This thesis discusses key conflicts in the Oostvaardersplassen. These conflicts include the contestation of the Oostvaardersplassen as wilderness, the debate on grazer mortality, and the debate on culling. Through Actor Network Theory, the actors involved in the Oostvaardersplassen are discussed. A number of documents are selected for the different actors to do a qualitative analysis of communication on the Oostvaardersplassen. The Oostvaardersplassen is a unique area, claimed from the sea and fully manmade, with a management philosophy with aspects from rewilding theories. Recurring themes in the actor documents are studied, such as the definitions of the terms ‘nature’ ‘wilderness’ and the use of interventions. In addition, the documents are analysed on their use of rhetoric tools and the way they discuss the general public in the Oostvaardersplassen debates. The nature of the Oostvaardersplassen as an experiment, the strong presence of emotions in the debates and the unclear definition of goals and purposes lead to a more fractured stage for the actors and the debate. While the Oostvaardersplassen is successful as an area for experimentation, learning, and as a nature reserve in the midst of the Netherlands, these concluding issues are an important consideration in making the Oostvaardersplassen’s debate less volatile.

This case study aimed to assess the potential threats to the Linnaeus botanical heritage in Uppsala Municipality, focusing on the Linnaeus Trails and their surroundings. These trails are part of Uppsala's green infrastructure, providing cultural and supporting ecosystem services that enhance urban resilience.  The study investigated potential threats to the Linnaeus trails from different angles, including management and governance, urban expansion, habitat fragmentation, wear and tear, UNESCO World Heritage plans, genetic contamination, and invasive species. Data was collected through reviews of scientific literature and municipal governance documents, with informants providing additional insights, clarifications, and primary data. The authors also compared historical and current maps to identify changes over time and conducted study visits to verify the information. The findings revealed that the Linnaeus botanical heritage is threatened in all examined areas, with urban expansion, landownership issues, habitat fragmentation, and genetic contamination identified as the primary threats. Additionally, shifting baselines and landownership were highlighted as significant concerns. The findings also showed that the botanical heritage and the Linnaeus Trails are most protected within designated nature reserves. However, the management of the Linnaeus heritage involves numerous stakeholders, which might lead to instability in preservation strategies.  To address these challenges, the authors propose that the municipality should establish a biological rescue plan for the Linnaeus botanical heritage, complementing Uppsala’s Green Plan. This plan should guide stakeholders in avoiding genetic contamination and utilise expertise from SLU and Uppsala University to protect Linnaean species. A centralised governing body should be responsible for the long-term management. Allocating more resources for communication and advocacy around the Linnaeus Trails will help garner public and political support. Awareness of shifting baselines in urban planning is essential for protecting this heritage. In conclusion, this case study underscores the need for coordinated and proactive measures to protect the Linnaeus botanical heritage from environmental and anthropogenic threats.

