Assessing Ecosystem and Urban Services for Landscape Suitability Mapping
Ecosystem services (ES) and urban services (US) can comparably improve human well-being. Models for integrating ES and US with unexpressed and objective needs of defined groups of stakeholders may prove helpful for supporting decisions in landscape planning and management. In fact, they could be app...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/17/8232 |
| _version_ | 1797521587127189504 |
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| author | Sara Antognelli Marco Vizzari |
| author_facet | Sara Antognelli Marco Vizzari |
| author_sort | Sara Antognelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ecosystem services (ES) and urban services (US) can comparably improve human well-being. Models for integrating ES and US with unexpressed and objective needs of defined groups of stakeholders may prove helpful for supporting decisions in landscape planning and management. In fact, they could be applied for highlighting landscape areas with different characteristics in terms of services provided. From this base, a suitability spatial assessment model (SUSAM) was developed and applied in a study area considering different verisimilar scenarios that policy makers could analyse. Each scenario is based on the prioritization of a set of services considering a defined group of stakeholders. Consistent and comparable ES and US indices of spatial benefiting areas (SBA) of services were calculated using GIS spatialization techniques. These indices were aggregated hierarchically with the relevance of services according to a spatial multicriteria decision analysis (S-MCDA). Results include maps for each scenario showing detailed spatial indices of suitability that integrate the local availability of SBA of ES and US, along with their relevance. The results were compared with known landscape classes identified in previous studies, which made it possible to interpret the spatial variation of suitability in the light of known landscape features. A complete sensitivity analysis was performed to test the sensitiveness of the model’s outputs to variations of judgements and their resistance to the indicators’ variation. The application of the model demonstrated its effectiveness in a landscape suitability assessment. At the same time, the sensitivity analysis and helping to understand the model behaviour in the different landscape classes also suggested possible solutions for simplifying the whole methodology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:15:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6c57f6e7f01b462a9a265ae499614405 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:15:39Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c57f6e7f01b462a9a265ae4996144052023-11-22T10:23:41ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172021-09-011117823210.3390/app11178232Assessing Ecosystem and Urban Services for Landscape Suitability MappingSara Antognelli0Marco Vizzari1Agricolus SRL, Via Settevalli, 320, 06129 Perugia, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, ItalyEcosystem services (ES) and urban services (US) can comparably improve human well-being. Models for integrating ES and US with unexpressed and objective needs of defined groups of stakeholders may prove helpful for supporting decisions in landscape planning and management. In fact, they could be applied for highlighting landscape areas with different characteristics in terms of services provided. From this base, a suitability spatial assessment model (SUSAM) was developed and applied in a study area considering different verisimilar scenarios that policy makers could analyse. Each scenario is based on the prioritization of a set of services considering a defined group of stakeholders. Consistent and comparable ES and US indices of spatial benefiting areas (SBA) of services were calculated using GIS spatialization techniques. These indices were aggregated hierarchically with the relevance of services according to a spatial multicriteria decision analysis (S-MCDA). Results include maps for each scenario showing detailed spatial indices of suitability that integrate the local availability of SBA of ES and US, along with their relevance. The results were compared with known landscape classes identified in previous studies, which made it possible to interpret the spatial variation of suitability in the light of known landscape features. A complete sensitivity analysis was performed to test the sensitiveness of the model’s outputs to variations of judgements and their resistance to the indicators’ variation. The application of the model demonstrated its effectiveness in a landscape suitability assessment. At the same time, the sensitivity analysis and helping to understand the model behaviour in the different landscape classes also suggested possible solutions for simplifying the whole methodology.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/17/8232landscape planninglandscape liveabilitylandscape servicesecosystem and urban servicesmulticriteria decision analysisanalytical hierarchy process |
| spellingShingle | Sara Antognelli Marco Vizzari Assessing Ecosystem and Urban Services for Landscape Suitability Mapping Applied Sciences landscape planning landscape liveability landscape services ecosystem and urban services multicriteria decision analysis analytical hierarchy process |
| title | Assessing Ecosystem and Urban Services for Landscape Suitability Mapping |
| title_full | Assessing Ecosystem and Urban Services for Landscape Suitability Mapping |
| title_fullStr | Assessing Ecosystem and Urban Services for Landscape Suitability Mapping |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing Ecosystem and Urban Services for Landscape Suitability Mapping |
| title_short | Assessing Ecosystem and Urban Services for Landscape Suitability Mapping |
| title_sort | assessing ecosystem and urban services for landscape suitability mapping |
| topic | landscape planning landscape liveability landscape services ecosystem and urban services multicriteria decision analysis analytical hierarchy process |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/17/8232 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saraantognelli assessingecosystemandurbanservicesforlandscapesuitabilitymapping AT marcovizzari assessingecosystemandurbanservicesforlandscapesuitabilitymapping |