Assessment Of Cultural Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Identifying the Optimal Area Threshold of Mapping Units for Cultural Ecosystem Services in a River Basin

Mapping cultural ecosystem services (CES) in river basins is crucial for spatially identifying areas that merit conservation due to their significant CES contributions. However, precise quantification of the appropriate area of mapping units, which is the basis for CES assessment, is rare in existing studies. In this study, the optimal area threshold of mapping units (OATMU) identification, consisting of a multi-dimensional indicator framework and a methodology for validation, was established to clarify the boundary and the appropriate area of the mapping units for CES. The multi-dimensional indicator framework included geo-hydrological indicator (GI), economic indicator (EI) and social management indicator (SMI). The OATMU for each indicator was determined by seeking the inflection point in the second-order derivative of the power function. The minimum value of the OATMU for each indicator was obtained as the OATMU for CES. Finally, the OATMU for CES was validated by comparing it with the area of administrative villages in the river basin. The results showed the OATMU for CES was 3.60 km2. This study adopted OATMU identification, with easy access to basic data and simplified calculation methods, to provide clear and generic technical support for optimizing CES mapping.

Prospects for integrating cultural ecosystem services assessment into territorial planning

Prospects for integrating cultural ecosystem services assessment into territorial planning

Methodological framework of cultural ecosystem service assessment

In recent decades, cultural ecosystem services have been increasingly studied in the field of ecosystem services. Even more diverse studies have been conducted since the Covid-19 pandemic and today's political situation brings cultural ecosystem services, more specifically identity, symbolic, religious and cultural-historical values even more to the fore. Although the services of cultural ecosystems in general are more and more extensively researched, mostly focusing on tourism issues, the cultural-historical, symbolic, religious and entertainment value as base not only for tourism, but also for strengthening local communities, is still rarely studied in research in the world and in Latvia due to the lack of data and the intangible nature of research. Therefore, a methodological framework for conducting such a research, selecting data from publicly available sources, as well as obtaining missing data in field studies. Also, tools for integrating results from assessment of cultural ecosystem services related to identity, religious and symbolic values into political and decision-making documents are missing. Thus, as a continuation of the study on the assessment of cultural ecosystem services and integration into political and decision-making documents, the aim of the particular article is presentation of a methodological framework developed for the assessment of cultural-historical, symbolic, religious and entertainment values in the landscape. The methodological framework includes seven steps, which are described in this article. The methodological framework created will be tested and validated in future studies, where improvements may be made depending on the situation during the process.

Research Note: Linking sensory perceptions with landscape elements through a combined approach based on prior knowledge and machine learning

Challenges remain when assessing cultural ecosystem services (CES) due to the subjective and intangible features. Landsense ecology highlights the individual perception, providing a novel dimension to the CES assessment. Based on landsense ecology, this study aims to identify and correlate landscape elements and sensory perceptions using social media data. Taking the case of Belgian greenspaces, the factors were identified using custom lexicons through unsupervised and weakly supervised learning methods. The perception correlation network was established to link sensory perceptions with landscape elements. Integrating data from different platforms, we found that social elements were perceived frequently and that the most significant perceptions were vision and touch. Results also revealed that the perceptions of vision, hearing and smell were collectively affected by multiple elements, while the perceptions of taste and touch were strongly related to specific elements. Finally, this study encouraged creating multi-sensory spaces in greenspace management.

Assessment of Cultural Ecosystem Services and Well-Being: Testing a Method for Evaluating Natural Environment and Contact Types in the Harku Municipality, Estonia

This study examined the evaluation of cultural ecosystem services (CESs) and their impact on well-being in peri-urban areas, using a case study in Harku municipality, Estonia. CESs, encompassing intangible factors such as emotions and values, are crucial for well-being but challenging to assess. To address this, a pilot method was developed, involving a typology of natural environment types (NETs) and contact types (CTs), assessed by a panel of local experts. The results revealed that “spiritual, historic, and symbolic” gardens exhibited a strong positive connection to well-being. Blue and green spaces offering physical activities and aesthetics were also highly rated. Surprisingly, cemeteries scored higher than expected. Agreement among experts varied, with “parks + sporting” showing near-perfect consensus and weaker agreement found in “parks + food production”, “blue spaces + providing gathering places”, and “green landscape elements + education”, highlighting diverse expert perspectives in identifying suitable combinations of NETs and CTs. This study addresses research-to-practice gaps and methodological challenges in applying CESs within planning frameworks, providing valuable insights for managing and conserving services in peri-urban areas. By testing the proposed method, this research contributes to a better understanding of how CESs can be effectively integrated into planning processes, fostering sustainable well-being in peri-urbanised regions.