Historiquement, les animaux sauvages ont toujours représenté une ressource pour les hommes, assurant la sécurité alimentaire des sociétés locales et traditionnelles. L’exploitation touristique de la faune implique dès lors une évolution dans les modes de vie, la culture et les identités locales. L’objectif de cette recherche doctorale est d’analyser le récréotourisme faunique. Les activités récréotouristiques autour de la faune sauvage traduisent une requalification de la ressource faune, ce qui a des impacts à la fois sur les espaces humains et non humains, les jeux de construction territoriale et sur les rapports développés à la faune sauvage. Ce travail analyse les rapports que les sociétés entretiennent avec la faune sauvage à travers les activités récréotouristiques de chasse et de vision. Ces deux formes de tourisme sont généralement opposées car le tourisme de vision est présenté comme un usage non-consomptif de la ressource alors que le tourisme de chasse est reconnu comme un usage consomptif de la ressource. Dépassant certaines idées reçues sur les pratiques de la chasse et une approche manichéenne entre ces différentes activités, il convient d’interroger les distinctions et / ou le rapport dialogique entre ces pratiques. Afin de conduire cette recherche, le choix d’une analyse comparative a été retenu, laquelle se propose de mettre en perspective différentes études de cas en France et au Canada. Ce travail comparatif permet de mieux comprendre les enjeux touristiques et territoriaux associés à la gestion de la faune sauvage et de penser la transférabilité des processus observés entre différents terrains d’études. D’un point de vue méthodologique, ce travail doctoral nous a conduite à définir un cadre analytique organisé autour de quatre entrées croisant des (i) aspects conceptuels, (ii) l’analyse d’archives, (iii) des méthodes d’observation ainsi que (iv) des outils d’analyse des rapports homme / faune via l’analyse de discours des populations touristiques. La première partie de ce travail présente le contexte théorique de l’étude et la démarche systémique de cette recherche (chapitre 1, 2 et 3). En termes de résultat, ces présupposés méthodologiques et théoriques nous ont permis d’analyser comment les dynamiques du récréotourisme faunique agissent, réagissent et rétroagissent sur l’ensemble du système territorial. Ainsi, la deuxième partie interroge l’organisation socio-spatiale des activités récréotouristiques de chasse et de vision (chapitre 4 et 5). Ces différentes formes de tourisme sont analysées en prenant en compte l’implantation de ces activités au sein des territoires, les attentes touristiques de la part des visiteurs, et les effets des différentes pratiques sur les populations fauniques. La troisième et dernière partie s’intéresse à l’évolution des rapports hommes / faune sauvage dans le temps et l’espace au regard des activités récréotouristiques développées. Le chapitre 6 s’intéresse aux rapports dialectiques entre processus de patrimonialisation et les usages acceptés ou non de la ressource faunique, alors que le chapitre 7 propose une réflexion sur les rapports hommes / animaux à l’échelle de l’individu en interrogeant l’éthique de chacun dans ses usages, ses comportements et ses pratiques développés autour de la faune sauvage. / Historically, wildlife has always been a resource for mankind by ensuring food safety to local and traditional societies. Wildlife tourism represents an evolution in the use of wildlife and affects livelihoods, culture and the local identities. The aim of this PhD research is to have a better understanding of what is wildlife tourism. This specific tourism causes a requalification of the resource, which has some impacts on human and non-human spaces, on the territorial building processes and on the relationship between men and animals. This research focuses particularly on these issues by studying wildlife viewing tourism and sport hunting tourism. These two kinds of tourism are usually in conflict because wildlife tourism is viewed as a non-consumptive tourism whereas hunting tourism is viewed as a consumptive tourism. Going beyond some common preconceptions on these different tourisms, we question the differences and/or the dialogical relationship between these practices. To conduct this research, we chose to lead a comparative analysis putting into perspective different case studies in France and in Canada. This comparative work allows a better understanding of tourism and territorial stakes linked to wildlife tourism and it allows to reflect on the transferability of processes observed between different fieldworks. From a methodological point of view, we have defined a framework to analyse wildlife tourism. This framework is based on conceptual aspects, analysis of archives, observation methods and discourse analysis. The first part of this work presents the theoretical context and introduces the systemic approach of this research (chapter 1, 2 and 3). These methodological and theoretical presuppositions are used to analyse how wildlife tourism dynamics act, react and retroact on the whole territorial system. The second part questions the socio-spatial organisation of wildlife viewing and hunting tourisms (chapters 4 and 5). These forms of tourisms are studied taking into account the settlement of these activities on space, the visitors’ expectations and the impacts on wildlife populations. The third and last part discusses the evolution of the relationship between humans and wildlife in time and space according to the tourism activity. Chapter 6 looks at the dialectical link between heritage processes and the uses of wildlife resource that are accepted or not, whereas chapter 7 suggests a reflection on human / animal interaction at the individual level questioning the people’s ethic in their use, behaviour and habits developed around wildlife.