Demand For Cultural Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Revealing the supply-demand relationship of urban cultural ecosystem services: The combination of open-source spatial model and topic model

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are of significant interest due to their effectiveness in assessing the impact of ecosystem degradation on human well-being. The evaluation of spatial coordination between the supply and demand of urban CES is crucial for guiding the sustainable development of urban areas. However, current research and survey methods are time-consuming and laborious, lacking in full integration of beneficiary opinions, and insufficient in examining multiple CES in an integrated manner. In this study, we have developed a novel framework that integrates an investigation-driven approach with a natural language processing topic model to assess the supply and demand of CES and their spatial correspondence. Using the main urban area of Xi'an as a case study, we analyzed the spatial coherence of supply and demand including aesthetic, cultural, educational, recreational, and spiritual services. Our findings demonstrate that the fusion of multiple models can effectively evaluate the CES supply from a natural perspective of nature and the demand for CES from a beneficiary perspective. High-supply areas for CES are concentrated in the center region of the study area and in proximity to roads and rivers. Aesthetic service supply was higher than that of other service types, followed by recreational and spiritual services supply. Demand is notably high in the city's hinterland, with substantial interest in recreational and aesthetic services. We observed mismatches between supply and demand across service categories ranging from 33.58% to 67.64%, with supply exceeding demand in most regions. Therefore, tailored measures should be implemented to address the supply and demand mismatch of CES based on local conditions. Our research introduces a new technical tool for analyzing the supply-demand matching relationship of CES and establishes a theoretical foundation for sustainable urban management.

Supply-demand relationship and spatial flow of urban cultural ecosystem services: The case of Shenzhen, China

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) have garnered significant attention due to their capacity to comprehensively evaluate the influence of ecosystem degradation on human well-being. It is very important to evaluate the spatial coordination relationship between the supply and demand of urban CES and explore its spatial flow mechanism for guiding the sustainable development of urban regions. However, research on the relationship between supply and demand of urban CES and their spatial flows is still in the conceptual exploration stage, and its quantitative assessment methods are not yet mature. Taking Shenzhen as an example, this study uses the Social Values for Ecosystem Services model to evaluate the supply of CES based on environmental background and survey statistics; Uses the topic model of natural language processing, quantify the demand of CES based on social media data. The Bivariate Local Indicators of Spatial Association index is utilized to examine the correlation between supply and demand, while a crowd activity extraction method based on mobile phone signaling data is developed to simulate the spatial flow pattern of CES. The results show that: (1) The supply of urban CES shows obvious spatial differentiation; There are differences in the perception of the needs of various CES. Among them, the beneficiaries have higher needs for Aesthetic and Recreation. (2) The relationship between supply and demand of urban CES shows different degrees of spatial mismatch, with the proportion of the supply-demand matching area to the total area being less than 20%, and the main type of supply-demand mismatch being low supply-high demand. (3) All kinds of CES flow from the center of the study area to the east, among which the flow of recreation and Aesthetic is more active, with the highest flow of 189.7 and 135.3, respectively. Overall, the coordination between various types of CES in the region is still insufficient. We should encourage the establishment and improvement of a diversified transportation system connecting the central urban area and other regions while enhancing the condition of the local ecological conditions, to improve the capacity of urban ring roads and rail transit, to promote the sustainable development of the regional ecological environment and social economy, and to enhance human well-being.

Research on the Evaluation of Cultural Ecosystem Services in Zhengzhou Urban Parks Based on Public Perceptions

Urban parks are the primary green infrastructure for urban residents to pursue psychological restoration, promote health, relax and connect with nature. The various cultural ecosystem services (CES) provided by urban parks directly impact people’s health and well-being. Understanding the correlation between CES provided by urban parks and the different characteristics of specific groups can promote public willingness to engage with the nature and their health and well-being, and the effective information provided by CES can be used to protect and improve specific or traditional areas of parks. This study focuses on two urban parks (People’s Park and Xiliu Lake Park) located in the central urban area of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. A questionnaire survey and participatory mapping methods were employed to explore the priority for 10 types of CES among both local residents and visitors, aiming to reveal the public demand for CES in urban parks and provide a basis for the landscape design or renovation of urban parks. The results show that (1) the main purposes for the public visiting the parks are mental relaxation, scenery appreciation, and leisure and fitness. (2) The public has a rich perception of various types of CES in the urban parks, especially in terms of entertainment and aesthetic value. (3) The impact of education level on cultural services was substantial. (4) The trade-offs and synergies of CES of urban parks are complex and diverse. (5) The public’s perception of urban park CES and spatial value tend to be similar, with a wide distribution. Therefore, to maintain urban sustainable development, urban managers and landscape designers should consider different perspectives on CES provided by urban park stakeholders and enhance their CES through landscape design and renovation practices in urban parks, thereby improving the health and well-being of the public.

