Different versions of biodiversity
“ I questioned what the notion of "biodiversity" actually encompasses, by analyzing how it is used by actors, both in their discourse and in operational tools. ”
- Publish On 6 February 2026
- Léone-Alix Mazaud
- 25 minutes
In this second episode, Léone focuses on describing the different versions of biodiversity produced by the tools used to assess it. She departs from an approach that considers biodiversity as a given reality, which these instruments merely represent, and adopts a praxis-based perspective. Developed by the philosopher Annemarie Mol, this perspective invites us to consider that things do not exist a priori, but take shape through the practices that bring them into being. Consequently, different practices can produce distinct versions of the same object. The analysis of these tools thus highlights four dominant versions of biodiversity, each associated with specific problems posed by urban projects. This diversity reveals the capacity of biodiversity to carry varied ambitions depending on whether the tools prioritize the faithful translation of scientific ecology or the enhancement of uses and landscapes within projects.
Working with diversity: Operators sensitive to non-human life in urban and architectural projects
In this series of four podcasts, we invite you to delve into the work of Léone, a researcher at the agency, who recently defended her CIFRE PhD thesis in Science and Technology Studies, supervised by Jérôme Denis at the Centre for the Sociology of Innovation (École des Mines, Université PSL).
A series presented by Léone-Alix Mazaud and Jasmine Léonardon. Editing: Théa Lingrand and Louise André.
