Why Do UNESCO Biosphere Reserves Get Less Recognition than National Parks? A Landscape Research Perspective on Protected Area Narratives in Germany

  • This paper explores how landscape research can contribute to our understanding of why integrated protected area concepts like biosphere reserves get less recognition than national parks. In this regard, we analysed policy documents and online communication of biosphere reserves and national parks, conducted qualitative interviews with conservation professionals and volunteers as well as participant observation in order to identify and compare narratives that guide the communication and perception of both protected area categories. The results show how national parks offer a clear interpretation of space by building on landscape stereotypes and creating landscape legibility and experience-ability through touristification. National Parks also experience conflicts about proper management and combine a variety of goals, often including regional development. Nevertheless, their narrative is unambiguous and powerful. Biosphere reserves, on the other hand, have an image problem that is essentially due to the difficulty of communicating theirThis paper explores how landscape research can contribute to our understanding of why integrated protected area concepts like biosphere reserves get less recognition than national parks. In this regard, we analysed policy documents and online communication of biosphere reserves and national parks, conducted qualitative interviews with conservation professionals and volunteers as well as participant observation in order to identify and compare narratives that guide the communication and perception of both protected area categories. The results show how national parks offer a clear interpretation of space by building on landscape stereotypes and creating landscape legibility and experience-ability through touristification. National Parks also experience conflicts about proper management and combine a variety of goals, often including regional development. Nevertheless, their narrative is unambiguous and powerful. Biosphere reserves, on the other hand, have an image problem that is essentially due to the difficulty of communicating their objectives. They confront the difficult task of creating a vision that combines development and conservation while integrating contrarious landscape stereotypes. We argue for a fundamental engagement with protected area narratives, as this improves understanding of protected areas’ transformative potential.show moreshow less

Download full text files

Export metadata

Additional Services

Share in Twitter Search Google Scholar Statistics
Metadaten
Author:Erik Aschenbrand, Thomas Michler
URN:urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2166
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413647
ISSN:2071-1050
Parent Title (English):Sustainability
Publisher:MDPI
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of Completion:2021
Date of Publication (online):2021/12/10
Date of first Publication:2021/12/10
Publishing Institution:Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde
Release Date:2021/12/10
Tag:biosphere reserves; landscape; narrative; national parks; protected areas
Article Number:13647
Page Number:18
Institutions / Departments:Fachbereich Landschaftsnutzung und Naturschutz
Wissenschaftliche Einrichtungen HNEE / Biosphere Reserves Institute
Dewey Decimal Classification:3 Sozialwissenschaften / 33 Wirtschaft / 333 Boden- und Energiewirtschaft
3 Sozialwissenschaften / 35 Öffentliche Verwaltung, Militärwissenschaft / 354 Verwaltung von Wirtschaft und Umwelt
open_access (DINI-Set):open_access
Funding by the HNEE:Funding by the HNEE
University Bibliography:University Bibliography
Zweitveröffentlichung
Peer-Review / Referiert
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International
Einverstanden ✔
Diese Webseite verwendet technisch erforderliche Session-Cookies. Durch die weitere Nutzung der Webseite stimmen Sie diesem zu. Unsere Datenschutzerklärung finden Sie hier.