How do visitors’ perceptions differ from the supply of cultural ecosystem services in urban parks? A case study from Beijing

ABSTRACT As urban green spaces, parks can provide rich cultural ecosystem services (CES), enhancing the well-being of those living in urban areas. Understanding how people perceive the CES supplied by parks and identifying differences with their supply is crucial for decision-makers and urban planners. In this study, we conducted a quantitative assessment of CES by combining an expert field investigation of parks with visitor questionnaires in the Three Hills and Five Gardens area of Beijing, China. Our assessment system comprised five categories of CES (landscape aesthetics, historical heritages, education, recreation, health and fitness) and eleven indicators. We identified differences between CES supply and perceptions and noted that such discrepancies additionally vary by CES type. We found that multiple CES are interdependent and interwoven. In addition, we discovered that perceptions of historical heritages service are particularly dependent on supply, while perceptions of health and fitness service are relatively independent of the supply. We explored the reasons behind these differences, finding that the visibility and prestige of historical heritages as well as the positioning and the overall condition of parks can affect visitors’ perceptions. Our assessment can be used to guide the optimization of parks so that they may provide higher-quality CES for the public.

The Nature Smart Cities business model: A rapid decision-support and scenario analysis tool to reveal the multi-benefits of green infrastructure investments

Incorporating natural spaces within urban areas has been shown to have multiple benefits. However, despite greening and adaptation strategies at different levels of government, progress remains slow with a lack of easy to use and comprehensive tools identified as key to overcoming this. This paper presents a co-designed tool with academic and local authority partners to demonstrate the ecosystem service benefits of small-scale urban green infrastructure projects. Through the tool, users can readily assess the impact of green infrastructure investments on the delivery of a selection of ecosystem services in the early stages of a project. Furthermore, the tool provides a standardised assessment of cultural ecosystem services’ contributions, as well as offering a method to score spatial designs on the impact on habitat for biodiversity. Use of the tool is demonstrated using a pilot study in Kapelle, the Netherlands. The results set out an overview of the impacts of the spatial design on estimated ecosystem service delivery. They also show the tool’s potential to add value in early project stages and as a planning and design tool, helping to maximise the benefits that can be achieved through green infrastructure design. Complementing these arguments with ball-park estimations on green infrastructure costs, the Nature Smart Cities Business Model aims to offer public sector officers the means to create a business case for green infrastructure measures, facilitating the translation from strategies to actual plans, thus benefitting green infrastructure implementation in the public realm.

A trail-based approach using crowdsourced data to assess recreationists' preferences for landscape

Social media recently emerged as a promising data source for the assessment of cultural ecosystem services (CES). The assessment often relies on the Photo-User-Days metric (PUD), a measure of the number of individuals uploading at least one photo on a unique day, at a specific site. PUD is often used to assess site visitation rates and to account for the fact that visitors can visit several sites over a day, we proposed a novel approach. This approach is based on the Trail-User-Day (TUD), a spatial item covering the whole area visited during a day trip. We assessed land cover, land cover diversity (Shannon index), and topography within ∼11,500 TUDs from three social media platforms (Flickr, NaturaList, and Wikiloc) in the Auvergne region (France). We compared the values within TUDs with those at the Auvergne scale. Compared to Auvergne, we found less agricultural land in TUDs for the three platforms but for the other land covers, the results depend on the platform. We also found more diversity and a larger range of elevation within the TUDs of the three platforms than in random zones of similar areas in Auvergne. These comparisons suggest that recreationists are looking for landscapes with a mosaic of land covers during their day trip, which has important implications in terms of understanding and managing visitor distribution. Our results also illustrate that the TUD approach can bring an additional level of understanding of recreationists’ preferences on day trips, compared to approaches based on visitation rates.