Assessing scenic beauty of hilly and mountain villages: An approach based on landscape indicators

With the growing demand for cultural ecosystem services around the world, many countries and regions have recognized the importance of the scenic beauty of villages and have introduced relevant policies. Many less modernized hilly and mountain villages will be redesigned. It is important to develop a model to predict the scenic beauty of these villages. However, only limited studies have been conducted to evaluate the scenic beauty of villages. This study aimed to explore the procedures for assessing the scenic beauty of mountain and hilly villages and to investigate the relationship between scenic beauty and landscape indicators. We first summarized the characteristics of these villages. Based on these characteristics, a series of indicators such as depth values and landscape metrics were used as independent variables, while photo scores were used as dependent variables, and different prediction models were developed with multiple linear regression, principal component regression, and support vector regression. Statistical metrics and the generalization ability of different models were compared. The results indicated that the inner areas of Xitou villages had the lowest scenic beauty scores, and people preferred natural scenery. Among landscape indicators, landscape diversity metrics and shape metrics have a significant impact on scenic beauty. Landscapes with a combination of multiple elements and not overly complex shapes may be more attractive. There was a significant negative correlation between mean depth and scenic beauty, implying that people prefer open space. It is essential to consider the depth value when evaluating scenic beauty in regions with strong 3-dimensional elements. The comparison between the three models revealed that the complex nonlinear algorithm performed and generalized better than linear models in villages where these areas are smaller and more sensitive to subtle changes. The method can be applied to other hilly and mountain villages in China, helping designers and decision-makers to output more reasonable planning and management schemes to fully utilize the local landscape and enhance tourism competitiveness and villagers' well-being.

Measuring the Perceived Heterogeneity of Cultural Ecosystem Services in National Cultural Parks: Evidence from China

National cultural parks are a new form of tourism in China. These parks focus on cultural heritage. Many studies have examined the cultural ecosystem services (CESs) that parks provide from visitors’ perspectives. However, there needs to be more research on the perceived heterogeneity of CESs among different social groups, especially residents, and the relationship between the supply and demand of CESs. This study uses visitor-employed photographs to reveal the landscape features offered by national cultural parks. This study also analyses the relationship between landscape elements in national cultural parks and CESs, as well as the heterogeneity of users’ perceptions of CESs. The results show that the resident group and visitor group agree on the importance of a sense of place in national cultural parks. However, there are differences between the two groups regarding their perceptions of inspiration, recreation, cultural heritage, and social relations in the parks. Residents are most concerned with the parks’ sense of place and social relations. In contrast, visitors are more interested in inspiration, recreation, heritage, and a sense of place. This study highlights the different needs of residents and visitors from the CESs provided by national cultural parks. It also provides insights for the landscape planning and ecotourism management of cultural heritage-type parks.

Assessment of the volume of provision of cultural ecosystem services by Kyiv green zones

