1. Philosophy and background of biocultural landscapes -- 2. Agro-cultural landscapes in China: Types and significances -- 3. Zonation of biodiversity in the forests of Lasang landscapes in the Philippines -- 4. Role of the Oriental White Stork in maintaining the cultural landscapes in the Toyooka Basin, Japan -- 5. Developing integrated methods for biological conservation and sustainable production in the agricultural landscapes -- 6. Human-elephant relations becoming crisis in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China -- 7. Ecosystem services and biodiversity of traditional agricultural landscapes: A case study of Hani terraces in Southwest China -- 8. Anthropogenic effects in landscapes: Historical context and spatial pattern -- 9. Biodiversity of traditional agricultural landscapes in Slovakia and their threats -- 10. Characteristics and management of the old and sacred Dangsan forests in Korea -- 11. Vision and possibilities in ecosystem services of a cultural landscape: A case study in the Yanhe watershed -- 12. Biocultural landscape dynamics in Japanese rural regions -- 13. Geo-ecological similarity and biocultural diversity - A case study in Shinan Dadohae Archipelago in Korea -- 14. Development and vision of Island Biocultural Diversity Initiative.

This book is devoted to the cultural and biological dimensions and values of landscapes, linking the concepts of biodiversity, landscape and culture, and presenting an essential approach for landscape analysis, interpretation and sustainable dynamics. Early chapters explore the concepts and values of biocultural landscapes, before addressing the methodology to identify the relationship between biological and cultural diversity. The volume continuous with a series of case studies and with an exploration of the key role of biocultural diversity in contemporary landscape ecology. Readers will learn the importance of landscapes for different fields of natural and human sciences, and are confronted to the trans-disciplinary nature of the landscape concept itself. A hierarchical approach to landscapes, in which they are composed of interacting (eco)systems, is shown to be essential in recognizing their emergent properties. In this work, the biocultural values of landscapes are explored through their diversity in geographical scopes, methodological approaches and conceptual assumptions. Authors from Asia, Europe and North-America present diverse research experiences and views on biocultural landscapes, their pattern, conservation, and management. Landscape ecologists will find this work particularly appealing, as well as anyone with an interest in sustainable landscape development, nature conservation or cultural heritage management. This volume is the outcome of a symposium on “Biodiversity in Cultural Landscapes”, organized in the framework of the 8th IALE World Congress, held in Beijing in 2011.