Exploring tranquillity experienced in landscapes based on social media

This work was financially supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation [grant no. 171911] and the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [grant agreement no. 689,812] (‘LandSense’).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A new valuation school : Integrating diverse values of nature in resource and land use decisions

We are increasingly confronted with severe social and economic impacts of environmental degradation all over the world. From a valuation perspective, environmental problems and conflicts originate from trade-offs between values. The urgency and importance to integrate nature's diverse values in decisions and actions stand out more than ever. Valuation, in its broad sense of 'assigning importance', is inherently part of most decisions on natural resource and land use. Scholars from different traditions -while moving from heuristic interdisciplinary debate to applied transdisciplinary science- now acknowledge the need for combining multiple disciplines and methods to represent the diverse set of values of nature. This growing group of scientists and practitioners share the ambition to explore how combinations of ecological, socio-cultural and economic valuation tools can support real-life resource and land use decision-making. The current sustainability challenges and the ineffectiveness of single-value approaches to offer relief demonstrate that continuing along a single path is no option. We advocate for the adherence of a plural valuation culture and its establishment as a common practice, by contesting and complementing ineffective and discriminatory single-value approaches. In policy and decision contexts with a willingness to improve sustainability, integrated valuation approaches can be blended in existing processes, whereas in contexts of power asymmetries or environmental conflicts, integrated valuation can promote the inclusion of diverse values through action research and support the struggle for social and environmental justice. The special issue and this editorial synthesis paper bring together lessons from pioneer case studies and research papers, synthesizing main challenges and setting out priorities for the years to come for the field of integrated valuation.Peer reviewe

European agricultural landscapes, common agricultural policy and ecosystem services: a review

Since the 1950s, intensification and scale enlargement of agriculture have changed agricultural landscapes across Europe. The intensification and scale enlargement of farming was initially driven by the large-scale application of synthetic fertilizers, mechanization and subsidies of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Then, after the 1990s, a further intensification and scale enlargement, and land abandonment in less favored areas was caused by globalization of commodity markets and CAP reforms. The landscape changes during the past six decades have changed the flows and values of ecosystem services. Here, we have reviewed the literature on agricultural policies and management, landscape structure and composition, and the contribution of ecosystem services to regional competitiveness. The objective was to define an analytical framework to determine and assess ecosystem services at the landscape scale. In contrast to natural ecosystems, ecosystem service flows and values in agricultural landscapes are often a result of interactions between agricultural management and ecological structures. We describe how land management by farmers and other land managers relates to landscape structure and composition. We also examine the influence of commodity markets and policies on the behavior of land managers. Additionally, we studied the influence of consumer demand on flows and values of the ecosystem services that originate from the agricultural landscape

A conceptual model to integrate the regional context in landscape policy, management and contribution to rural development: Literature review and European case study evidence

Agri-environmental policies and planning influence agricultural landscape management, and thus the capacity to deliver landscape services and to contribute to rural viability. Numerous models and frameworks have been developed to improve comprehension of the mechanisms and interrelationships between policies, landscape and socio-economic values and benefits. As social-ecological systems, landscapes are closely depending from the socio-institutional and territorial context of the specific rural locality. The paper proposes an enhanced framework for assessing these mechanisms by acknowledging the critical role of the regional macro-environment. A literature review and the revisiting of evidence from eight European case studies are applied to establish a comprehensive understanding and exemplification of the links between the policies, landscape, ecosystem services and value flows. Results highlight the need for integrative, inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches. Efficient landscape policies require enhanced regional embeddedness and targeting, acknowledgement of user demands and the capability of regional community and governance structures for policy implementation and natural capital valorisation

Crowdsourcing geo-information on landscape perceptions and preferences: A review

This paper offers a summary of different crowdsourcing modes to collect geo-information on landscape perception & preferences and cultural ecosystem services. Crowdsourcing modes range from harvesting information passively transmitted by large groups on the web to actively engaging the crowd to generate data by using dedicated mobile apps and web-platforms. The latter, active crowdsourcing projects, were described in more detail by analysing the organizational variables of the twelve projects that were identified. Crowdsourcing has great potential to advance the field of landscape perception & preference research as it enables the in-situ collection of real-time, location-based data. One of the main limitations of reviewed active and passive crowdsourcing modes, lies in the fact that sample selection bias easily occurs and sample representativeness of any target population has been proven hard to achieve. Often crowdsourcing projects are implemented with a strong focus on technical aspects and content, but with insufficient attention for participant engagement. Projects would benefit from more inter- and transdisciplinary approaches and professionalizing campaigns, and thereby bringing participant engagement to the heart of the project. We recommend more attention to be placed towards awareness raising, diversification of formats and activities to reach a larger diversity of participants, structured tracking of performance indicators and learning from participants’ feedback. Such strategies aim at enhancing participation and reducing bias in participant selection, which constrains the usefulness of the results for research, planning and policy

