Biodiversity and the local context: linking seminatural grasslands and their future use to social aspects

The seminatural grasslands are some of the most species-rich biotopes in Sweden. The creation and maintenance of their biological and cultural values are dependent on continuous management. However, due to the diminishing number of grazing animals, there has been a substantial loss of seminatural grasslands during the last century. The paper discusses how the seminatural grasslands, their biodiversity and future use are linked to social aspects. One underlying aim has been to explore how geographical perspectives can help to bridge the gap between social and natural science in nature resource management research. Case studies, including interviews with farmers, have been carried out in four rural areas in Sweden. The local contexts are described by using components in Norgaard's structural frame of the integrated relation man—environment, co-evolution; environment, social organization, value systems and knowledge. The concept of resilience provides an analytical frame for discussing the conditions and prospects for the future management of seminatural grasslands. The result shows similarities between the areas as regards possible options and measures for the enhancement of seminatural grassland management. There are also significant differences, indicating the need for flexible landscape policies, allowing adaptive management in various local contexts.