The ecology of visual landscapes: Exploring the conceptual common ground of visual and ecological landscape indicators

Fry, Gary; Tveit, Mari Sundli; Ode, Åsa; Velarde, M. D.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2008.11.008

Cited by 228 publications

(210 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…The European Landscape Convention (Council of Europe 2000:3) defined a landscape as "an area as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and human factors." Furthermore, some authors (Gobster et al 2007, Fry et al 2009) believe that humans engage with the environment through their experience of landscapes, with visual perception being a key process that connects humans with ecological phenomena. Most of the information that shapes our behavior and orients our biological adaptation to the environment is captured visually (Ornstein and Carstensen 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using visual stimuli to explore the social perceptions of ecosystem services in cultural landscapes: the case of transhumance in Mediterranean Spain

López-Santiago¹,

Oteros‐Rozas²,

Martín‐López³

et al. 2014

E&S

101

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ABSTRACT. The ecosystem services approach has been proposed as a powerful tool for the analysis of coupled social-ecological systems. This approach is particularly useful for the evaluation of cultural landscapes, which represent the joint evolution of humans and nature across an extended time span. Transhumance is a customary practice of mobile pastoralism, involving the regular seasonal migration of livestock herds between summer and winter pasturelands. This practice maintains unique cultural landscapes in Mediterranean Spain, which have been shaped over many centuries of pastoral activity. Drove roads, which are used for herd migration, represent the most outstanding feature of these landscapes. We used visually based landscape interpretation to evaluate social perceptions of ecosystem services provided by the Conquense Drove Road transhumance landscape in Spain. Face-to-face questionnaires (N = 314) were given to a sample of local inhabitants, visitors, and urban inhabitants. The questionnaires contained two pairs of photographs depicting images of croplands and pine forests associated with the transhumance landscape, with one photograph in each pair containing a drove road. We compared the social perceptions of 16 ecosystem services supplied by these two landscapes. These 16 services were divided into 3 types: provisioning, such as the production of food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and disease; and cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits. We also identified differences between landscapes with and without a drove road. Overall, respondents recognized the higher capacity of forests to deliver a wider range of ecosystem services to society compared with croplands. Provisioning services were mostly associated with cropland, whereas regulating services and cultural ecosystem services tended to be related to forests. All three types of ecosystem services were more perceived by respondents when a drove road was present in each landscape. However, differences in the visual perception of ecosystem services supply and preference for transhumance landscapes emerged in relation to certain socio-demographic and cultural respondent characteristics such as a previous relationship with transhumance and agriculture, rural/urban origin and identity, environmental awareness, and cultural attachment to a place. Four groups of respondents had consistent and diverging ecosystem services appreciation, revealing various potential conflicts and tradeoffs. We discuss the applicability and usefulness of the proposed approach for evaluating ecosystem services in cultural landscapes and for informing policy-making processes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using visual stimuli to explore the social perceptions of ecosystem services in cultural landscapes: the case of transhumance in Mediterranean Spain

López-Santiago¹,

Oteros‐Rozas²,

Martín‐López³

et al. 2014

E&S

101

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“…Field work has been carried out both for the geological study of the region and for public inquiring. A set of geological information was collected based on outcrop observation and sampling, in addition to geomorphological and hydrological descriptions and to determine visual indicators representing the landscape values [55].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Involvement in Geoconservation: A Conceptual Approach Based on the Geoheritage of South Angola

Tavares

Henriques

Domingos³

et al. 2015

Sustainability

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Abstract:In this work, it is argued that effective protection of geological objects displaying heritage value requires the local community's involvement in all geoconservation actions, i.e., inventory, evaluation, conservation, valuation and monitoring procedures, and not only at the final part of the process, when it is expected from local communities that the physical integrity of such objects is guaranteed. Community involvement in geoheritage inventory and evaluation procedures can be appraised by using a classification system that integrates both the geoheritage properties displayed by the geological objects and usually recognized by geoscientists (i.e., relevance grade) and the social role attributed to geological objects by communities outside Earth scientists that arise from the public perception of such objects (i.e., abstract perceptiveness). Using two case studies from southern Angola (Huíla Province) where both social and scientific OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 4894 components were taken into account in geoheritage evaluation procedures (Tundavala and Leba geosites), we propose a conceptual community-based model, which can be applicable to geoconservation purposes and actions in other African regions and converging with the main goals of the "African Alive Corridors" initiative.