The advantage of mobile technologies in crowdsourcing landscape preferences: Testing a mobile app to inform planning decisions

Urban green spaces are vital for cities to achieve sustainability. Optimal design and management of green space is necessary to counter pressure from increased use due to urban densification and therefore needs to account for the preferences of its potential users. However, preference is inherently subjective and difficult to measure. This study tested a crowdsourcing method using a mobile app for on-site data collection to study the use of, perception of, and preferences for different green configurations in the Rembrandtpark, a large urban park in Amsterdam. Responses obtained through the mobile app were compared to those obtained through more traditional on-site and postal surveys to identify differences in sampled population and results. We found clear differences in respondent samples and in stated preferences when comparing the mobile app and the traditional survey methods. Mobile app respondents (n = 154) were younger and more willing to become more involved with park management. They were also less satisfied with most aspects of locations and found them more noisy. On-site survey respondents (n = 146) appeared more susceptible to response bias in their answers to certain questions. Employing different recruitment methods is important to engage different park user types and account for multiple perceptions

Aesthetic appreciation of the cultural landscape through social media: An analysis of revealed preference in the Dutch river landscape

Aesthetic enjoyment and perception are increasingly recognized as important values of cultural landscapes. The study of these values transcends mere physical attributes of the landscape and requires assessment of its social meaning. In recent years the usage of social media has gained momentum to study the aesthetic preferences and perception of the environment. However, until now the different approaches have not yet been sufficiently combined to provide more in depth understanding of what attracts people in the landscape We propose a robust methodology using social media photos from Flickr and Panoramio to estimate the correlation between landscape attributes and landscape preferences. We combine formal modeling of spatial photo distribution based on the occurrence of landscape elements with content analysis of the photos to pinpoint what it is in a landscape that attracts people. We use the Kromme Rijn Area –a peri-urban area in the center of the Netherlands and a popular recreation area- as case study area. The analysis shows that this area is appreciated by its visitors and residents for the presence of monumental buildings, small water bodies and opportunities for hikes along grasslands. The method successfully linked the structural elements of the landscape with the revealed preferences, providing a way of quantifying the appreciation of the landscape. Qualitative surveys remain essential to study motivations for outdoor recreation, but social media data can be incorporated as evidence of what elements of the landscape are valued, where people are interacting with the landscape, and how these interactions characterize a landscape

Continental-scale quantification of landscape values using social media data

Individuals, communities, and societies ascribe a diverse array of values to landscapes. These values are shaped by the aesthetic, cultural, and recreational benefits and services provided by those landscapes. However, across the globe, processes such as urbanization, agricultural intensification, and abandonment are threatening landscape integrity, altering the personally meaningful connections people have toward specific places. Existing methods used to study landscape values, such as social surveys, are poorly suited to capture dynamic landscape-scale processes across large geographic extents. Social media data, by comparison, can be used to indirectly measure and identify valuable features of landscapes at a regional, continental, and perhaps even worldwide scale. We evaluate the usefulness of different social media platforms—Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram—and quantify landscape values at a continental scale. We find Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram data can be used to quantify landscape values, with features of Instagram being especially suitable due to its relatively large population of users and its functional ability of allowing users to attach personally meaningful comments and hashtags to their uploaded images. Although Panoramio, Flickr, and Instagram have different user profiles, our analysis revealed similar patterns of landscape values across Europe across the three platforms. We also found variables describing accessibility, population density, income, mountainous terrain, or proximity to water explained a significant portion of observed variation across data from the different platforms. Social media data can be used to extend our understanding of how and where individuals ascribe value to landscapes across diverse social, political, and ecological boundaries

European agricultural landscapes, common agricultural policy and ecosystem services: a review

Since the 1950s, intensification and scale enlargement of agriculture have changed agricultural landscapes across Europe. The intensification and scale enlargement of farming was initially driven by the large-scale application of synthetic fertilizers, mechanization and subsidies of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Then, after the 1990s, a further intensification and scale enlargement, and land abandonment in less favored areas was caused by globalization of commodity markets and CAP reforms. The landscape changes during the past six decades have changed the flows and values of ecosystem services. Here, we have reviewed the literature on agricultural policies and management, landscape structure and composition, and the contribution of ecosystem services to regional competitiveness. The objective was to define an analytical framework to determine and assess ecosystem services at the landscape scale. In contrast to natural ecosystems, ecosystem service flows and values in agricultural landscapes are often a result of interactions between agricultural management and ecological structures. We describe how land management by farmers and other land managers relates to landscape structure and composition. We also examine the influence of commodity markets and policies on the behavior of land managers. Additionally, we studied the influence of consumer demand on flows and values of the ecosystem services that originate from the agricultural landscape