Identifying, managing and monitoring conflicts between forest biodiversity conservation and other human interests in Europe

Published Date
November 2005, Vol.7(6):877–890, doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2004.04.005

Author 

Jari Niemelä ^a,,

Juliette Young ^b

Didier Alard ^c

Miren Askasibar ^d

Klaus Henle ^e

Richard Johnson ^f

Mikko Kurttila ^g

Tor-Björn Larsson ^h

Simone Matouch ⁱ

Peter Nowicki ^j

Rosa Paiva ^k

Luigi Portoghesi ^l

René Smulders ^m

Alan Stevenson ⁿ

Urmas Tartes ^o

Allan Watt ^b

aDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, P.O. Box 65, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

bCentre for Ecology and Hydrology, Hill of Brathens, Banchory, AB31 4BW UK

cUniversity of Rouen Ecology Lab, UPRES-EA 1293 Boulevard de Broglie, 76821 Mont Saint Aignan, France

• dPAISAIA, Agirre Miramon 8, 20002 Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain
• eDepartment of Conservation Biology, UFZ Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
• fDepartment of Environmental Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7050, Vallvägen 3, Uppsala, Sweden
• gFinnish Forest Research Institute, Joensuu Research Centre, P.O. Box 68, FIN-80101 Joensuu, Finland
• hEuropean Environment Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, DK-1050 Copenhagen K, Denmark
• iARGE Naturschutzforschung und angewandte Vegetationsökologie, Österreichisches Netzwerk Umweltforschung, Netzknoten, Biodiversität: Theobaldgasse 16/4, A-1060 Wien, Austria
• jCEH/BioForum, Fons v.d. Heydenstraat 57, NL-5534 AT Netersel, The Netherlands
• kDCEA-FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, PT-2825-516 Campus de Caparica, Portugal
• lDipartimento di Scienze dell'Ambiente Forestale e delle sue Risorso (DISAFRI), Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
• mPlant Research International, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 16, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
• nForest Enterprise Agency, Forestry Commission, Edinburgh, EH12 7AT UK
• oInstitute of Zoology and Botany, Estonian Agricultural University, Riia 181, Tartu, 51014 Estonia

Received 13 October 2003. Revised 19 March 2004. Accepted 20 April 2004. Available online 14 July 2004. 

Abstract

In this paper, circumstances where various human activities and interests clash with the conservation of forest biodiversity are examined, with particular focus on the drivers behind the conflicts. After identifying past and current human-related threats potentially leading to conflicts in forests, the paper will focus on conflict management and monitoring, with an emphasis on inclusionary stakeholder networks and a range of approaches towards sustainable land use. Three dimensions of conflicts are examined: substance (‘how things are’), procedure (‘how things are done’), and relationships (‘how people behave’). These relations will relate to three conflict management approaches: (1) technical, which may contribute to reduce or solve the conflict acting on the ‘substance’ dimension, (2) political, which may influence the ‘procedure’ dimension of the conflict establishing principles or rules, and (3) cultural, which may affect the ‘relationship’ dimension of the conflict. Finally, a general model of adaptive conflict management emphasising communication among the parties and a participatory approach that involves monitoring of the conflict resolution outcomes is proposed. The recognition that strong perceptions among stakeholders have the potential to aggravate conflicts is central to the concept of a inclusionary conflict management framework, improved communication between all stakeholders, and better awareness of the context of the conflicts is emphasised.

Keywords

Forest conflicts

Conflict management

Forest biodiversity

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  Corresponding author. Tel.: +358 9 1915 7849; fax: +358 9 1915 7788.

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