Knowledge production and learning for sustainable landscapes:forewords by the researchers and stakeholders

This special issue of AMBIO presents a new approach to sustainability science that goes beyond interdisciplinary research. Using coupled natural and human systems, or landscapes, as multiple case studies in Europe’s East and West knowledge production and learning toward transdisciplinary research was applied in Sweden, countries in Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia. First, the research group Forest-Landscape-Society summarizes the research program (2005–2012) behind this special issue of AMBIO and its development to participate in transdisciplinary research. Second, stakeholders at multiple levels provide their views on the new approach presented and reported

Evaluation of multi-level social learning for sustainable landscapes: perspective of a development initiative in Bergslagen, Sweden

To implement policies about sustainable landscapesand rural development necessitates social learningabout states and trends of sustainability indicators, normsthat define sustainability, and adaptive multi-level governance.We evaluate the extent to which social learning atmultiple governance levels for sustainable landscapesoccur in 18 local development initiatives in the network ofSustainable Bergslagen in Sweden. We mapped activitiesover time, and interviewed key actors in the network aboutsocial learning. While activities resulted in exchange ofexperiences and some local solutions, a major challengewas to secure systematic social learning and make newknowledge explicit at multiple levels. None of the developmentinitiatives used a systematic approach to securesocial learning, and sustainability assessments were notmade systematically. We discuss how social learning canbe improved, and how a learning network of developmentinitiatives could be realized