Is forest regeneration good for biodiversity? Exploring the social dimensions of an apparently ecological debate

Cécile Barnaud, Anke Fischer, Sam Staddon, Kirsty Blackstock, Clémence Moreau, Esteve Corbera, Alison Hester, Raphaël Mathevet, Annie Mckee, Joana Reyes, Clélia Sirami, Antonia Eastwood

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Forest regeneration is a major land-use change in European uplands, and whether or not this is a desirable change for biodiversity is disputed. While this debate seems to be largely situated in the field of natural sciences, this paper aims to also examine its social dimensions. To do so, we adopt a comparative discourse analysis with four cases of protected areas in France, Spain, and Scotland. We draw on a conceptual framework highlighting both the ecological and social factors underpinning the construction of environmental discourses. It notably emphasises the role of interests, ideas and institutions, and the power dynamics underpinning discourse-coalitions. We show how diverging discourses emerged, gained ground, coalesced and competed differently in different contexts, explaining the adoption of seemingly opposite discourses by protected area authorities. These findings reaffirm the need to conceive environmental governance as an on-going deliberative process in order to achieve environmental justice.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)63-72
JournalEnvironmental Science & Policy
Volume120
Early online date10 Mar 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2021

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