Local people unprotected by protected (depopulated) natural areas: the case of Sierra Norte Guadalajara,Spain

The aim of this study is to place the current geographical debate on nature in the context of protected natural areas severely affected by depopulation processes, in which the daily lives of the inhabitants have been altered by changes in the traditional balance between human and non-human populations. A significantly humanized area within the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara National Park in central Spain is considered as an example. The qualitative methodology followed is based on documentary analysis and interviews with key inhabitants in the area, revealing narratives with a productive or consumer view of the nature. The national park appears as a container of a cultural nature, initially created by the traditional inhabitants, which generates an artificial, excessive nature and accelerates regressive sociodemographic dynamics.