Maisemanhoito

Maisemanhoito is a field of practice and study focused on managing and maintaining landscapes to sustain ecological, cultural, social, and aesthetic values. It integrates knowledge from ecology, forestry, agriculture, urban planning, and cultural heritage to guide how land is used and cared for over time.

The scope includes planning, protection, restoration, and sustainable use of land, water, and biophysical resources. It aims to preserve biodiversity, habitats, soil and water quality, and landscape connectivity; to manage visual and recreational values; and to maintain traditional land-use patterns, cultural landscapes, and recognizable place identities. In Finland, maisemanhoito often emphasizes rural cultural landscapes and the maintenance of traditional field patterns.

Practices and tasks encompass vegetation management (mowing, pruning, clearing), grazing management, invasive species control, restoration of wetlands and small biotopes, maintenance of hedgerows and stone fences, forest-edge management, and landscape-scale restoration projects. Modern approaches rely on GIS-based planning, monitoring, and collaboration among landowners, managers, and professionals in related fields such as landscape architecture, ecology, and agronomy.

Governance and policy shaping maisemanhoito include national and municipal planning and environmental laws, nature conservation and cultural heritage regulations, and, within the European context, agri-environment schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy. Professionals involved work with communities, land users, and authorities to balance ecological integrity, cultural values, and human use across rural, urban, and agricultural landscapes.