Characterizing nature-based recreation preferences in a Mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced data
ABSTRACTNature-based recreation is a key ecosystem service that contributes to positive physical and mental welfare but, at the same time, nature-based recreational activities can increase human pressure and impacts on natural areas and biodiversity. Understanding people’s preference for visiting na...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Ecosystems and People |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2274594 |
| _version_ | 1797385520785915904 |
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| author | Laura Costadone Mario V Balzan |
| author_facet | Laura Costadone Mario V Balzan |
| author_sort | Laura Costadone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACTNature-based recreation is a key ecosystem service that contributes to positive physical and mental welfare but, at the same time, nature-based recreational activities can increase human pressure and impacts on natural areas and biodiversity. Understanding people’s preference for visiting natural settings is challenging due to data and methodological limitations. Social media data can be used to map nature-based recreation. However, variation in popularity of platforms and limitations to data accessibility are highlighting the importance of exploring and using different data sources. We analyzed complementary crowdsourced data using an automated content analysis refined by manual identification to assess nature-based recreation ecosystem services across the Maltese archipelago. A content analysis of images uploaded to Flickr between 2015 and 2021 was performed using the Google Vision machine learning algorithm to identify nature-based interactions and nature visitation patterns were modeled based on landscape characteristics, environmental variables and socio-economic parameters. Flickr data were compared and complemented with publicly available geolocated data from the iNaturalist platform. Significant difference was found between the spatial distribution of Flickr and iNaturalist data. Generalized linear models identified coastal areas, protected areas, natural habitats and accessibility via the road network as significant predictors of nature-based recreational visits. Localities with a higher percentage of people receiving old age and unemployment benefits were also positively correlated with users’ preference for nature-based recreation. Finally, we discussed how the low resource methodology developed here to identify people’s nature-based recreational preferences can be used to assess which natural areas should be prioritized for ecological restoration efforts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:55:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb97b62c0afe42fab19680757f4d3b84 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2639-5908 2639-5916 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:55:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosystems and People |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb97b62c0afe42fab19680757f4d3b842023-12-20T00:08:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEcosystems and People2639-59082639-59162023-12-0119110.1080/26395916.2023.2274594Characterizing nature-based recreation preferences in a Mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced dataLaura Costadone0Mario V Balzan1Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, FinlandInstitute of Applied Science, Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, Paola, MaltaABSTRACTNature-based recreation is a key ecosystem service that contributes to positive physical and mental welfare but, at the same time, nature-based recreational activities can increase human pressure and impacts on natural areas and biodiversity. Understanding people’s preference for visiting natural settings is challenging due to data and methodological limitations. Social media data can be used to map nature-based recreation. However, variation in popularity of platforms and limitations to data accessibility are highlighting the importance of exploring and using different data sources. We analyzed complementary crowdsourced data using an automated content analysis refined by manual identification to assess nature-based recreation ecosystem services across the Maltese archipelago. A content analysis of images uploaded to Flickr between 2015 and 2021 was performed using the Google Vision machine learning algorithm to identify nature-based interactions and nature visitation patterns were modeled based on landscape characteristics, environmental variables and socio-economic parameters. Flickr data were compared and complemented with publicly available geolocated data from the iNaturalist platform. Significant difference was found between the spatial distribution of Flickr and iNaturalist data. Generalized linear models identified coastal areas, protected areas, natural habitats and accessibility via the road network as significant predictors of nature-based recreational visits. Localities with a higher percentage of people receiving old age and unemployment benefits were also positively correlated with users’ preference for nature-based recreation. Finally, we discussed how the low resource methodology developed here to identify people’s nature-based recreational preferences can be used to assess which natural areas should be prioritized for ecological restoration efforts.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2274594Christian AlbertNature-based recreationcultural ecosystem servicesFlickriNaturalistGoogle Vision |
| spellingShingle | Laura Costadone Mario V Balzan Characterizing nature-based recreation preferences in a Mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced data Ecosystems and People Christian Albert Nature-based recreation cultural ecosystem services Flickr iNaturalist Google Vision |
| title | Characterizing nature-based recreation preferences in a Mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced data |
| title_full | Characterizing nature-based recreation preferences in a Mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced data |
| title_fullStr | Characterizing nature-based recreation preferences in a Mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterizing nature-based recreation preferences in a Mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced data |
| title_short | Characterizing nature-based recreation preferences in a Mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced data |
| title_sort | characterizing nature based recreation preferences in a mediterranean small island environment using crowdsourced data |
| topic | Christian Albert Nature-based recreation cultural ecosystem services Flickr iNaturalist Google Vision |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2274594 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lauracostadone characterizingnaturebasedrecreationpreferencesinamediterraneansmallislandenvironmentusingcrowdsourceddata AT mariovbalzan characterizingnaturebasedrecreationpreferencesinamediterraneansmallislandenvironmentusingcrowdsourceddata |