Pull and Push Drivers of Giant-Wave Spectators in Nazaré, Portugal: A Cultural Ecosystem Services Assessment Based on Geo-Tagged Photos

This paper maps the cultural ecosystem services (CES) of a well-known giant-wave hotspot located in Nazaré, Portugal. The paper adopts a qualitative approach combining an auto-ethnographic direct observation of a journey and the content analysis of photos and videos posted on the YouTube and Facebook pages of tourists and operators. A total of 44 geotagged photos from a sample of 6914 photos retrieved from Flickr allowed the classification and spatial distribution of several CES: (1) recreational—surf activities; (2) aesthetic—photography; (3) spiritual—dark tourism and risk recreation; (4) intangible heritage—maritime knowledge; (5) scientific—wave height forecast; (6) sense of place; and (7) social relations. The paper also proposes a theoretical framework that highlights the pull drivers (risk recreation, storm chasing, or spectacular death voyeurism) and the push drivers (e.g., marketing campaigns and wave forecasts alerts) that explain the behaviors of the big-wave spectators/chasers during the experience journey. Public decision-makers, destination marketing organizations, tourism operators, and business entrepreneurs must acknowledge the relevance of journey mapping in order to identify the moments of stress and the touchpoints associated with peak/positive experiences generated by these CES. This study confirms some push and pull factors assessed by previous studies.

Mapping indicators of cultural ecosystem services use in urban green spaces based on text classification of geosocial media data

In our increasingly urbanized world, the cultural ecosystem services (CES) provided by urban nature play a crucial role in enabling and maintaining the well-being of urban dwellers. Despite the increased number of studies leveraging geosocial media data for more efficient and socio-cultural-oriented CES assessment, the high complexity and costs associated with existing methods such as manual or automated image classification hinder their application in urban planning and ecosystems management. This study introduces a novel method that draws on the semantic similarity between word2vec word embeddings to classify large volumes of geosocial media textual metadata and quantify indicators of CES use. We demonstrated the applicability of our approach by quantifying spatial patterns of aesthetic appreciation and wildlife recreation in the green spaces of the city of Dresden based on the classification of >50,000 geotagged Instagram and Flickr posts. Moreover, we analyzed and mapped semantic patterns embedded in geosocial media and gained essential insights that can contribute toward a context-dependent assessment of CES use, which in turn can help inform decision making for more sustainable planning and management of urban ecosystems. The performance evaluation of the classification proves the validity of the proposed unsupervised text classification approach as a practical, reliable, and more efficient alternative to laborious and expensive annotation efforts required by manual or supervised classification methods.

Using social media photos and computer vision to assess cultural ecosystem services and landscape features in urban parks

Urban parks are important public places that provide an opportunity for city dwellers to interact with nature. In recent years, social media data have become a promising data source for the assessment of cultural ecosystem services (CES) and landscape features in urban parks. However, it is a challenging task to identify and classify the CES and landscape features from social media photos by manual content analysis. In addition, relatively few studies focused on the differences in landscape preferences between tourists and locals in urban parks. In this study, we used geotagged social media photos from Flickr and computer vision methods (scene recognition, image clustering and image labeling) based on the convolutional neural networks (CNN) and the Google Cloud Vision platform to assess the spatial preferences and landscape preferences (cultural ecosystem services and landscape features) of tourists and locals in the urban parks of Brussels. The spatial analysis results showed that the tourists’ photos were spatially concentrated on well-known parks located in the city center while the locals’ photos were rather spatially dispersed across all parks of the city. We identified 10 main landscape themes (corresponding to 4 CES categories and 10 landscape feature categories) from 20 image clusters by automated image analysis on social media photos. We also noticed that tourists paid more attention to the place identity featured by symbolic sculptures and buildings, while locals showed more interest in local species of plants, flowers, insects, birds, and animals. This research contributes to social media-based user preferences analysis and CES assessment, which could provide insights for urban park planning and tourism management.

