-based design of desired landscapes. We also welcome case studies in both urban and rural landscapes that investigate applications of such approaches, including the role of information about landscape services on the social-ecological network. Such case studies may also analyze business models for innovative sustainable landscape management solutions.  

Prof. Dr. Paul Opdam
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • community-based landscape governance
  • landscape stewardship
  • social-ecological network dynamics
  • nature-inclusive solutions
  • ecosystem services
  • landscape services
  • collaborative landscape management
  • market-based landscape management

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

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6 pages, 172 KiB  
Editorial
Exploring the Role of Science in Sustainable Landscape Management. An Introduction to the Special Issue
by Paul Opdam
Sustainability 2018, 10(2), 331; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020331 - 28 Jan 2018
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4086
Abstract
In this special issue, landscapes are conceptualized as social-ecological systems resulting from the interaction between societal and natural processes. Landscapes produce services and values to stakeholders that share a particular geographical area. In view of landscape sustainability, these stakeholders have common responsibilities to [...] Read more.
In this special issue, landscapes are conceptualized as social-ecological systems resulting from the interaction between societal and natural processes. Landscapes produce services and values to stakeholders that share a particular geographical area. In view of landscape sustainability, these stakeholders have common responsibilities to retain the functioning of landscapes to service future generations. Also, because demands for landscape services overlap and require landscape wide management, users and owners of the landscape have common interests in creating added value and organizing landscape wide coordination of interventions. This interdependency calls for collaborative management, but is also a cause of conflicts. From the point of view of scientific support, there is a need for interdisciplinary and solution-oriented approaches that foster collaboration. This special issue presents innovative interdisciplinary approaches that illustrate the main challenges for science to support community-based landscape governance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Landscape Management)

