Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach
Mediterranean cultural landscapes have been recognized as multifunctional landscapes that are currently threatened by two opposing trends: rural abandonment and agricultural intensification. Uncovering people’s perceptions of different landscape configurations, and how inhabitants value the contribu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-10-01
|
| Series: | Land |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/10/390 |
| _version_ | 1827704362257874944 |
|---|---|
| author | Íñigo Bidegain César A. López-Santiago José A. González Rodrigo Martínez-Sastre Federica Ravera Claudia Cerda |
| author_facet | Íñigo Bidegain César A. López-Santiago José A. González Rodrigo Martínez-Sastre Federica Ravera Claudia Cerda |
| author_sort | Íñigo Bidegain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mediterranean cultural landscapes have been recognized as multifunctional landscapes that are currently threatened by two opposing trends: rural abandonment and agricultural intensification. Uncovering people’s perceptions of different landscape configurations, and how inhabitants value the contributions of nature to human wellbeing, is essential to understanding current landscape trends. In this study, we analyze the social perception of the cultural landscapes of Sierra Morena (Andalusia, Spain) based on 389 face-to-face visual questionnaires in an attempt to understand individuals’ landscape preferences, the reasons behind those preferences and how those landscapes are perceived as suppliers of ecosystem services by different groups of stakeholders. Four groups of stakeholders were identified that differed in how they perceive and value the cultural landscape. An urban-related group was characterized by their preferences for pine plantations and “green” landscapes, guided mostly by aesthetic criteria. A livestock-related group showed a clear preference for wood–pasture landscapes (dehesas) due to their ability to supply multiple ecosystem services. An environmentally aware group showed preferences for dehesas and Mediterranean forests, mainly guided by ecological criteria. Finally, an olive-related group showed a clear preference for olive grove landscapes as key for the regional economy and their cultural identity. Overall, the local inhabitants of Sierra Morena perceived a higher supply of ecosystem services in moderately disturbed landscapes, such as dehesas and mosaic landscapes, than in highly disturbed ones, such as conventional olive groves and pine plantations, or in less used landscapes, such as the Mediterranean forest. Understanding the differences in valuation/demand for ecosystem services among groups of stakeholders, characterized by their landscape preferences, provides important information with which to identify potential trade-offs and conflicts, thereby providing insights into the improvement of landscape planning and decision making. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:38:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8115a20f3cbd49f39c57e9e145163905 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:38:38Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-8115a20f3cbd49f39c57e9e1451639052023-11-20T17:00:36ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2020-10-0191039010.3390/land9100390Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual ApproachÍñigo Bidegain0César A. López-Santiago1José A. González2Rodrigo Martínez-Sastre3Federica Ravera4Claudia Cerda5Social-Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c. Darwin 2, Edificio de Biología, 28049 Madrid, SpainSocial-Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c. Darwin 2, Edificio de Biología, 28049 Madrid, SpainSocial-Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c. Darwin 2, Edificio de Biología, 28049 Madrid, SpainSocial-Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c. Darwin 2, Edificio de Biología, 28049 Madrid, SpainDepartament de Geografía, Universitat de Girona, Edifici Sant Domènec II, Pl. Ferrater i Mora 1, Campus Barri Vell, 17004 Girona, SpainFaculty of Forest Sciences and Conservation of Nature, Universidad de Chile, Av. Santa Rosa 11315, La Pintana, Santiago 8820808, ChileMediterranean cultural landscapes have been recognized as multifunctional landscapes that are currently threatened by two opposing trends: rural abandonment and agricultural intensification. Uncovering people’s perceptions of different landscape configurations, and how inhabitants value the contributions of nature to human wellbeing, is essential to understanding current landscape trends. In this study, we analyze the social perception of the cultural landscapes of Sierra Morena (Andalusia, Spain) based on 389 face-to-face visual questionnaires in an attempt to understand individuals’ landscape preferences, the reasons behind those preferences and how those landscapes are perceived as suppliers of ecosystem services by different groups of stakeholders. Four groups of stakeholders were identified that differed in how they perceive and value the cultural landscape. An urban-related group was characterized by their preferences for pine plantations and “green” landscapes, guided mostly by aesthetic criteria. A livestock-related group showed a clear preference for wood–pasture landscapes (dehesas) due to their ability to supply multiple ecosystem services. An environmentally aware group showed preferences for dehesas and Mediterranean forests, mainly guided by ecological criteria. Finally, an olive-related group showed a clear preference for olive grove landscapes as key for the regional economy and their cultural identity. Overall, the local inhabitants of Sierra Morena perceived a higher supply of ecosystem services in moderately disturbed landscapes, such as dehesas and mosaic landscapes, than in highly disturbed ones, such as conventional olive groves and pine plantations, or in less used landscapes, such as the Mediterranean forest. Understanding the differences in valuation/demand for ecosystem services among groups of stakeholders, characterized by their landscape preferences, provides important information with which to identify potential trade-offs and conflicts, thereby providing insights into the improvement of landscape planning and decision making.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/10/390landscape preferencesecosystem servicescultural landscapeMediterraneanSierra Morena |
| spellingShingle | Íñigo Bidegain César A. López-Santiago José A. González Rodrigo Martínez-Sastre Federica Ravera Claudia Cerda Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach Land landscape preferences ecosystem services cultural landscape Mediterranean Sierra Morena |
| title | Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach |
| title_full | Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach |
| title_fullStr | Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach |
| title_short | Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach |
| title_sort | social valuation of mediterranean cultural landscapes exploring landscape preferences and ecosystem services perceptions through a visual approach |
| topic | landscape preferences ecosystem services cultural landscape Mediterranean Sierra Morena |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/10/390 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT inigobidegain socialvaluationofmediterraneanculturallandscapesexploringlandscapepreferencesandecosystemservicesperceptionsthroughavisualapproach AT cesaralopezsantiago socialvaluationofmediterraneanculturallandscapesexploringlandscapepreferencesandecosystemservicesperceptionsthroughavisualapproach AT joseagonzalez socialvaluationofmediterraneanculturallandscapesexploringlandscapepreferencesandecosystemservicesperceptionsthroughavisualapproach AT rodrigomartinezsastre socialvaluationofmediterraneanculturallandscapesexploringlandscapepreferencesandecosystemservicesperceptionsthroughavisualapproach AT federicaravera socialvaluationofmediterraneanculturallandscapesexploringlandscapepreferencesandecosystemservicesperceptionsthroughavisualapproach AT claudiacerda socialvaluationofmediterraneanculturallandscapesexploringlandscapepreferencesandecosystemservicesperceptionsthroughavisualapproach |