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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 1h

Indeed. Exactly this happens.

Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 13h

Beaver, the engineer; a keystone species helping landscapes navigate drought.
Bear and fox tracks nearby, cows and sheep grazing around. Near Sfântu Gheorghe.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 13h

Regularly pollarded willows near Sfântu Gheorghe keep an old tradition alive. Every 4–6 years, they provide firewood and stakes—while sustaining biodiversity, cultural memory, and even habitats for protected insects.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 2d

Your point is also legitimate.

Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 2d

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Applying the Cultural Values Model to assess biocultural change in Eastern European wood‐pastures

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 2d

One of the many wood-pastures we assessed to understand them under the lens of the Cultural Values Model by Janet Stephenson. See link of our paper published in People and Nature below.

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Reposted by Tibor Hartel

Carla Jack @pocketwildingie.bsky.social · 2d

We have so much to learn from traditional Transylvanian wood pasture management.

Mixed farming communities need to be supported for their true value of working with nature and preserving food systems not just how they compete with the short term thinking of corporate agriculture.

Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 5d

We used the Cultural Values Model to assess biocultural change in Transylvanian wood-pastures. Traditional features persist but mix with electric fencing (establishing) and mechanization, especially in lowlands. Stewardship is eroding.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Applying the Cultural Values Model to assess biocultural change in Eastern European wood‐pastures

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 5d

relationalthinkingblog.com/2025/09/26/p...

Plain language summary: A Cultural Values Model approach to understand changing ancient wood-pastures of Transylvania (Romania)

By Alexandru Sabin Bădărău, Mihai Pop, Imola Püsök, Dacinia Crina Petrescu, Ruxandra Malina Petrescu-Mag, Cristian Maloș, Kinga Réti, László Csákány, László Rákosy, Till Wagener, Noémi Antal, Viore…

relationalthinkingblog.com

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 5d

We used the Cultural Values Model to assess biocultural change in Transylvanian wood-pastures. Traditional features persist but mix with electric fencing (establishing) and mechanization, especially in lowlands. Stewardship is eroding.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Applying the Cultural Values Model to assess biocultural change in Eastern European wood‐pastures

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · 16d

I am also in this list LOL. Thanks Euan!

Professor Euan Ritchie @euanritchie.bsky.social · Nov 12

Ok, here’s my starter pack! go.bsky.app/4ASwaLv
Non-exhaustive list!

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Sep 9

Inspiring paper, congrats to the team!

Bertrand Dumont @bdumontae.bsky.social · Aug 29

We identified 6 narratives that vary in how French & Dutch 🐄 farmers conceptualise #biodiversity, perceive and value interactions between farming & biodiversity, & define problems & solutions in relation to biodiversity

Paper is led by V. Oostvogels 👉 doi.org/10.1002/pan3...

#dairy #NFF #pluralism

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Aug 7

Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.

In a more inclusive formulation: "negative contributions of (urban) nature to people"

In a more popular formulation: bird shit

Funnily: Birds took one look at our pipe and said “nice toilet”
Technically: (Urban) Ecosystem disservices.

Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Aug 4

Good morning!
Breite ancient oak wood-pasture, Sighișoara - Schäßburg - Segesvár.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Aug 2

Open, unfenced wood-pasture with traditional biocultural physiognomy, surrounded by wilderness. As the herder family told: this is a/the genuine herder life.

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Reposted by Tibor Hartel

Nearly Wild @nearlywild.bsky.social · Aug 1

Save the old wood-pastures!

And create new ones.

#Woodpasture

Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Aug 1

Large old trees, no fences, scattered shrubs, mushrooms, bears. These were once normal features of Transylvanian wood-pastures. Since 2022, rapid change is on-going on them. By 2030, most will lose their traditional shape and role. And people may forget they ever looked different.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Aug 1

Large old trees, no fences, scattered shrubs, mushrooms, bears. These were once normal features of Transylvanian wood-pastures. Since 2022, rapid change is on-going on them. By 2030, most will lose their traditional shape and role. And people may forget they ever looked different.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Jul 31

I wish you a wonderful day with this traditional wood-pasture and pastoral life. The dogs are guarding the herd. It is one of the highest bear density areas of Romania, where in the past 25 years 2 bear attacks happened: one on a sheep and one on a young cow. Both ca 10 years ago. No electric fence.

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Reposted by Tibor Hartel

SESCarnivore @sescarnivore.bsky.social · Jul 29

🧵 NEW PAPER in PNAS by our team member Cristian Papp!
Theory of Change framework for connectivity conservation across 4 landscapes
Rare achievement for Romanian ecology!
📖 sescarnivore.ro/blog5.html
🔗 pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2410937122
#EcologicalConnectivity #PNAS #Research

From science to impact: Conserving ecological connectivity in large conservation landscapes | PNAS

Implementing ecological connectivity conservation in large landscapes requires cutting-edge science combined with consideration of ecological, soci...

pnas.org

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Jul 26

Livestock guardian dogs resting in the shade, essential allies in protecting herds from large carnivores. The wooden yokes around their necks are traditional devices that prevent them from chasing wildlife such as deer or hares, maintaining a balance between protection and coexistence.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Jul 25

Based on the field assessment of 110 Transylvanian wood-pastures and semi-structured interviews with over 50 locals knowing these systems, we identified five distinct biocultural profiles. These reflect diverse management regimes, historical trajectories, and socio-institutional dynamics.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Jul 14

Recent rains refilled the temporary ponds. Wild animals line up for a splash: it’s the boars’ turn now, the bear is waiting. Footage from my friend László Csákány.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Jul 1

Hey mom is it safe or should we climb the tree? Nothing can be more hesrth warming like two playing bear cubs in the wild.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Jun 29

Will these wonderful animals be around us in the future? It is entirely depending on us. Bears are smart, they can negociate if we create and respect the premisses. They dont want troubles for us. It is all on us, people.

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Jun 28

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Persistence of an Endangered Amphibian in a Fully Anthropogenic Forested Pondscape

We studied Bombina variegata in a deciduous forest landscape with dense anthropogenic temporary ponds (~25 ponds/km2) over three years. Pond occupancy and reproduction were influenced by pond charact...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Tibor Hartel @thartel.bsky.social · Jun 28

Endangered toad thrives in human-made ponds! Over 3 yrs, the yellow bellied toad showed persistence in a Romanian forest pondscape shaped by off-road vehicles. Connectivity mattered most early on, but drought shifted use to stable ponds. A conservation paradox. Link in first comment.

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