Anthropocene Era, Comparative Studies on Island Biocultural Diversity and Island Biocultural Landscape

This study explores the link between island biocultural diversity and biocultural landscapes within the context of the Anthropocene. It offers a conceptual framework for understanding sustainability transitions in island regions. Moving beyond traditional island studies that view islands mainly as peripheral and vulnerable, this paper suggests that islands should be seen as strategic social–ecological spaces where changes in human–nature relationships are most evident. Through a comparative and critical review, the study combines interdisciplinary discussions on biocultural diversity, landscapes, resilience, and sustainability, with a focus on East Asian islands. The findings indicate that biocultural diversity is more than just the coexistence of biological and cultural elements; it is a historically developed adaptive system where species, knowledge, livelihoods, social norms, and institutions are closely connected. This diversity is expressed in landscapes, and biocultural landscapes serve not as static heritage but as dynamic systems that sustain ecological functions, community identity, and cultural practices. The paper further emphasizes that the multifunctionality and diversity of these landscapes enhance social–ecological resilience, while the loss of biocultural diversity causes landscape simplification, lowers adaptive capacity, and increases vulnerability. The study concludes that island biocultural landscapes should be viewed not as relics of the past but as vital assets for advancing sustainability during the Anthropocene

Adaptive strategies · Conceptual framework · Context (archaeology) · Cultural diversity · Cultural landscape · Diversity (politics) · Sustainability · Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond · Environmental Philosophy and Ethics · Environmental, Ecological, and Cultural Studies