摘要：The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve concept has been one of the first conservation approaches toadopt an integrated conservation perspective (‘nature and people’), rather than focus onnature conservation exclusively. Biosphere Reserves designated before 1995 were mandatedto shift their focus adequately. Pre-1995 Biosphere Reserves provide unique case studies toexamine how a conceptual shift in conservation can be implemented in practice. I focus onthree areas in (West) Germany (Bayerischer Wald, Berchtesgadener Land, NiedersächsischesWattenmeer) that underwent this shift to explore implementation challenges and resultingoutcomes. I find that political and administrative decision-makers reacted differently: one areawithdrew, one extended its area, and one is still working on an implementation of the shift.Top-down processes of designation and objective setting, the overlaps between other conservation designations and the Biosphere Reserves, and the exclusion of local people havecreated challenges for the legitimacy of the Biosphere Reserves because they miss broadersocietal support. Clear objectives and distinctions to other conservation schemes, adequatehuman and financial resources, and political (local) support are important aspects to implement a conceptual shift. Researchers can support the implementation by allocating space intheir theories and concepts for the integration of different knowledge types and contextspecific adaptions.
