Identifying land management approaches which deliver for both people and nature.
Abstract
This paper presents the results of studies conducted to identify management strategies to help inform how ecosystems should be restored in areas of high ecological degradation and human density using an innovative approach. This approach combined structured interviews with stakeholders, ecological field data and management surveys. The interviews were designed to reveal the perceived needs and wants of people and nature from environmentally friendly farming and conservation landscapes. The ecological field data was used to examine how specific land management, particularly relating to their management of large herbivores (i.e. cows and deer), performs in delivering those needs. The management surveys were used to determine the management practices of each of the analysed field sites. Overall, the findings suggested that a combination of a variety of land management techniques is required to provide for the diverse needs of people and nature within shared landscapes. However, the data also indicated that agroecological farming may be a particularly effective multi-purpose land management option, as it provides low intensity agricultural goods, recreational spaces and has the potential to provide habitats for a range of wildlife.