Landscape in motion: Revisiting the role of key disturbances in the preservation of mountain ecosystems

Abstract

The history of the planet is an ever-changing story. Nowadays, managers of the natural environment face the challenge of dealing with a dynamic landscape that is at a turning point due to the global change (climate and land use change) brought about by human actions in recent centuries. This article discusses the traditional concept of conservation of the natural environment, analyses the role played by key disturbances in the functioning and dynamics of ecosystems over time, and offers a new management approach derived from this knowledge. Combined practices of controlled fire and guided grazing (pyric herbivory) as environmental tools for the preservation of valuable mountain ecosystems are justified, as well as the need to consolidate them by combining traditional expertise with scientific and technical knowledge in order to maximize their positive effects and minimize the potential negative impacts on the natural environment.