Assessing the value of public lands using public participation GIS (PPGIS) and social landscape metrics

Abstract

Public lands provide a wide range of values—ecological, socio-cultural, and economic—but systematic methods to assess the social and cultural values of public lands are underdeveloped. In this study, we present a method that uses public participation GIS (PPGIS) to identify and quantify the social and cultural values associated with different types of public land, ranging from national parks and reserves, to multiple-use lands. In 2014, we conducted a PPGIS study to identify public land values in Victoria, Australia. Over 35,000 landscape value and land use preference locations were mapped by study participants (n = 1905). We analyzed the spatial data for association with public land type, IUCN classification, and an agency level management system. We generated social landscape metrics to quantify values by individual public land units based on value abundance, richness, diversity, and the potential for management conflict. We found statistically significant associations between values and public land type, IUCN protected area classification, and management level of protection. The social landscape metrics indicate that the most highly valued public lands (national parks) have the greatest potential for management conflict, but also reveal several less iconic public lands as having high potential for management conflict. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the PPGIS methods in the study and provide suggestions to improve the process for future assessments of social and cultural values associated with public lands.