Is disability a conditioning factor to perceive cultural ecosystem services? Assessing social perception in a coastal protected dunefield

Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) can be defined as the non-material benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. Little research has been conducted on the measurement and assessment of CESs through user perception, especially when the focus is on people with disabilities. The aim of this research is therefore to determine the CESs in a study area and to evaluate their perception by users, especially those with disabilities. The chosen study area is a dunefield with protected status that is typically used as a tourism resource. Located in the south of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain), the area surrounding the dunefield is one of the most important tourist destinations in Spain. The present research use a methodological approach to assess user perception of CESs. This was measured through 654 surveys at a total of 11 urban and natural survey points. Of these 654 surveys, separate analyses were made of the 46 which were held with people with disabilities. Firstly, the statistical relationships between the preferences of the two user types (with and without disabilities) are analyzed and discussed. Secondly, a study is undertaken as to whether the environmental management and/or/land uses of/around this protected area meet the expectations of the users, especially those with disabilities. The main results show that “landscape contemplation” was the most widely acknowledged and valued CES by both user types, especially those surveyed at the urban survey points. The “inspiration to be creative” CES obtained the lowest score at the natural survey points and the “social activities” CES at the urban survey points. Finally, it was found that the type of disability itself was not a statistically significant conditioning factor but that the specific type of disability was. The most influential social variables in the perception of CESs in Maspalomas were, in order, gender, companion, place of residence, age and type of disability. The results presented in this work can be applied to the management of the aeolian sedimentary system and to optimize user experience in the Maspalomas Dunes Special Natural Reserve.

Using crowdsourced imagery to assess cultural ecosystem services in data-scarce urban contexts: The case of the metropolitan area of Cali, Colombia

Sustainable urban and metropolitan planning is increasingly benefiting from differentiated assessments of ecosystem services. Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are particularly relevant for urban residents’ mental and physical health, yet, quantification and mapping of CES are often challenging, especially so in the Global South. The use of social media data (SMD), which has recently gained importance for assessing CES at larger spatial and temporal scales, provides a promising entry point for mitigating this informational gap in land-use planning. However, its application is mainly limited to European and North American cases and rarely applied to data-scarce urban regions in the Global South, with South America as no exception. Addressing this geographical gap, this study assesses CES of urban green spaces in the city of Cali, Colombia, based on 1,686 crowdsourced and geolocated photographs, and compares those results with a metropolitan scale CES potential assessment based on expert opinions performed in a previous study. Despite some important limitations primarily related to Flickr as a data source, we demonstrate the utility of this approach, especially for understanding the fine-scale generation of CES by small green spaces located within the urban fabric that are overlooked in the metropolitan scale expert-based assessment. These green spaces are highly relevant as inner-city pockets for CES production, especially in the form of “existence value” and “aesthetic experiences”, in contrast to green areas highlighted by experts at the metropolitan scale that serve primarily recreational purposes. Our results indicate the large potential of SMD-based CES assessment approaches for informing urban planning processes in the Global South.

