In the Anthropocene era, the strict demarcation of nature and culture, as well as the separation of natural forces from human agency born in the modernist episteme is increasingly challenged. At the same time, robust environmental transformations and the negative effects of globalisation seriously threaten subsistence-oriented communities that are in direct contact with their environment. These communities perceive environmental changes (e.g., declining biodiversity, habitat fragmentation) primarily through the alterations and deterioration of ecosystem services. Although, direct and indirect drivers behind these trends are partly ecological (e.g., climate change, invasive species), and partly social, political, or economic (e.g., migration, urbanization), all have a powerful impact on human-nature connectedness, namely on socio-ecological systems and local ecological knowledge. Subsistence-oriented communities that cope with environmental changes develop resilient strategies and adaptive capacity in order to promote appropriate responses to threats of changing and degrading ecosystem services. Ecological anthropology provides an instructive approach to how epistemological issues can be overcome and these complex socio-ecological systems can be studied with a strong emphasis on meticulous field studies.
Our panel focuses on human-nature connectedness in rural communities, with a special emphasis on local ecological knowledge, and on local land-use practices built (among others) upon first-hand practical experience gained in resource management. Furthermore, in the panel, we intend to discuss the significance of local environmental perception, and adaptations to large-scale changes at the local level, examine the emerging social or ecological conflicts local communities face, and lastly, we would like to raise questions on knowledge co-production, and collaboration with local communities. The panel intends to combine diverse expertise (ranging from zoology and botany to economic anthropology) to present relevant frameworks for studying social and natural processes, especially in Europe, that can effectively help decision-makers.
