2004 PECSRL CONFERENCE DESCRIPTION

 LIMNOS AND LESVOS, GREECE, 15-22 SEPTEMBER 2004

ONE REGION, MANY STORIES:

MEDITERRANEAN LANDSCAPES IN A CHANGING EUROPE

The 21st session of PECSRL in Greece turns its focus to the Mediterranean landscape, a timely and important step towards addressing the multitude of challenges, opportunities and prospects of landscapes adjacent to the old Mare Nostrum. Geographically, the Mediterranean is specified here as the European regions and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. However, input from other Mediterranean and European countries is deemed as not only useful but also essential to the aims of our 2004 meeting. One of the most important goals of this meeting lies in the exchange of knowledge and methods in landscape science between the Mediterranean and the rest of Europe.

The Mediterranean world is drawing increasing interest in our days, in part due to environmental change interacting with its transitional climatic nature, as well as on enormous human-induced transformation that seems to be altering the face of the earth and long-established human ways of life.  The 2004 meeting will embrace the standing aims and goals of PECSRL and will take place on the islands of Lesvos and Limnos, Greece.

The thematic focus areas of the 21st PECSRL meeting span a wide range of issues with a special relevance to the Mediterranean landscape, but also reflect a wide-ranging scope of interest for all group members. They address established PECSRL subgroup specialties in landscape history and culture, social issues pertaining to the landscape, landscape ecology, and landscape planning.  The meeting themes draw our attention to the long and fascinating historical relationship of locals and outsiders with the Mediterranean landscape and the ensuing social and cultural patterns that have contributed to the identity of “the Mediterranean landscape”.  They  address its insular particularities and its rich, diverse and unique landscape ecology, as well as its current transformation through tourism and other intensive human activities. They, finally, include an investigation of recent theoretical and methodological underpinnings and repercussions in the context of its analysis, planning and various sorts of human intervention. 

The 21st session of PECSRL follows the customary organization of the meeting into a series of paper sessions, various full- and half-day fieldtrips covering all of the main interest areas within PECSRL, a poster session, speaker’s corner, and opportunities for other interaction among PECSRL members.  In addition, this meeting features various accommodation options on Limnos and Lesvos, including excellent hotels, as well as some of the well-known culinary and entertainment experiences memorable to visitors of Greece.