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Traditional rural landscapes are multifunctional systems that represent examples of sustainable rural practices and development. This study developed a methodological framework for their identification at the national scale, based on high-resolution spatial analyses of different indicators of environmental, cultural, and socio-economic types. The methodology has been applied to the entire territory of China and then validated. Results demonstrate that China has a great potential regarding the presence of traditional landscapes. Traditional agricultural landscapes are more common in the east, scattered among intensive agricultural systems. Hotspots for traditional forest landscapes are located in Northeastern China and in the south. Traditional pastoral landscapes are instead related to extensive grazing and to sparsely populated areas. The strong correlation between the results of this study and the spatial distribution of the 188 NIAHS demonstrate the validity and reliability of the proposed methodological framework. This study provides high-resolution spatial data that can be used by different stakeholders involved in landscape management, conservation, and valorisation. The proposed framework can also be replicated and tested in different countries, for the development of national identification and conservation programmes, or for the selection of traditional cultural landscapes to be proposed for international programmes, such as the FAO GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) Programme, or the UNESCO World Heritage List.

ContextIn northern Europe, changes in forest ecosystem structures are commonly attributed to the ubiquitous impact of modern forestry. However, the starting point for modern forestry was not a pristine forest, but landscapes influenced for centuries by diverse human activities.ObjectivesOur aims were to (1) describe spatial patterns of forest structure and species compositions over large scales in 1920s Finland, and to (2) analyze how these characteristics were influenced by human population and past land-uses.MethodsWe mapped ca. 3000 systematic sample plots measured in the first Finnish National Forest Inventory (1921–1924) and produced a series of maps of large-scale variation in forest characteristics in upland forests. We analyzed forest age and size structures, and species compositions relative to human population and land-use data.ResultsWe found strong geographical and regional gradients in forest age and size structures, and tree species composition. Depending on the variable, these characteristics were at the stand-level best explained by human population density, reflecting the long history of various forest uses. Tree species composition was clearly associated with site productivity, but also with the history of slash-and-burn agriculture and forest grazing.ConclusionsForest landscapes in the early twentieth century Finland exhibited a strong human fingerprint, visible as the abundance of young forests in populated areas, while in remote areas forest characteristics typical of natural forests prevailed. These gradients in human impact a century ago are still reflected as legacies in forest structure, a situation that needs consideration in management and restoration.

The cultural dimension of many forests is not adequately considered by current forest definitions, policies, inventories, and management. Moreover, the concept of “protected area” as a synonym of “natural area” ignores that many forests today included in protected areas (PAs) have been managed and exploited for centuries. The abandonment of rural areas that occurred in the last 60 years in EU countries caused the expansion of forests, with the risk of a homogenization of forest typologies, the loss of cultural features, and the loss of biodiversity at the landscape scale. The aim of this study is to investigate the origin and evolution of forests within Italian PAs in the last 85 years through GIS-based spatial analyses. In 1936, only a minority of the surface included in current PAs was covered by forests, ranging from 32% in Natura 2000 sites to 35% in regional PAs. Forest surface in Italian PAs increased in the last 85 years (from +33.1% in regional PAs to +45.2% in national PAs), mainly due to secondary successions, with a growth rate in Natura 2000 sites equal to 8709 ha/year. In regional PAs, 40.1% of the current forest cover originated after 1936, and this percentage increases to 43% in Natura 2000 sites and to 44.7% in national PAs. The altitudinal range of 500–1000 m a.s.l. is the one most affected by forest spread. In addition, most of the forests in 1936 were regularly managed as coppice: 44% in national PAs, 56% in Natura 2000 sites, and 62% in regional PAs. The study confirms that most of the forest surface included in Italian PAs has a clear cultural origin and is the consequence of the abandonment of pastures and/or cultivations that occurred in the last 85 years. PA management should take into consideration that open areas are shrinking and that the diversity of habitats and forest communities is strongly linked to the persistence of traditional human activities. The current forest characteristics (species composition, vertical and horizontal structure) are also the result of past management, and only active management of forest resources can counteract the homogenization of forest communities and landscape structure.

