The Science and Practice of Landscape Stewardship

Improving the dynamic relationship between nature and human well-being is a pressing issue of our time. Landscapes embody this tight interconnectedness and serve as unique sustainability learning hubs, showcased by the global rise of place-based and holistic landscape stewardship initiatives. Incorporating these exciting developments, this book explores the principles of landscape stewardship and their function in fields such as agriculture, ecological restoration and urban green infrastructure. It provides insights into the challenges and the potential of landscape stewardship and identifies future paths for the science and practice of landscape-related sustainability efforts. Aligning analytical perspectives with practical applications, it brings together contributions from leading scholars and innovative models of landscape stewardship from all around the world, making it an essential resource for anyone interested in developing sustainable human-nature relationships.

1. The emergence of landscape stewardship in practice, policy and research; Part I. Foundations of Landscape Stewardship: 2. Ecological foundations of landscape stewardship; Case 1. The Blackwater SAMOK project – a catchment management approach; 3. Human and social dimensions of landscape stewardship; Case 2. Landscape observatory of Catalonia – a holistic documentation of the landscape; 4. Building partnerships for landscape stewardship; Case 3. Olive farming on Lesbos – out of social capital emerges social enterprise; 5. Citizen science tools for engaging local stakeholders and promoting local and traditional knowledge in landscape stewardship; Case 4. Citizen science – harnessing the expertise of farmers to monitor biodiversity in Austrian meadows; Part II. Landscape Stewardship on the Ground: Fields of Application: 6. Organising adaptive and collaborative landscape stewardship on farmland; Case 5. Arbratatouille – a participative project updating agroforestry techniques for modern times; 7. Forest landscape stewardship for functional green infrastructures in Europe's West and East: diagnosing and treating social-ecological systems; Case 6. Wild birds in traditional orchards – testing strategies for biodiversity conservation; 8. The future of the past: stewardship for cultural heritage in landscapes; Case 7. The whole village project – Saxon village restoration in rural Romania; 9. Landscape stewardship in wind energy conflicts: between cultural myths and interests; Case 8. The Simmern solidarity pact – reconciling income imbalances between villages; 10. Synergies between tourism, outdoor recreation and landscape stewardship; Case 9. Bun Tschlin – linking identity, community and landscape; 11. Managed, mended, supported: how habitat conservation and restoration function as elements of landscape stewardship; Case 10. Landowners on Læsø – a cooperative approach to landscape management; 12. Stewardship in urban landscapes; Case 11. Urban green infrastructure in Vienna – nature-based solutions to enhancing quality of life; 13. Landscape stewardship and hunting, angling and gathering of wild products; Case 12. ØsterGRO rooftop farm – community supported agriculture in the middle of Copenhagen; 14. Marine and coastal ecosystem stewardship; Case 13. The Firth of Clyde marine spatial plan – synergies and trade-offs in a diverse coastal environment; 15. Landscape stewardship for rangelands; Case 14. Herding schools in France – supporting traditional landscape management techniques in modern times; Part III. Visions toward Landscape Stewardship: 16. Bridging new sustainable development goals, global agendas and landscape stewardship: the roles of politics, ethics and sustainability practice; Case 1.: Terre de Liens – facilitating access to land for farmers into the long-term; 17. How landscape stewardship emerges out of landscape planning; Case 16. The Dartmoor vision – a long-term, participatory management process on the landscape scale; 18. Art and responsible landscape development: a plea for landscape art; Case 17. One hut full – a multi-sensory journey turning threatened heritage into opportunity; 19. Leveraging landscape stewardship: principles and ways forward.

Claudia Bieling is Professor for Societal Transition and Agriculture at the Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. In her research, she explores how more sustainable land-use practices may be achieved.
Tobias Plieninger is Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is interested in the study of the driving forces, processes and patterns of changes in human-shaped landscapes.