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“…Indicators are the appropriate tools for assessing the ecological function of the landscape surrounding fontanili (Dramstad et al 1996;Fry et al, 2009;Gustafson, 1998) and for classifying the recreational function and visual quality of the landscape (Dramstad et al, 2006;Ode, 2010;Uuemaa et al, 2013). However, there are no indicators for the assessment of the irrigation function of these flat springs.…”

Section: Fig 2 Examples Of the Head (A) And (B) And The Axis (C) mentioning

confidence: 99%

A minimum indicator set for assessing fontanili (lowland springs) of the Lombardy Region in Italy

Fumagalli

Senes

Ferrario

et al. 2017

European Countryside

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This paper reports on the issue of fontanili assessment. A fontanile is a lowland spring, excavated by humans for the use of underground water for irrigation. From the XII century on, fontanili have been dug to extend water availability throughout the year and increase agricultural land use in the lowlands of Northern Italy. Because water of the fontanile stays at temperature without great changes throughout the year (between 8 and 15°C), this environment is host to a vast variety of flora and fauna and has ecological and landscaping value. Because these springs are typical and unique landscape features of Northern Italy, there is not an international background on assessing methods of fontanili functions inside the countryside. The first goal has been to define a set of simple and consolidated indicators to evaluate watering, ecological and recreational function of 1160 fontanili of the Lombardy Region. The second one has been to identify homogenous areas with groups of fontanili in close proximity and with similar indicator values using interpolation tools. This classification can be used by Regional Administration to assign money to recover and maintain fontanili. The most important areas will be protected by regional and local planning instruments.Keywords: Fontanile, low land spring, functional assessment Abstract: Obiettivo dello studio sono l'analisi, la valutazione e la classificazione dei fontanili. Il fontanile è una presa d'acqua nella falda acquifera non affiorante creata dall'uomo per far risalire e utilizzare a scopo irriguo le acque sotterranee tipica della Pianura Padana del nord Italia e della Regione Lombardia in particolare. A partire dai secoli XI e XII i fontanili sono stati un elemento fondamentale per lo sviluppo dell'agricoltura lombarda. Nei secoli successivi mezzi di approvvigionamento idrico alternativi hanno spesso sostituito l'impiego dell'acqua dei fontanili che tuttavia mantengono ancora la loro funzione irrigua. Poiché le acque dei fontanili si mantengono durante l'anno in un intervallo di temperatura compreso tra 8 e 15°C, costituiscono un ecosistema ricco di specie animali e vegetali e svolgono un ruolo di particolare importanza anche dal punto di vista ecologico e paesaggistico. Dal momento che questa risorsa rappresenta un elemento unico caratterizzante la pianura padana non esiste una letteratura internazionale relativa a metodologie di valutazione funzionale dei fontanili. Il primo obiettivo è stato quello di individuare una serie di indicatori per valutare le funzioni idriche, ecologiche e ricreative dei 1160 fontanili della Regione Lombardia. Il secondo obiettivo è stato quello di individuare aree omogenee per caratteristiche simili dei fontanili stessi, utilizzano metodi interpolazione in ambiente GIS. E' stata elaborata una prima proposta per la definizione di una metodologia per la classificazione e misurazione del biotopo fontanile che potrà essere utilizzata dalla Regione Lombardia per l'assegnazione di finanziamenti mirati al recupero e alla conservazione d...

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The ecology of visual landscapes: Exploring the conceptual common ground of visual and ecological landscape indicators

Cited by 228 publications

References 83 publications

Using visual stimuli to explore the social perceptions of ecosystem services in cultural landscapes: the case of transhumance in Mediterranean Spain

Using visual stimuli to explore the social perceptions of ecosystem services in cultural landscapes: the case of transhumance in Mediterranean Spain

Community Involvement in Geoconservation: A Conceptual Approach Based on the Geoheritage of South Angola

A minimum indicator set for assessing fontanili (lowland springs) of the Lombardy Region in Italy

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