Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity in Sweden
According to the Swedish government conservation website; “biodiversity, or biological diversity, and interactions in different types of ecosystems are of fundamental importance for human living conditions. Forests, coasts, watercourses, ground water are all important preconditions for life and sustainable development,” (Ministry of the Environment). This basically sums up the correlation between the biodiversity and the cultural diversity in Sweden as well as all over the world. As a whole the different areas in the world are affected by the ecosystems that are there; for example in Sweden their early culture was driven by the hunting of reindeer who were found mainly in the vast forests of Sweden, as well as the fish found on the coasts that were used for trade and food in early Sweden. People flocked to Sweden in order to fish and hunt which helped shape the culture of Sweden as it is now known as.
Sweden’s ecosystem is known for its vast forests which contain many different species and animals, agriculturally rich land, and waters that surround the country. “Forests cover about 58% of the Swedish land surface. In spite of a dramatic decline in the 20th century, Sweden still has the largest area of old-growth boreal forests in Western Europe,” (Sweden-Country Profile). These forests house many species and make for a beautiful and unique landscape in Sweden.
The forests of Sweden are one of the most important things that as a country they are proud of and focus greatly on conserving. They focus on conserving the forests because they are so large and are not only a source of beauty and uniqueness, but they provide raw materials that are a source of industry and income in Sweden. This source of raw materials and income adds to the way of life in Sweden because they rely so much on industry and trade which adds to the overall economy and lifestyles. While the forests have depleted due to pollution and deforestation government sanctions have been put in place to save the forests and “about 3.6 per cent of productive forest land is protected as national parks, nature reserves or habitat protection areas,” (Ministry of the Environment), this may not seem like a large amount, but the forests are so large that it is a starts and the national parks add to the economy of Sweden by bringing in tourists and revenue. This revenue from the preserved lands affects the economy which as is known economy drives a culture.
Another important part of the biodiversity in relation to culture and way of life in Sweden is the fish. From the beginning of Sweden a talked about earlier, the use of fish for trading within the nation and between nations, as well as for a source of food and sport has been an important part of shaping Sweden financially and culturally. People in Sweden still receive much of their income from fish and many traditional Swedish dishes are fish based. The only problem in this reliance on fish is that costs are being destroyed by natural causes, and the water balance is being disturbed by deforestation. This can affect the culture because fish are being lost which in correlation makes income and way of life go away.
The government in Sweden is very focused on preserving their land and water because they know how much it affects their citizens and their culture. Sanctions have been put in place to protect these areas that are near and dear to the Swedish hearts and culture. According to the government website they do include “The cultural environment and cultural heritage assets” (Ministry of the Environment) as a part of the environment which means that they are focused on saving their environment as well as preserving their culture.
Works Cited
Nature conservation and biological diversity (Nature conservation and biological diversity)
http://www.government.se/sb/d/3879
Gustafson, L., & Perhans, K. (2010, July 14). Biodiversity Conservation in Swedish Forests: Ways Forward for a 30-Year-Old Multi-Scaled Approach. . Retrieved April 14, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357677/
Sweden - Country Profile (Main Details)
http://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/default.shtml?country=se#facts
According to the Swedish government conservation website; “biodiversity, or biological diversity, and interactions in different types of ecosystems are of fundamental importance for human living conditions. Forests, coasts, watercourses, ground water are all important preconditions for life and sustainable development,” (Ministry of the Environment). This basically sums up the correlation between the biodiversity and the cultural diversity in Sweden as well as all over the world. As a whole the different areas in the world are affected by the ecosystems that are there; for example in Sweden their early culture was driven by the hunting of reindeer who were found mainly in the vast forests of Sweden, as well as the fish found on the coasts that were used for trade and food in early Sweden. People flocked to Sweden in order to fish and hunt which helped shape the culture of Sweden as it is now known as.
Sweden’s ecosystem is known for its vast forests which contain many different species and animals, agriculturally rich land, and waters that surround the country. “Forests cover about 58% of the Swedish land surface. In spite of a dramatic decline in the 20th century, Sweden still has the largest area of old-growth boreal forests in Western Europe,” (Sweden-Country Profile). These forests house many species and make for a beautiful and unique landscape in Sweden.
The forests of Sweden are one of the most important things that as a country they are proud of and focus greatly on conserving. They focus on conserving the forests because they are so large and are not only a source of beauty and uniqueness, but they provide raw materials that are a source of industry and income in Sweden. This source of raw materials and income adds to the way of life in Sweden because they rely so much on industry and trade which adds to the overall economy and lifestyles. While the forests have depleted due to pollution and deforestation government sanctions have been put in place to save the forests and “about 3.6 per cent of productive forest land is protected as national parks, nature reserves or habitat protection areas,” (Ministry of the Environment), this may not seem like a large amount, but the forests are so large that it is a starts and the national parks add to the economy of Sweden by bringing in tourists and revenue. This revenue from the preserved lands affects the economy which as is known economy drives a culture.
Another important part of the biodiversity in relation to culture and way of life in Sweden is the fish. From the beginning of Sweden a talked about earlier, the use of fish for trading within the nation and between nations, as well as for a source of food and sport has been an important part of shaping Sweden financially and culturally. People in Sweden still receive much of their income from fish and many traditional Swedish dishes are fish based. The only problem in this reliance on fish is that costs are being destroyed by natural causes, and the water balance is being disturbed by deforestation. This can affect the culture because fish are being lost which in correlation makes income and way of life go away.
The government in Sweden is very focused on preserving their land and water because they know how much it affects their citizens and their culture. Sanctions have been put in place to protect these areas that are near and dear to the Swedish hearts and culture. According to the government website they do include “The cultural environment and cultural heritage assets” (Ministry of the Environment) as a part of the environment which means that they are focused on saving their environment as well as preserving their culture.
Works Cited
Nature conservation and biological diversity (Nature conservation and biological diversity)
http://www.government.se/sb/d/3879
Gustafson, L., & Perhans, K. (2010, July 14). Biodiversity Conservation in Swedish Forests: Ways Forward for a 30-Year-Old Multi-Scaled Approach. . Retrieved April 14, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357677/
Sweden - Country Profile (Main Details)
http://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/default.shtml?country=se#facts
This map describes how the Swedish land is used
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This map represents the different borders of Sweden.
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