Regionnature

Regionnature is an interdisciplinary construct that links administrative or conventional geographic regions with the ecological characteristics, natural processes, and biotic communities that occupy those areas. It is used to describe the way in which natural landscapes and ecosystems shape, and are shaped by, the boundaries and functions of human-defined regions. The term emphasizes that a region cannot be understood solely in political or economic terms; its natural history and environmental processes are integral to its identity.

In geographic theory, regionnature overlaps with concepts such as bioregion, eco-region, and landscape region. While bioregions emphasize ecological coherence, regionnature incorporates human governance structures, recognizing that management and policy decisions occur within borders that must be informed by the underlying natural conditions. Scholars in human ecology, conservation science, and regional planning often use regionnature to frame studies of resource distribution, ecosystem services, and landscape connectivity within a given territorial unit.

Applications of regionnature appear in conservation planning, where boundary setting for protected areas and wildlife corridors considers both ecological networks and administrative regions. It is also central to climate change impact assessments that project altered precipitation patterns and sea‑level rise across state or provincial lines. In regional development, planners use regionnature to balance economic growth with the preservation of critical habitats and water resources.

Examples of regionnature analyses include the Amazon Basin, where the vast rainforest and river systems govern the political and economic organization of several countries, and the Mediterranean Basin, a biogeographically distinct region that informs cross‑border cooperation on water management and biodiversity conservation. Current research prioritizes integrating high‑resolution ecological data with socio‑economic models to refine regionnature frameworks for better decision‑making in the face of rapid environmental change.