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Long-term bio-cultural heritage: exploring the intermediate disturbance hypothesis in agro-ecological landscapes (Mallorca, c. 1850–2012)

We applied an intermediate disturbance-complexity approach to the land-use change of cultural landscapes in the island of Mallorca from c. 1850 to the present, which accounts for the joint behaviour of human appropriation of photosynthetic capacity used as a measure of disturbance, and a selection of land metrics at different spatial scales that account for ecological functionality as a proxy of biodiversity. We also delved deeper into local land-use changes in order to identify the main socioeconomic drivers and ruling agencies at stake. A second degree polynomial regression was obtained linking socio-metabolic disturbance and landscape ecological functioning (jointly assessing landscape patterns and processes). The results confirm our intermediate disturbance-complexity hypothesis by showing a hump-shaped relationship where the highest level of landscape complexity (heterogeneity connectivity) is attained when disturbance peaks at 50–60 %. The study proves the usefulness of transferring the concept of intermediate disturbance to Mediterranean cultural landscapes, and suggests that the conservation of heterogeneous and well connected land-use mosaics with a positive interplay between intermediate level of farming disturbances and land-cover complexity endowed with a rich bio-cultural heritage will preserve a wildlife-friendly agro-ecological matrix that is likely to house high biodiversity

This work has been supported by the research project HAR2012-38920-C02-02 funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and the international Partnership Grant SSHRC-895-2011-1020 ‘Sustainable farm systems: long-term socio-ecological metabolism in western agriculture’ funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Springer Verlag

Manager: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Espanya)
Author: Marull, Joan
Tello, Enric
Fullana, Nofre
Murray, Ivan
Jover i Avellà, Gabriel
Font, Carme
Coll, Francesc
Domene, Elena
Leoni, Veronica
Decolli, Trejsi
Date: 2015
Abstract: We applied an intermediate disturbance-complexity approach to the land-use change of cultural landscapes in the island of Mallorca from c. 1850 to the present, which accounts for the joint behaviour of human appropriation of photosynthetic capacity used as a measure of disturbance, and a selection of land metrics at different spatial scales that account for ecological functionality as a proxy of biodiversity. We also delved deeper into local land-use changes in order to identify the main socioeconomic drivers and ruling agencies at stake. A second degree polynomial regression was obtained linking socio-metabolic disturbance and landscape ecological functioning (jointly assessing landscape patterns and processes). The results confirm our intermediate disturbance-complexity hypothesis by showing a hump-shaped relationship where the highest level of landscape complexity (heterogeneity connectivity) is attained when disturbance peaks at 50–60 %. The study proves the usefulness of transferring the concept of intermediate disturbance to Mediterranean cultural landscapes, and suggests that the conservation of heterogeneous and well connected land-use mosaics with a positive interplay between intermediate level of farming disturbances and land-cover complexity endowed with a rich bio-cultural heritage will preserve a wildlife-friendly agro-ecological matrix that is likely to house high biodiversity
This work has been supported by the research project HAR2012-38920-C02-02 funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and the international Partnership Grant SSHRC-895-2011-1020 ‘Sustainable farm systems: long-term socio-ecological metabolism in western agriculture’ funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Format: application/pdf
Document access: http://hdl.handle.net/10256/12367
Language: eng
Publisher: Springer Verlag
Collection: info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1007/s10531-015-0955-z
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/0960-3115
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1572-9710
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO//HAR2012-38920-C02-02/ES/SISTEMAS AGRARIOS SOSTENIBLES Y TRANSICIONES EN EL METABOLISMO SOCIAL: DESIGUALDAD Y CAMBIO INSTITUCIONAL EN ESPAÑA/
Rights: Tots els drets reservats
Subject: Cultural property -- Protection
Biodiversitat -- Conservació -- Illes Balears -- Mallorca
Biodiversity conservation -- Balearic Islands -- Mallorca
Agrobiodiversitat -- Conservació -- Illes Balears -- Mallorca
Agrobiodiversity conservation -- Balearic Islands -- Mallorca
Patrimoni cultural -- Protecció -- Illes Balears -- Mallorca
Cultural property -- Protection -- Balearic Islands -- Mallorca
Title: Long-term bio-cultural heritage: exploring the intermediate disturbance hypothesis in agro-ecological landscapes (Mallorca, c. 1850–2012)
Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Repository: DUGiDocs

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