From Agricultural Landscapes to the Regional Competitiveness- Bayesian Belief Network Approach

Abstract

The study focuses on the relations between landscape structure and composition, functions and benefits, and its contribution to the regional competitiveness understood as an ability to generate income, at the same time assuring employment and wellbeing of the society. The question is whether agricultural landscapes, through provision of ecosystem services could contribute to the development and competitiveness of the rural areas. The causal connections between landscape management, socio-economic benefits and mechanisms influencing the income level have been described and analyzed on the example of the case study region1 – Chlapowski Landscape Park in Poland. The Bayesian Belief Network method was applied for the analysis of the abovementioned problem. It was found that all considered landscape elements (fields, forests, shelterbelts, and water reservoirs) have a positive influence on regional competitiveness. Agricultural land (fields and permanent grasslands) have the strongest, positive impact on the competitiveness of the region resulting from provisioning ecosystem services.