Framing the biodiversity of agricultural landscape: The essence of local conceptions and constructions

The knowledge and values of local communities in respect of biodiversity conservation are acknowledged as valuable. This paper explores the constructions and conceptions held by residents in rural areas regarding the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes. The locals’ constructions are examined qualitatively in three frames: conceptual, spatial and aesthetic. The empirical study was carried out in four communities in the municipality of Lammi, in southern Finland. The study revealed that at the local level, biodiversity as a concept is highly elusive and vague. Finnish Agri-environmental Programmes have made the concept of biodiversity more familiar to farmers. Even so, there are still considerable differences between the ways the experts and the local residents perceive the concept of biodiversity. The perceptions of various spatial representations of biodiversity are highly diverse. Biodiversity was widely understood as covering the whole rural ecosystem, including humans. The study also revealed that biodiversity is clearly perceived to be connected to aesthetic appreciations of the rural landscape. In particular, scenic and symbolic rather than ecological aspects are emphasized.