Research

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18 pages, 1591 KiB  
Article
Governance Challenges in an Eastern Indonesian Forest Landscape
by Rebecca A. Riggs, James D. Langston, Chris Margules, Agni Klintuni Boedhihartono, Han She Lim, Dwi Amalia Sari, Yazid Sururi and Jeffrey Sayer
Sustainability 2018, 10(1), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010169 - 11 Jan 2018
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 6335
Abstract
Integrated approaches to natural resource management are often undermined by fundamental governance weaknesses. We studied governance of a forest landscape in East Lombok, Indonesia. Forest Management Units (Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan or KPH) are an institutional mechanism used in Indonesia for coordinating the management [...] Read more.
Integrated approaches to natural resource management are often undermined by fundamental governance weaknesses. We studied governance of a forest landscape in East Lombok, Indonesia. Forest Management Units (Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan or KPH) are an institutional mechanism used in Indonesia for coordinating the management of competing sectors in forest landscapes, balancing the interests of government, business, and civil society. Previous reviews of KPHs indicate they are not delivering their potential benefits due to an uncertain legal mandate and inadequate resources. We utilized participatory methods with a broad range of stakeholders in East Lombok to examine how KPHs might improve institutional arrangements to better meet forest landscape goals. We find that KPHs are primarily limited by insufficient integration with other actors in the landscape. Thus, strengthened engagement with other institutions, as well as civil society, is required. Although new governance arrangements that allow for institutional collaboration and community engagement are needed in the long term, there are steps that the East Lombok KPH can take now. Coordinating institutional commitments and engaging civil society to reconcile power asymmetries and build consensus can help promote sustainable outcomes. Our study concludes that improved multi-level, polycentric governance arrangements between government, NGOs, the private sector, and civil society are required to achieve sustainable landscapes in Lombok. The lessons from Lombok can inform forest landscape governance improvements throughout Indonesia and the tropics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Landscape Management)
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1490 KiB  
Article
Collaborative Landscape Planning: Co-Design of Ecosystem-Based Land Management Scenarios
by Leena Karrasch, Martin Maier, Michael Kleyer and Thomas Klenke
Sustainability 2017, 9(9), 1668; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9091668 - 20 Sep 2017
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 7431
Abstract
Land management in coastal areas has to cope with impacts of climate change and sea level rise. In Germany, landscape plans assess and organize the spatial allocation of land use as an environmental contribution to general spatial planning. Collaborative planning processes are important [...] Read more.
Land management in coastal areas has to cope with impacts of climate change and sea level rise. In Germany, landscape plans assess and organize the spatial allocation of land use as an environmental contribution to general spatial planning. Collaborative planning processes are important to develop sustainable and ecosystem-based strategies to make coastal landscapes climate proof. However, there is little experience with collaborative processes in practical planning in Germany, and probably in other countries as well. This paper conducts an empirical case study in the low-lying coastal areas of northwest Germany. During a collaborative landscape planning process, four different ecosystem-based land management scenarios have been co-designed by regional experts and researchers. The participatory and iterative process included the development of scenario narratives to define planning goals, the use of land use elements and their relations to ecosystem services as planning entities in terms of indicators, the art-based illustrations of the different scenarios, and an evaluation and monitoring of the outcomes by regional experts. The decision-maker group decided on the so-called “actor-based” scenario, which contained freshwater retention areas (polders) to prevent potential uncontrolled flooding of the hinterland. This climate adaptation strategy has been implemented in the regional development plan of the county. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Landscape Management)
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899 KiB  
Article
Integrated Landscape Approach: Closing the Gap between Theory and Application
by Matthias Bürgi, Panna Ali, Afroza Chowdhury, Andreas Heinimann, Cornelia Hett, Felix Kienast, Manoranjan Kumar Mondal, Bishnu Raj Upreti and Peter H. Verburg
Sustainability 2017, 9(8), 1371; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9081371 - 03 Aug 2017
Cited by 50 | Viewed by 9636
Abstract
Recently, the integrated landscape approach has gained increasing interest of the scientific community, as well as of organizations active in the field of sustainable development. However, the enthusiastic welcome is challenged by little consensus on theory, terminology and definitions. Moreover, the operationalization of [...] Read more.
Recently, the integrated landscape approach has gained increasing interest of the scientific community, as well as of organizations active in the field of sustainable development. However, the enthusiastic welcome is challenged by little consensus on theory, terminology and definitions. Moreover, the operationalization of the approach into practice is a major challenge. In this paper, we present a framework to operationalize the integrated landscape approach in practice by putting a long-term collaboration between scientists and various stakeholder at center stage. Based on encompassing understanding of landscape-level processes and interactions, four pillars addressing different steps of a joint-learning circle are described and illustrated with examples. We consider the integrated landscape approach to be a prime way of targeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but novel forms of collaboration between scientists and other stakeholders based on long-term commitments will be needed for operationalization in practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Landscape Management)
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12829 KiB  
Article
Home Gardenscapes as Sustainable Landscape Management on St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
by Briana N. Berkowitz and Kimberly E. Medley
Sustainability 2017, 9(8), 1310; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9081310 - 27 Jul 2017
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7186
Abstract
Home gardens are an important topic for landscape research due to their intersectional contributions to plant diversity conservation and local livelihoods. As sites of ecological restoration, gardens transform small-scale landscapes toward higher plant richness and density. We examine “gardenscapes” on St. Eustatius, a [...] Read more.
Home gardens are an important topic for landscape research due to their intersectional contributions to plant diversity conservation and local livelihoods. As sites of ecological restoration, gardens transform small-scale landscapes toward higher plant richness and density. We examine “gardenscapes” on St. Eustatius, a small Caribbean island, focusing on how plants growing around a home contribute to ecological and ethnobotanical measures of plant diversity, and how residents value the importance of gardens to their livelihoods. Through a survey of 14 gardenscapes and 11 home interviews, we report 277 plant species, including 31% native and 69% non-native, high plant densities and structural evenness, 260 plants with uses, and a total of 363 uses, especially as ornamental plants (184) and for other environmental services (16), but also food (101), health remedies (50), material uses (10) and symbolic services (2). Participants indicated that home gardening could be difficult due to drought and pests, but provided resources and incomes to livelihoods, especially through the production of food products. Several respondents reported that gardening was a declining activity on St. Eustatius, but this study shows how gardening activities offer a biocultural approach to conservation that supports plant diversity and livelihoods across the island’s highly-modified natural landscape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Landscape Management)
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286 KiB  
Article
Relating Knowledge and Perceptions of Sustainable Water Management to Preferences for Smart Irrigation Technology
by Dong Hee Suh, Hayk Khachatryan, Alicia Rihn and Michael Dukes
Sustainability 2017, 9(4), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9040607 - 14 Apr 2017
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4146
Abstract
Water quantity and quality concerns in urban environments have prompted conservation groups, governmental agencies, and policy makers to develop and promote residential water conservation programs, including restrictions on residential landscape irrigation practices and incentives for the adoption of water-efficient appliances. Previous literature links [...] Read more.
Water quantity and quality concerns in urban environments have prompted conservation groups, governmental agencies, and policy makers to develop and promote residential water conservation programs, including restrictions on residential landscape irrigation practices and incentives for the adoption of water-efficient appliances. Previous literature links household characteristics, financial incentives, and demographic characteristics to the adoption of water-efficient appliances and overall water use. However, relatively little attention has been given toward understanding how homeowners’ perceptions and knowledge of smart irrigation technologies affect their preferences or stated purchase likelihood of such irrigation equipment. To address this gap in the literature, this paper identifies perception- and knowledge-related factors that are correlated with the purchase likelihood of smart irrigation controllers. The generalized logit regression model results suggest that knowledge about irrigation systems and residential landscaping are positively correlated with purchase likelihood. Similarly, homeowners’ perceptions about conservation efforts, water restrictions, and their neighbors’ irrigation habits all increase purchase likelihood. Combined with statistically-significant correlations of several socio-demographic variables and purchase likelihood, these results have theoretical and practical implications, which are summarized in this paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Landscape Management)
464 KiB  
Article
Social Farming in the Promotion of Social-Ecological Sustainability in Rural and Periurban Areas
by Marina García-Llorente, Cristiano M. Rossignoli, Francesco Di Iacovo and Roberta Moruzzo
Sustainability 2016, 8(12), 1238; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8121238 - 29 Nov 2016
Cited by 51 | Viewed by 9490
Abstract
Rural areas are facing a spectrum of landscape changes and vulnerability as a consequence of financial and environmental crises. Innovative approaches are required to maintain the provision of social services and manage ecosystem services in these areas. We explore the capacity of social [...] Read more.
Rural areas are facing a spectrum of landscape changes and vulnerability as a consequence of financial and environmental crises. Innovative approaches are required to maintain the provision of social services and manage ecosystem services in these areas. We explore the capacity of social farming to create viable and sustainable rural and periurban areas according to a social-ecological perspective. We use the key elements of social-ecological systems under social farming practices to analyse (1) the role of local communities and non-formal institutions; (2) the involvement of target stakeholders; and (3) the explicit connection between agroecosystems and human wellbeing. To do so, we selected and described four cases of local social farming initiatives in terms of the key elements of social-ecological systems and conducted a literature review to provide an overview of the explicit impact of social farming on the quality of life. We found that social farming illustrates hybrid governance solutions beyond market instruments that could be applied for the governance of agroecosystems. It can also provide a range of other wellbeing and cultural ecosystem services to rural and urban inhabitants. Greater cooperation between social farming and ecosystem service science could rebound in rural landscape sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Landscape Management)
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Review

