Sustainable Landscape Management. An Analysis with a Scientific and Social Perspective. Review

Abstract

Context: The negative effects of climate change and the food production systems, based on an ever-growing, intensive, and unsustainable manner, are threatening the stability of landscapes, and therefore, their components, including humans. The implementation of land sustainable management offers a set of social and ecological benefits. However, it is mostly applied to very small spaces, as an agroecosystem. Aim: To analyze the need for land sustainable management practice scaling of landscapes as a geographic space category, using a scientific approach. Method: Documentary review was used along with the integration of land sustainable management approaches, and the need for landscape scaling, including other sustainability approaches, such as agroecology. Results: The study found a theoretical gap in terms of land sustainable management practice scaling of landscapes as a geographic space category. The need for scaling is mainly explained by the fact that the extent of social and ecological problems goes beyond smaller spaces, such as a farm or an agroecosystem. Conclusions: Landscape is an intrinsic part of cultural identity and heritage with high natural and anthropic values that must be highly regarded. The scaling of land sustainable management practices into the landscape is a necessity. The natural, economic, and social problems associated with land use must be addressed beyond the boundaries of a single agroecosystem