ПОКАЗНИКИ РЕКРЕАЦІЙНОЇ ЦІННОСТІ ТА ПРИДАТНОСТІ МІСЬКИХ ЗЕЛЕНИХ ЗОН ДЛЯ ОЦІНКИ КУЛЬТУРНИХ ЕКОСИСТЕМНИХ ПОСЛУГ

The purpose of the work is to determine indicators of recreational importance and suitability, as well as to develop a system of indicators of the recreational potential of green areas for their further use in the assessment of CES: aesthetic, recreational, and social exchange services and relationships. The method of work involves the application of previous experience of domestic and foreign research in the areas of resource assessment of territories for the purposes of organization and development of recreation. Evaluation and categorization of green zones according to the recreational opportunities defined in the system of values is carried out according to 5-point scales with clearly defined criteria of recreational qualities. The overall recreational importance and suitability of green zones for the provision of cultural ecosystem services is objectively determined as the total score of their recreational evaluation based on a set of indicators. Recreational value and suitability, characterized by parameters of medical and biological favorability, aesthetics and landscaping, form the overall recreational potential of urban green areas. The first group of parameters reflects the recreational usefulness of the green zone, and includes values of: phytoncide, dust and gas resistance, air ionization. The second group of parameters includes the value of the diversity of the dendrological composition of the plantations, visibility and uniqueness of the landscape, which generally determine its aesthetics. The third group of parameters reflects the general improvement of urban green zones and includes the value of infrastructure development, the presence of water bodies, historical-cultural/architectural/natural monuments, points of landscape discovery, etc. Recreational potential directly affects the overall capacity of green areas to provide cultural ecosystem services (CES). Scientific novelty. The work analyzed approaches to the assessment of recreational resources, based on the results of the analysis of previous experience, 10 values of the recreational potential of urban green areas were determined, which are important in the formation of the CES proposal. The offer of CES in urban ecosystems is formed not only thanks to the subjective perception of city residents, but also depends to an equal extent on a set of objectively existing conditions and factors of the territory, which is capable of providing cultural ecosystem services. Practical meaning. The determined values of the recreational potential of urban green zones will allow more objective consideration during the evaluation of all the recreational properties of the green zone, which determine its potential in providing CES. It is advisable to use such indicators in CES evaluation to reduce subjectivity in determining their offer.

Development of Cultural Ecosystem Services Contributes to a Plural Perspective for Human-Nature Studies—Interview With Tobias Plieninger

Tobias Plieninger has contributed to framing Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) by his studies in Europe and Asia from forest to agricultural ecosystems. He introduced how the term of CES as a part of ecosystem services was raised by the <i>Millennium Ecosystem Assessment</i> but largely neglected at the beginning. From his projects, he explored how to set up indicators and the development of a method Public Participation Geographic Information Systems to map cultural values in landscapes for CES assessment. Because of the limitation of CES, the new inclusive concepts like Nature’s Contributions to People arose. Plieninger gave us his perspective about the new tendency to use social media data to broaden the research scale, and shared his opinions about CES research in developing countries, like India and China. He suggested people should apply the methods not only in technocratic or purely in academic exercises, but to deal with real-world problems. He encouraged the young generation to further explore the frontier topics such as the role of CES in increasingly unstable times.

Making Intangibles Tangible: Identifying Manifestations of Cultural Ecosystem Services in a Cultural Landscape

The assessment of cultural ecosystem services (CES) has proved challenging due to their intangible, non-material and invisible characteristics. A number of methods for evaluating CES have been developed, which depend mostly on subjective perceptions and behavior. An objective direction for considering CES is proposed based on the assumption that making use of CES leaves visible manifestations in the physical landscape and human society. The approach developed in this paper attempts to follow this direction by identifying a large amount of manifestations that reflect a wider range of CES types. This approach is applied to a case study of the Weser River in Germany, showing that the local people along the river have benefited from multiple CES of the Weser and created various manifestations of those CES. In the future researches, the identification and documentation of manifestations can be used to map the delivery of CES, to develop indicator systems for CES, to assess heritage value and identity, to indicate spatially explicit preferences on ecosystem characteristics and visual aesthetic qualities, to estimate the economic value of educational and inspirational service, to investigate sense of place, as well as to make better informed landscape management and nature protection.

Beyond land cover: How integrated remote sensing and social media data analysis facilitates assessment of cultural ecosystem services

Coupled usage of remote sensing and geotagged social media data responds to the growing interest in the spatially explicit operationalisation of cultural ecosystem services (CES). However, synergies of integrated usage of these data sources have not yet been unveiled to improve CES accessibility. This study aimed at applying the integrated remote sensing-social media framework to analyse the suitability of landscape pattern for CES use and explore CES availability in Estonia. We first spatially analysed the demand for selected CES—landscape watching, outdoor recreation, and wildlife watching—depicted in geotagged photographs. Second, we modelled CES supply as relative environmental suitability for the presence of CES related photographs, performing a proxy to the potential capacity of landscapes to provide opportunities for CES use. Third, we estimated the population density in spatial clusters of relatively low and high CES supply. We revealed the discrepancies between population density and accessibility of CES supply and CES providing areas within this integrative framework. As a result, we detected populated areas requiring in-depth CES assessment and prioritisation to restore, preserve, and, where necessary, enhance CES stocks. Our replicable and spatially explicit methodology improves rapid CES assessment across scales, given the nearly global character of remote sensing and social media data.

