Exploring the links between post-industrial landscape history and ecology through participatory methods

This research paper examines how participatory methods and local community knowledge can improve the ecological interpretation and biodiversity management of former mining sites in the UK's Yorkshire coalfield.

• A study of two post-mining sites in the Yorkshire coalfield used participatory GIS to show that site histories are shaped by a combination of spontaneous succession, technical reclamation, planned management, and informal community activities, all of which contribute to habitat heterogeneity and ecological diversity.
• Informal community activities significantly impact biodiversity in two ways: the active protection of flower-rich habitats and distinctive species like orchids (benefiting butterflies and bumblebees), and disturbances—such as motorbike use, informal camping, and fuel gathering—which create bare ground habitats for uncommon invertebrates and open waste ground plant species.
• Engaging local communities and utilizing their unrecorded knowledge provides a more accurate ecological interpretation of post-mining sites, which in turn creates a more robust foundation for future biodiversity management plans.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2015). Exploring the links between post-industrial landscape history and ecology through participatory methods. https://www.sei.org/publications/exploring-the-links-between-post-industrial-landscape-history-and-ecology-through-participatory-methods/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Exploring the links between post-industrial landscape history and ecology through participatory methods. 2015. https://www.sei.org/publications/exploring-the-links-between-post-industrial-landscape-history-and-ecology-through-participatory-methods/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Exploring the links between post-industrial landscape history and ecology through participatory methods |date=7 September 2015 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/exploring-the-links-between-post-industrial-landscape-history-and-ecology-through-participatory-methods/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2015exploring, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Exploring the links between post-industrial landscape history and ecology through participatory methods}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/exploring-the-links-between-post-industrial-landscape-history-and-ecology-through-participatory-methods/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }