PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The starting point for this project is the set of principles adopted at the Rio Conference of 1992 regarding forests. The pan-European process adds a recommendation to consider the social, cultural and historical values in the use of forestland. Dramatic changes in land-use patterns have taken place in each country of the EU during the last century. Therefore, there is need for highlighting the biocultural heritage and to demonstrate how it may be preserved. In today’s woodlands, many features of the ecosystem have an anthropogenic origin. These features, collectively referred to as biocultural heritage, risk being spoilt by the lack of maintenance or by inadequate forestry practices and there is no long-term planning for their preservation. The biocultural heritage includes red-listed species and habitats as well as species to which people attach cultural significance. This heritage disseminated in Europe’s forests has not been systematically identified or publicised. There are also considerable similarities in the forestry practices throughout Europe. Forest conditions are rather similar in large areas, and the biological requirements of specific plants are a pan-European feature. The environmental problem of preserving biocultural heritage is a common challenge, though the specific attributes to be protected have to be defined locally.
OBJECTIVES
The concrete aim of this project was to demonstrate methods to identify and preserve the biocultural heritage of European forests. Demonstrations were to be performed in six forested areas in France and Sweden. The project therefore sought to identify the biocultural heritage in given demonstration areas through interdisciplinary field studies. The demonstration was to be carried out by considering both the biological and the cultural and historical aspects of the heritage. The biological heritage would be demonstrated with reference to human activities in the area with as much historical background as possible. The international comparison of the biocultural heritage and its management in the demonstration areas is one of the innovative features of this project. The demonstration areas were selected to cover examples from boreal, boreo-nemoral and nemoral forests, which represent a major proportion of the Community's forest area. The demonstration was intended to enhance the awareness of biocultural assets and increase opportunities for preserving them for future generations. The different demonstration areas chosen emphasize shared problems and possibilities as well as the area-specific nature of specific biocultural heritage sites.
RESULTS
(i). The project established 3 demonstration areas in France: - Saint Antoine. A publicly owned forest in the Vosges mountains has been used for domestic purposes, for grazing cattle and for some industrial activities from as early as the 14th century. Remains of settlements and sites whose livelihood depended on sawn timber can still be found. These former areas of habitation, production and timber exploitation are associated with areas of considerable ecological interest. Part of the area is run as a biological reserve. As a result of the project, economic activities have been introduced and methods for preservation demonstrated. The practice of grazing cattle has also been resumed in one of the former grazing sites. A thematic trail with informative signboards has been prepared for the general public and printed material has been distributed among schoolchildren and the teaching staff of nearby schools. - Front-de-Haye. A state-owned forest that was the front-line between German and French forces during World War I. Remains of destroyed villages and domesticated plants and trees that have adapted to wildlife conditions represent cultural and highly emotional attributes. To preserve the site, selective tree cutting and cautious forestry methods have been applied. In cooperation with the local municipality public footpaths have been created, with signboards to provide historical information and prevent the picking of plants. - Gap-Chaudun: forested site of the village, abandoned in the 19th century, with remains of economic activities typical for that period – grazing, haymaking, and domestic use of raw forest products. Forests on the site still contain garden trees, flowers and herb plantations. Through a joint effort of three local municipalities and of the French National forestry authority a site for eco-tourism and controlled grazing was created to preserve the biocultural heritage. (ii) The project created 3 demonstration sites in Sweden: - Klövsjö. A privately owned infield and forest areas in seasonal mountain pasture sites. The project intends to demonstrate the impact on pastures resulting from the abandonment of traditional economic activities and to raise awareness of the necessity to maintain a certain level of “domesticated activity” for the preservation of customary flora and fauna on similar sites. - Gränshyttan. A mining district in the south of Sweden with a history similar to the Saint Antoine site in France. Currently the area is subjected to modern forestry technologies, including clear cutting and re-planting, replacing the cattle grazing, charcoal burning, iron mining. Within the area six demonstration sites have been created to show possible ways to preserve the memory of past land-use practices. - Bjälebo. A landscape of oaks in southern Sweden is known for its magnificent solitary oaks exposed to the sun. It was traditionally used for cattle grazing. Educational footpaths were created to give examples on the ways and means of preservation. (iii) The following methods were used and further developed for purposes of identification and preservation of the biocultural heritage sites: - field exploration; - cadastral and historic map studies; - collection and recording of oral tradition; - paleobotanical analyses; - biological inventories. Difficulties encountered: During the project two main problems were encountered: a shortage of available staff and the storm of 1999 in France, both of which had a major impact on the budget for the project. Another problem, related to management, which was solved during the course of the project, affected the performance and reporting of the beneficiary. The project was implemented in two countries and in 6 demonstration areas, each of which was run as a separate sub-project and by different sub-teams. This fact explains the different results achieved in each demonstration area and the different approaches to the research. While this project structure further complicated the management, it has helped to develop research methodologies and technologies as well as establish a network of biocultural heritage areas.