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Much ado about doing nothing : the conflicts about the Black Forest National Park as a call for integrating forgotten understandings of nature

Hoffmann, Alexander LU (2015) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20152
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
The Black Forest National Park (NP), Germany, opened in 2014 after intense societal disputes, complicated by changing political factors, scientific conservation debates, and multi-level decision-making structures. I argue that value conflicts over fundamentally opposed views on nature underlie
these disputes, and that integrating these views in future NP planning may improve the sustainability of conservation efforts. Through addressing cultural, social and emotional dimensions of nature, in addition to scientific and economic concerns, conservation can gain wider public support.

By analyzing qualitative semi-structured stakeholder interviews with both supporters and opponents,alongside newspaper articles, findings show that... (More)
The Black Forest National Park (NP), Germany, opened in 2014 after intense societal disputes, complicated by changing political factors, scientific conservation debates, and multi-level decision-making structures. I argue that value conflicts over fundamentally opposed views on nature underlie
these disputes, and that integrating these views in future NP planning may improve the sustainability of conservation efforts. Through addressing cultural, social and emotional dimensions of nature, in addition to scientific and economic concerns, conservation can gain wider public support.

By analyzing qualitative semi-structured stakeholder interviews with both supporters and opponents,alongside newspaper articles, findings show that understandings of nature differ between interest groups. Proponents emphasized ecological benefits and contributions to protecting biodiversity and habitats; meanwhile, opponents feared consequences for daily life, the economy, aesthetics, livelihood and homeland identity, revealing that forests of cultural landscapes can represent more than a natural resource.

The thesis situates the Black Forest debates in a broader context, incorporating historical forest use, the forest myth, morality, wilderness ideas, previous conflicts and current political charging, complementing previous natural scientific studies of the NP and quantitative analysis of its public support. The thesis contributes to sustainability science by recommending how to improve participation in and acceptance of NP planning. (Less)
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author
Hoffmann, Alexander LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20152
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
participation, understandings of nature, National Park, conservation, Sustainability Science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2015:037
language
English
additional info
LUCSUS Department
id
8259957
date added to LUP
2015-12-04 11:33:25
date last changed
2015-12-04 11:33:25
@misc{8259957,
  abstract     = {{The Black Forest National Park (NP), Germany, opened in 2014 after intense societal disputes, complicated by changing political factors, scientific conservation debates, and multi-level decision-making structures. I argue that value conflicts over fundamentally opposed views on nature underlie
these disputes, and that integrating these views in future NP planning may improve the sustainability of conservation efforts. Through addressing cultural, social and emotional dimensions of nature, in addition to scientific and economic concerns, conservation can gain wider public support.

By analyzing qualitative semi-structured stakeholder interviews with both supporters and opponents,alongside newspaper articles, findings show that understandings of nature differ between interest groups. Proponents emphasized ecological benefits and contributions to protecting biodiversity and habitats; meanwhile, opponents feared consequences for daily life, the economy, aesthetics, livelihood and homeland identity, revealing that forests of cultural landscapes can represent more than a natural resource.

The thesis situates the Black Forest debates in a broader context, incorporating historical forest use, the forest myth, morality, wilderness ideas, previous conflicts and current political charging, complementing previous natural scientific studies of the NP and quantitative analysis of its public support. The thesis contributes to sustainability science by recommending how to improve participation in and acceptance of NP planning.}},
  author       = {{Hoffmann, Alexander}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Much ado about doing nothing : the conflicts about the Black Forest National Park as a call for integrating forgotten understandings of nature}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}