The Strategy of Coastal Eco-Tourism Based on Cultural Ecosystem Services Approach: A Case Study in Ciletuh Bay

Ciletuh Bay has a natural magnificence that attracts local and foreign tourists. Tourist interest was reflected by the many visits demanding the government manage it properly to achieve social, economic, and ecological sustainability. Research on the assessment of cultural ecosystem services in Ciletuh Bay has not been carried out. At the same time, this is necessary for policymakers to maintain sustainable Ciletuh Bay coastal ecotourism. This study aims to estimate the value of cultural ecosystem services in Ciletuh Bay in two ways. The first method is assessing the balance of supply and demand for cultural ecosystem services that adopt the Burkhard Model, namely through individual preferences for the beauty of several types of landscapes in Ciletuh Bay. The second assessment is an economic valuation using the travel cost method (TCM). The results showed that the balance of supply and demand for cultural ecosystem services in Ciletuh Bay contained several types of landscapes in unstable conditions. The economic value of Ciletuh Bay coastal ecotourism is IDR 862,640,124,311.00/year or IDR 77,911,861.00/ha/year.

Combining sense of place theory with the ecosystem services concept: empirical insights and reflections from a participatory mapping study

ContextRiver landscapes represent hotspots for biodiversity and ecosystem services used and embraced by human agents. Changes in river landscapes are subjectively perceived by people and can be assessed through the lenses of cultural ecosystem services (CES) and sense of place (SOP).ObjectivesThis study aims to assess people–place relationships in a river landscape by integrating SOP theory and the CES concept and critically reflecting on their interplay. Research objectives relate to meanings and attachments attributed by citizens to places and the influence of the physical environment and socioeconomic settings.MethodsWe employed a spatially meaningful place indicator in a public participation GIS survey, combining meanings elucidated through a free listing exercise and multiple-choice questions. Statistical analyses were employed to investigate relationships between meanings, place attachment, and environmental and social variables.ResultsThe results showed that (1) place meaning assessments can complement place attachment data by enhancing the understanding of relationships to biophysical and socioeconomic variables, and (2) combinations of both assessment approaches for place meanings showed that CESs were reflected in many free listed meaning types, dominantly related to forms or practices, but neglect relational values, such as “Heimat” (i.e., in German expression of the long-standing connection to an area) or memories.ConclusionsThis paper explicates synergies between SOP theory and CES concept. CES research offers insights from spatial assessments, while SOP research provides theoretical depth regarding relational values linked to CES. This paper critically reflects the ostensible consent of understanding SOP as a CES and proposes considering SOP as an overarching theory for CES assessment.

AN ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND RELATED LAND USE TYPES IN RURAL AREAS UNDER URBANIZATION

Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) play an important role in socio-natural ecosystems. Assessment of CES in rural areas is crucial for development planning and decision-making. However, assessment of CES at the local scale and, in particular, rural areas remain under-researched. In order to reveal the importance of different kinds of CES and the related land uses perceived by the rural residents, a simplified tick-scoring method was developed and tested in a case study of four villages in Shandong Province, China. This method poses CES questions and seeks answers about corresponding land use types in a questionnaire form that is accessible and useful to village residents. Furthermore, the important categories of CES and related land use types were identified and ranked based on the questionnaire. The results showed that ecological culture and aesthetic services ranked in the top two of twelve CES categories, while scenic spots/mountains, forests, and lakes/rivers/reservoirs scored for multiple CES and attained higher than average CES scores. Overall, the simplified method is practical to understand the perspectives of rural residents on the important CES and related landscapes. The established approach shed lights on CES assessment and management improvement at local scale of rural areas under different socio-environmental contexts in China and elsewhere.