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15 pages, 1397 KiB  
Review
How Could Companies Engage in Sustainable Landscape Management? An Exploratory Perspective
by Paul Opdam and Eveliene Steingröver
Sustainability 2018, 10(1), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010220 - 16 Jan 2018
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5102
Abstract
Current concepts that aim to align economic development with sustainability, such as the circular and green economy, often consider natural systems as externalities. We extend the green economy concept by including the landscape as the provider of social, economic and environmental values. Our [...] Read more.
Current concepts that aim to align economic development with sustainability, such as the circular and green economy, often consider natural systems as externalities. We extend the green economy concept by including the landscape as the provider of social, economic and environmental values. Our aim is to explore how companies could engage in creating landscape-inclusive solutions for sustainable landscapes. We propose a conceptual model of the relationship between companies and landscape services based on a demand for landscape benefits by companies, implications for wider society. We present a short overview of how scientists addressed the role of companies in landscape-inclusive solutions. We also give some examples taken from the World Wide Web to illustrate the variety of ways in which companies already invest in landscape services. Our findings suggest that the relationship between companies and landscapes is not yet strongly recognized in sustainability science. However, examples from practice show that some companies do recognize the added values of landscape services, to the extent that they invest in landscape management. We conclude that future research should provide information on the added value of landscape-inclusive solutions to companies, and increase their capacity to engage in regional social–ecological networks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Landscape Management)
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