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This research delves into the emerging paradigm of biocultural systems, focusing on the intricate social-ecological dynamics which created and maintained an ancient farming system, the European wood-pastures. Innovatively conceptualizing wood-pastures as biocultural systems, this study employs a network approach to unravel the complex interactions between human activities and the natural particularities within these environments. By using field surveys and interviews conducted in Transylvania, Romania, this research reconstructs the traditional social-ecological drivers behind the preservation of ancient wood-pastures and their Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP). It identifies key variables and their centrality within the biocultural network, emphasizing that the rich natural values of wood-pastures are inextricably linked to management features. We employ RLQ and fourth corner analyses to investigate the interconnections among biophysical context, biocultural features (i.e. human made and natural features), and NCP, revealing significant correlations and gradients between the broad biophysical setting and the wood-pasture NCP. The findings underscore the importance of maintaining traditional management practices and stewardship to conserve the biodiversity and cultural heritage of wood-pastures. We contribute to a deeper comprehension of biocultural systems and offer insights for effective management and governance of traditional farming landscapes in Europe and beyond.
Applying the Cultural Values Model to assess biocultural change in Eastern European wood-pastures
(2025)
1. Traditional wood-pastures are emblematic of multifunctional farming systems. Despite their exceptional ecological and cultural value, these systems are undergoing rapid transformation under the combined pressures of modernization, land-use intensification and shifting societal values.
2. We apply the Stephenson's Cultural Values Model to assess the biocultural complexity of 110 ancient wood-pastures across Transylvania, Romania, a unique region of Eastern Europe, where traditional land-use systems persist amidst accelerating institutional and economic change. The three dimensions of the Cultural Values Model—‘Forms’ (material structures), ‘Practices’ (land-use activities) and ‘Relationships’ (cultural meanings and memories)—were quantified through field surveys and 32 semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders.
3. Our results reveal diverse biocultural profiles, with traditional and modern elements (i.e. ‘Forms’ and ‘Practices’) frequently co-occurring. While many sites retain legacy features such as scattered veteran trees and extensive grazing, signs of social-ecological reconfiguration are evident, including electric fencing, mechanized infrastructure, and declining communal governance. Landscape-level analyses show that traditional features (‘Forms’, ‘Practices’ in the Cultural Values Model framework) persist more often in rugged terrains, whereas modernization predominates in flatter, more accessible areas. Interview data show an erosion of cultural engagement, stewardship norms and local agency.
4. Our findings suggest that the transformation of ancient wood-pastures can be effectively traced through the three pillars of the Cultural Values Model: ‘Forms’, ‘Practices’ and ‘Relationships’. The framework proved especially valuable in disentangling how material, functional and symbolic dimensions of these landscapes evolve in response to socio-economic and institutional pressures. We also showed that the Cultural Values Model can be a practical tool for assessing biocultural complexity and identifying early signs of system reconfiguration of traditional farming systems.
