From traditional resource use to modern industrial production: holistic management in Western Norway

Informations

Funding country

Norway

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

1/1/2018

End date

12/31/2023

Budget

892,857 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

Norway's west coast is one of the most resource-rich parts of the country, with a versatile economy linked to fisheries, aquaculture, agriculture, tourism, hydropower and the petroleum industry. This resource-based economy is changing in step with the changing dynamics of our natural resource use in these social-ecological systems. This has led to us needing an increased understanding of the connections between land use, environmental quality, climate change, ecosystem services and biological diversity in order to counter negative consequences at local and regional level. Steering research and action towards new solutions via a holistic approach is a necessary step in sustainable development. This approach also reflects the UN's 2030 Agenda and the work done nationally and internationally with the sustainability goals By choosing Nordhordland, consisting of 9 municipalities, which in 2019 was designated as Norway's very first biosphere reserve under UNESCO's "Man and the Biosphere" programme, we have used the land use and natural resource use gradient from the coast in the west to the mountains in the east to shed light on the following issues and adjustment processes: 1) TradMod has involved people in Nordhordland by means of dialogue meetings and interviews, in order to survey knowledge and perceptions of ecosystems and ecosystem services (ES) in the biosphere area. A total of 433 people responded to our ES survey. It turns out that the value of recreation is definitely what most people are concerned about. In second place comes the value of biological diversity. Several of the natural assets appear together in "bundles". This applies, for example, to agriculture and cultural heritage. By actively involving various players in the region, we co-produce new knowledge that forms the basis for good knowledge-based management. PhD candidate Jarrod Cusens leads this work in collaboration with postdoc Alicia Barraclough and PI Inger Måren. We have published three peer-reviewed articles on this part of the project, and conducted information days and written popular scientific summaries of the findings. 2) Through experiments and surveys, we generate new biological insight into change processes in semi-natural landscapes or cultural landscapes. We have analyzed how grazing livestock function as "landscape engineers", given the importance of this management regime in historical and ecological perspective in this region. We investigate the effects of sheep, goat and cow grazing in outer and middle fjord areas with regard to both plant diversity, insect diversity, soil chemistry and carbon storage. During the last two years, we have established a large-scale experiment in which we try to separate different effects of fertilization and grazing. PhD candidate on the TradMod project Morgane Kerdoncuff leads this work in collaboration with Dr. Eycott. All data collection has been completed in the large survey with 45 different localities. After three years, we have collected data from this large-scale experiment where the effect of grazing appears to completely override the effect of fertilization from sheep faeces, despite the fact that the experiment is established in nutrient-poor coastal heather. Two manuscripts have been submitted, and two are soon to be completed based on this material. We have also provided the farmers we have worked with with individual feedback on results from the areas where they farm. 3) Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve has prepared its first strategy document through a series of input meetings with a range of private and public actors in the region, and we have followed this process closely. This is process is crucial for further collaboration and research in the region. We have also had interviews and discussions with diverse actors who work closely with land management, such as spatial planners in the municipalities, farmers and farmers' organisations. This has led to a better understanding and interpretation of the data in this project and we have had the opportunity to communicate results that the administration is also interested in, especially the ES survey and the map layers in this. 4) We have developed a platform for communication and knowledge sharing in collaboration with Region Nordhordland, who are responsible for the work package dealing with communication. They have prepared a very user-friendly website and have also prepared a communication plan for social media. With this, we hope to increase the visibility of Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere. This work also involves a strong focus on sustainable development and the SDGs, and will in the long run provide concrete tips and examples of how actors in the region can contribute towards the sustainability agenda. By shedding light on these processes, we contribute new knowledge to strategic discussions between academia, industry, politicians and citizens.