Biocultural Diversity and Satoyama. Emotions and the fun-factor in nature conservation - A lesson from Japan

摘要

Biodiversity depends on a complex interplay of ecological processes and of economy and culture. Public consensus is necessary for sustainable preservation programs. To achieve such programs, conservation concepts that keep humans out of nature and take a merely scientific approach are counterproductive. They discourage citizens from taking responsibility for a nature, which they do not understand and where they are unwanted. The Japanese however, traditionally do not differentiate between untouched nature and nature shaped by culture. The Japanese term, satoyama, stands not only for the traditional rural landscape but also includes biodiversity, social traditions, and emotions.