Understanding Landscape: Cultural Perceptions of Environment in the UK and China

Different philosophical traditions in China and the UK have contributed to the establishment of a multi-dimensional discussion of perceptions of nature. This has influenced the approach of landscape architects and planners in the design and planning of the built environment and continues to affect the treatment of private and public space design. With rapid urbanisation in the twentieth century, there has been a growing discussion (emanating from North America but also permeating discussions in the UK, Europe and more recently East Asia) of how we create places that satisfy the need and desire from the public for contact with ‘nature’. This chapter presents a comparative discussion of historical perceptions of landscape within urban development located within the UK and China. We reflect on how urban ecology has been integrated into development practices, debate the interaction of people with urban landscape and consider responses to demands for nature in cities. The chapter concludes with a review on the current practice surrounding the development and management of urban public space in China and the UK, reflecting the cultural context of nature in cities and the work of urban planning and design authorities

Can quarries provide novel conditions for a bird of rocky habitats?

Highly degraded habitats such as quarries often require active restoration efforts, but classical reclamation practices may undermine the occurrence of species that are locally rare or of conservation concern. We argue that some species can benefit from quarry landform whenever the presence of certain elements in the surroundings is preserved. We uncover the role of quarry landforms as providers of artificial habitat for the establishment of a bird of rocky habitats—the Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). We identified and monitored the location of territories of this species in seven quarries and their surroundings, over an entire breeding season. A multiscale approach was applied in order to take into account optimal spatial scales of response of the species to each habitat descriptor. We found this species mainly associated with quarried areas embedded within an inhospitable landscape. Mean slope, built-up area, and number of habitats were important descriptors for Black Redstart territory location. Black Redstart territories are constrained at two scales. Core areas (0.25 ha) are mainly defined by optimal conditions for nest site location, where inaccessible rocky slopes provide safer places for nesting. At a larger scale (>2.00 ha) territories must enclose other land uses that deliver access to food supplies and offer good display positions to signal the limits of territories, allowing control of possible intruders. Localized actions aiming to maintain novel elements may result in the preservation of species such as the Black Redstart.SECIL - Companhia Geral de Cal e Cimento, S