Managing multifunctional landscapes: Local insights from a Pacific Island Country context

Pursuing Plurality: Exploring the Synergies and Challenges of Knowledge Co-production in Multifunctional Landscape Design

Knowledge co-production has emerged as an important conceptual and processual tool in sustainability research addressing the needs of equity and inclusion. Indigenous communities and local people have engaged with the process of knowledge production, foregrounding their historical relationships with landscapes, based on their unique worldviews and knowledges. However, knowledge co-production, especially for multi-functional landscapes remains a contentious and complicated affair with enduring issues of power-sharing related to the different socio-political positions of stakeholders. This work explores the synergies and challenges in knowledge co-production for landscape re-design in the south Island of Aotearoa NZ through an assessment of the work done at the Centre for Excellence, Lincoln University. At this center, a multi-stakeholder team is grappling with designing a farm, through a transdisciplinary framework that attempts to include multiple worldviews. This work explores the various stages of the co-production process, analyzing the exchanges between various members as they prepare for co-production, the knowledge produced through this engagement, and how this knowledge is being utilized to further the goal of sustainability. Our results show that significant gaps remain between co-production theory and co-production practice which are a result of the mismanagement of the co-production process, the mismatch in the time and spatial scales of project goals, and the differences in the values and objectives of the different stakeholders. However, the process of co-production, though flawed, leads to the building of more open relationships between the stakeholders, and leads to some very meaningful knowledge products that address the multi-temporal and multi-spatial aspirations of multi-functional landscapes in Aotearoa NZ, while contributing to the broader scholarship on co-production in sustainability. Finally, both synergies and challenges prove meaningful when challenging the roadblocks to the inclusion of a diversity of worldviews, by clearly highlighting the places of engagement and why they were made possible. We suggest that knowledge co-production attempts in multi-functional landscapes around the world should attempt a similar assessment of their process. This can help build better relationships between scientists and IPLC, address disciplinary bias and marginalization of non-expert opinions, while also ensuring the relevance of the research to the multiple stakeholders of the land.

Soil wind erosion evaluation and sustainable management of typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, China

Soil wind erosion is an important ecological environmental problem that is widespread in arid and semi-arid regions. Currently, related studies are mainly focused on spatiotemporal characteristics or analysis of effector mechanisms, and they do not facilitate direct servicing of management decisions. In this paper, we used the Xilingol typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, China, as a study site to develop a decision framework for a comprehensive understanding of soil wind erosion and to promote sustainable management of steppes. In this study, we used the Revised Wind Erosion Equation model to simulate soil wind erosion. We combined this model with linear trend analysis to evaluate the ecological effects of soil wind erosion and wind erosion intensity, and delineated the gravity center migration path. We used the constraint line method to reveal the mechanisms by which climatic factors affected soil wind erosion, achieved the spatial visualization of wind-breaking and sand-fixing service flow, and proposed decision-based regional sustainable development suggestions. The results showed that long-term soil wind erosion will lead to soil coarsening and loss of soil nutrients. Soil wind erosion in the study site showed worsening trends and risks, and as such, ecological environment conservation and management are urgently required. The study framework promotes a clear understanding of the complex relationship of human-earth systems. The study results will aid in the ecological remediation of steppe landscapes and the prevention of desertification and will provide a foundation for win-win management of ecological conservation and economic development in arid and semi-arid regions.