Perceived benefits from reclaimed rural landscapes: Evidence from the lowlands of the Po River Delta, Italy

Abstract

The attention towards residents’ perceptions of ecosystem services for an efficient management of rural landscapes is gaining momentum. One noteworthy aspect is the identification of links between perceived supply and societal demand of ecosystem services, as they can disclose leverages to improve rural policies. The objectives of this study are: i) to assess residents’ perceptions of ecosystem services attributed to typical landscape elements; and ii) to characterise the perception of different groups of residents. We present the results from a residents’ survey based on a phone-questionnaire carried out in a reclaimed coastal area, where vulnerabilities such as anthropic impact legacies and natural hazards are exacerbated. The aim of the questionnaire concerns the collection of information regarding people perception of benefits attached to a set of rural landscape elements and demand for services. The results show that awareness of regulating functions, the presence of disservices and the link with local food production relate with residents’ perception of benefits from landscapes. Furthermore, we note that local landscape and the meaning attributed to historical land reclamation initiatives has a lasting influence on the perception of ecosystem services and that of such perceptions are significant for the design of land use policies.