Despite the definition of social and cultural values as the third pillar of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) in 2003 and the guidelines for their implementation in SFM in 2007 issued by the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forest in Europe (MCPFE), the importance of cultural values is not sufficiently transferred into forest planning and conservation. Tuscany is widely known for the quality of its cultural landscape, however, the abandonment of agro-pastoral surfaces as a consequence of rural areas depopulation, has led to widespread reforestation and to the abandonment of forest management. In addition, due to the interruption of a regular forest management and to the fact that most of the population lives in cities, forests are no more perceived as part of the cultural heritage, but mainly as a natural landscape. Due to this trend traditional forest management techniques, such as coppicing, have also been considered as a factor of degradation and not even a historical management form. The aim of the study is therefore to analyze forest surface changes in Tuscany in the last century to assess the importance of cultural values. Results highlighted that already in 1881 most of forests were regularly managed and that in 1936 more than 76% of broadleaved forests were managed as coppice. Between 1936 and 2016 forests increased their surface from 876,518 to 1,161,383 hectares due to the abandonment of the countryside, and 30% of the forests currently included in protected areas are the result of secondary successions. The findings of this study suggest the revision of national forest policies and, more in general, the adaptation of forest strategies to local conditions.

Protected areas have a key role in preserving biodiversity at different scales, as well as in providing ecosystem services to rural communities. Natura 2000 is the primary conservation network at the EU level, with the aim of protecting the most valuable species and habitats; it covers around 18.6% of the EU’s land area. The aim of this study is to assess the evolution of forest cover in EU Natura 2000 sites in the period 2012–2018 through GIS-based spatial analyses of the High-Resolution Layers produced in the framework of the Copernicus initiative. In 2018, fifteen EU countries had more than 50% of their surface covered by forests, with the top three countries being Slovenia (71.9%), the Czech Republic (70.5%), and Slovakia (69.3%). In 2012–2018, the net forest cover increase in EU Natura 2000 areas was equal to 105,750 ha/year (+1.7%). France, Bulgaria, and Germany recorded the greater net forest cover increase: 303,000 ha, 267,000 ha, and 150,000, respectively. France also recorded the highest yearly rate of forest gain (+51,491 ha/year). Most of the forest gain in EU Natura 2000 areas was found to be located between 0 and 200 m a.s.l. The study demonstrated that forest cover in EU Natura 2000 areas is increasing, with a consequent reduction of open spaces, homogenization of rural landscapes, and loss of landscape-scale biodiversity. The management and design of EU protected areas should consider the importance of preserving biodiversity-friendly land uses and practices, instead of promoting a diffuse “rewilding” with negative consequences for the landscape complexity and heterogeneity, as well as for biodiversity.

The multifunctional role of Trees Outside Forests (TOF) is largely recognized in scientific literature, but they are still rarely considered in forest inventories and planning, with consequent underestimation of their role and amount. In addition, their cultural role has rarely been considered both at scientific and management level as well as in UNESCO sites. TOF characterize many European cultural landscapes, including the one of the Colline del Prosecco, inscribed in 2019 in the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the reasons of the inclusion, in fact, is the landscape mosaic made of vineyards interspersed with small woodlands and tree rows. This paper focuses on two types of TOF, Small Woods and Linear Tree Formations (TOF NON A/U). Their detailed mapping and the performing of different spatial analysis allowed us to assess their role and to provide data for future monitoring and for local forest planning. Results confirmed that TOF NON A/U are one of the main features of the UNESCO site landscape: despite the limited overall surface (1.95% of the area), 931 different patches have been identified. Spatial analysis highlighted the key landscape and ecological roles, acting as intermediate features between large forest patches, and also an important role for hydrological protection (they can be found also in slopes above 80% of inclination). The study provided a detailed mapping and database of one of the main features of the Colline del Prosecco UNESCO site cultural landscape, verifying the multifunctional role of TOF NON A/U and the necessity to include them into local forest planning, but also suggesting their inclusion in national forest inventories.

There is growing interest in the diverse roles of forests in addressing climate change and biodiversity goals. Recent studies have indicated a disregard for the cultural values of forests that have been formed in close association with human activities. This may potentially lead to the loss of cultural characteristics, traditional forest knowledge, and biodiversity. This study explores historical forest dynamics and their unique cultural values from the end of the 19th century in 15 shrine/temple forests located in the mountainous and foothill areas of Kyoto city. Using geographical information systems (GIS) based on topographic maps and aerial photographs, this study investigates the forest composition in the 1890s, 1980s, and from 2010. The results indicate that approximately half of the targeted shrine/temple forests were composed of low Pinus densiflora forests and coppice forests in the 1890s. Between the 1890s and 1910s, coniferous forests were planted in these areas with the intention of land conservation and timber production. This distinctive forest cover became a typical characteristic for shrine/temple forests until the 1980s. However, from the 1980s, a decrease in the cultural value of shrine/temple forests was observed due to the lack of human activities in these forests. As a result, the distinction between shrine/temple forests and the surrounding forests has become blurred. This could potentially cause the homogenization of cultural characteristics. This study aims to inform readers of the cultural value associated with the historical landscape and biodiversity found in shrine/temple forests.

