Managing protected areas as cultural landscapes: the case of the Alta Murgia National Park in Italy

This paper proposes a managerial and policy view of land use based on the systems perspective. The focus is on protected areas as a significant example of a management approach to land use that suffers from a dominant reductionist view objectively focused on conservation and protection activities. Conversely, the need for a more holistic and open view has emerged over time, requiring a paradigm change in the approach to natural resource management. Starting from identifying the key values of protected areas to leverage in a wider enhancement policy, our findings suggest that, through the adoption of a systems view and an integrated management approach, the cultural value of protected areas as models for promoting sustainable development in the surrounding territory can provide leverage in an effective valorisation policy. The key elements of a systems-based management approach are highlighted through the analysis of Alta Murgia National Park in Italy, an example case in which the naturalistic value of the site is enhanced through its cultural dimensions.