Landscape services as boundary concept in landscape governance: Building social capital in collaboration and adapting the landscape. (January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Westerink, Judith; Opdam, Paul; van Rooij, Sabine; Steingröver, Eveliene
• Is Part Of: Land use policy. Volume 60(2017)
• Page Start: 408
• Page End: 418
• Publication Date: 2017-01
• Subjects: Boundary management -- Collaborative governance -- Self-governance -- Social learning -- Agri-environmental schemes -- Social-ecological networks; Land use -- Periodicals; Land use -- Government policy -- Periodicals; Sol, Utilisation du -- Périodiques; Sol, Utilisation du -- Politique gouvernementale -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 333.7305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.11.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-8377

Abstract

Highlights: Landscape services can be used as a boundary concept in landscape governance. Multiple boundaries need to be managed in collaborative landscape governance. We analysed a case of rural landscape governance in the Netherlands. Several boundary arrangements were combined with the boundary concept. This helped to build the social capital needed for collective action. Abstract: The landscape services concept provides a lens to study relations within the social-ecological networks that landscapes are, and to identify stakeholders as either providers or beneficiaries. However, landscape services can also be used as a boundary concept in collaborative landscape governance. We demonstrate this by analysing the case of Gouwe Wiericke in the rural west of the Netherlands. Here, a collaborative landscape governance process started off with low levels of trust between farmers and regional governments, as a result of previous processes. The introduction of the landscape services concept helped to bridge social boundaries, which eventually resulted in collective action: farmers and governments reached an agreement on adapted management of ditches and shores to improve water quality and biodiversity. However, we propose that bridging the social boundaries was achieved not merely due to the landscape services concept, but also due to the fact that multiple boundaries were managed simultaneously, and additional arrangements were used in boundary management.