This study was conducted to verify the perceived restorativeness of citizens visiting forests on social–psychological stress and psychological resilience according to forest space type. The study involved a questionnaire survey conducted on citizens who visited forests between 1 May and 15 July 2020, when social distancing in daily life was being implemented. Three types of forest spaces (urban forest, national park, and natural recreation forest) were selected for the survey. They used the survey results of 1196 people as analysis data for this study. In this study, the PRS (Perceived Restorativeness Scale) and the PWI-SF (Psychosocial Well-being Index Short Form) were used to evaluate perceived restorativeness and social–psychological stress of citizens visiting forests. In the study, the average score of visitors’ perceived restorativeness was 5.31 ± 0.77. Social–psychological stress was found in the healthy group, potential stress group, and high-risk group. These groups made up 8.0%, 82.5%, and 9.5% of the respondents, respectively. Pearson’s correlation analysis between perceived restorativeness and social–psychological stress revealed that the higher the perceived restorativeness, the lower the social–psychological stress. “Diversion Mood”, “Not bored”, and “Coherence”, which are the sub-factors of perceived restorativeness according to the forest space type, were found to have meaningful results for psychological resilience. However, there was no significant difference in the forest space type between “Compatibility” and social–psychological stress, which are sub-factors of perceived restorativeness. In conclusion, the forest space type affects the psychological resilience of those who visit the forest. Urban forests, national parks, and natural recreation forests are places to reduce stress.

World conservation discourse concentrates on forests of high naturalness, which are variously termed intact forest landscapes, primary forests, pristine forests, and wilderness. In this essay, we bring Amazonian Indigenous perspectives to this discussion, both because Amazonian Indigenous Peoples have the right to be in the discussion and because they have a lot to teach us about naturalness. It is essential to understand that Indigenous ontologies do not distinguish culture from nature, since all beings, humans and non-humans, are part of a network of social-ecological interactions. Hence, forests are not natural, but the domus of different beings who inhabit, care for and cultivate them. Each part of the forest mosaic in different stages of social-ecological succession has different owners: when people open swiddens, they must respect other – non-human – forest residents to do so, and when they fallow their swiddens, these other forest residents reassume their original roles as managers and conservers of that part of the mosaic. Each stage of the succession also contains cultivated and domesticated plant populations, so we can think of a different kind of conservation: that of genetic resources. From this perspective, swidden-fallow represents on farm conservation, while less anthropogenic parts of the forest mosaic represent in situ conservation. We believe that reframing forest conservation and learning from Indigenous People can inspire innovative conservation science and policies.

The development of societies, including spiritual development, is closely connected to forests. The larger interrelations among changing societies, transforming forest landscapes, and evolving spiritual values related to forests have yet to be extensively considered. Addressing this research gap is important to avoid the neglect of spiritual values in forest policy and management. Our exploratory study investigates spiritual values of forests from European and Asian perspectives, assessing 13 countries. Based on expert knowledge from 18 interdisciplinary experts, we first define forest spiritual values (forest spirituality). We then elaborate on the idea that forest spirituality evolves as societies and landscapes change, and propose a transition hypothesis for forest spirituality. We identify indicators and drivers and portray four stages of such a transition using country-specific examples. We find that during a first stage (“nature is powerful”), forest spirituality is omnipresent through the abundance of sacred natural sites and practices of people who often directly depend on forests for their livelihoods. An alternative form of spirituality is observed in the second stage (“taming of nature”). Connected to increasing transformation of forest landscapes and intensifying land-use practices, “modern” religions guide human–nature interrelations. In a third stage (“rational management of nature”), forest spirituality is overshadowed by planned rational forest management transforming forests into commodities for the economy, often focusing on provisioning ecosystem services. During a fourth stage (“reconnecting with nature”), a revival of forest spirituality (re-spiritualization) can be observed due to factors such as urbanization and individualizing spirituality. Our core contribution is in showing the connections among changing forest perceptions, changing land-use governance and practices, and changing forest spirituality. Increasing the understanding of this relationship holds promise for supporting forest policy-making and management in addressing trade-offs between spiritual values and other aspects of forests.