Ensauvagement et ré-ensauvagement de l’Europe : controverse et postures scientifiques

Over the last twenty years, the nature heterodox conservation strategy of rewilding – originally emerged in North America – is expanding across Europe. While strong interventions are needed to start the process (reintroduction), rewilded ecosystems should evolve without anthropogenic control in the medium term. This will of rewilding is stimulated by the collapse of marginal agro-pastoral systems (farm land abandonment). In Europe, discourses and practices of rewilding are compelling all the established compositionalist principles of nature conservation protecting bio-cultural landscapes. The purpose of this paper is first a state of the art that aims to analyse the sociotechnical controversy over rewilding. We also intend to study the socio-spatial and cultural consequences associated with the establishing of a new rewilding orientated nature management model in Europe.