Among the groups of ecosystem services, cultural ecosystem services (CES) are the most in demand in cities. Currently, the status of the CES evaluation remains problematic. Accordingly, the purpose of the work was to develop the provisions of the methodology for estimating the volumes of the most demanded CES and determining the value of green areas in providing CES, taking into account the demand for them. Methodologically, the work consisted in the steps: 1) identification of indicators of the effectiveness of the provision of CES, which are of decisive importance when citizens choose green areas to visit, which is an aspect of the CES offer (residents' perception of green areas; the character of their use; value and suitability to perform recreational and wellness functions; indicators defining restrictions on the use of green areas, etc.) 2) Normalization of calculated indicators based on a single scale, to determine the total volume of the CES offer: was applied the one-sided increasing Harrington desirability function. 3) Development of a methodology for the entire CES calculation. According to the general algorithm, the evaluation was based on the sequential determination of the potential of the green zone in providing CES, as an average value of the indicators of perception of the territory and of the total CES offer - the number of CES that the green zone is able to provide, taking into account the value of CES restrictions. As a result of calculations according to the algorithm, an assessment of the volume of CES of was estimated in the selected 14 green zones of the city Kyiv. The calculation showed that none of the selected green zones provide the maximum volumes of CES, only 3 of them have higher than average volumes, 9 have average volumes, and 1 green zone each has minimum and lower than average volumes. At the same time, the potential of the researched green zones for the provision of CES: the maximum volumes in 2 zones and in the absolute majority - 11 is higher than the average volume. Accordingly, in almost all green zones there is a lack of receipt (loss) of significant amounts of CES, mainly due to the presence of problems that lead to a deterioration of the perception of green zones by residents. In order to determine the consumer value of green zones the indicator of alternative availability of green zones was used, which reflects the ratio of supply of ES and demand for them. Among those investigated in the work, 2 green zones were identified, which due to low supply in areas with high demand for CES, should receive maximum attention when making priority management decisions. Thus, the research solved the scientific task of objectively taking into account in the CES evaluation all aspects that determine the CES offer. This method, in combination with the determination of the value of green areas in providing CES, can be used in urban planning practice as a tool for improving the quality of urban green areas, their sustainable development and providing citizens with the maximum amount of CES.

Economic valuation of cultural services at the Todgha Oasis, Morocco

Oases are considered as environmental bulwarks. The growing tourist demand for cultural ecosystem services as provided by oases has encouraged policymakers to develop economic instruments for their protection. Thus, this paper aims to economically evaluate the cultural services produced by the Todgha Oasis (southeastern Morocco), using the contingent valuation method. The average willingness to pay) estimated for oasis is €11.09/visit. The average non-market value estimated for oases reach €188.700/year. The main contribution of this paper relies on the first estimation of the economic value of tourist demand for the oasis cultural ecosystem services in North Africa. Results could guide policymakers for designing conservation policies aimed to internalise positive externalities to improve the quality of the cultural services provided by oases and provide a win–win solution for farmers and tourists alike.

Assessing the supply and demand linkage of cultural ecosystem services in a typical county-level city with protected areas in China

The construction of protected areas (PAs) is not only the most effective way to preserve biodiversity resources and the natural heritage, but also provides important cultural ecosystem services (CESs) for satisfying human psychological and spiritual needs and improving human well-being. Knowledge of CESs at the county level is vital for the bottom-up promotion of the overall work of China’s PAs. The assessment and mapping of the spatial pattern of CESs, and their supply and demand relationship in PAs and their surrounding areas, are of great significance for high-quality development planning at the county scale. In our study, we developed an integrated approach to mapping the supply and demand of CESs, and then integrated the SolVES model with social media comments to explore the matching relationship between CESs’ (aesthetic inspiration, education humanities, and recreation and ecotourism) supply and demand using Wuyishan City, China, with its abundant PAs, as a case study. The results showed that the supply of three types of CESs accounting for approximately 70% of the study area was greater than the demand, and thus these CESs have significant future development prospects. The distribution of the three high-supply CESs and tourist destinations showed roughly the same spatial patterns, in which the high-demand hot spots were identified in the south of Wuyishan City. And the total supply and demand levels inside the PAs were much greater than those outside. Therefore, clarifying the matching relationship between supply and demand of CESs at the county level is not only conducive to promoting the sustainable development of natural resources, but also provides a reference for the planning of county-level protection of PAs under each county’s jurisdiction.

토픽모델링을 활용한 도시림의 문화서비스 수요 특성 분석†

The purpose of this study is to analyze the demand for cultural ecosystem services in urban forests based on user perception and experience value by using Naver blog posts and LDA topic modeling. Bukhansan National Park was used to analyze and review the feasibility of spatial assessments. Based on the results of topic modeling from blog posts, a review process was conducted considering the relevance of Bukhansan National Park’s cultural services and its suitability as a spatial assessment case, and finally, an index for the spatial assessment of urban forest’s cultural service was derived. Specifically, 21 topics derived through topic analysis were interpreted, and 13 topics related to cultural ecosystem services were derived based on the MA(Millennium Ecosystem Assessment)’s classification system for ecosystem services. 72.7% of all documents reviewed had data deemed useful for this study. The contents of the topic fell into one of the seven types of cultural services related to "mountainous recreation activities" (23.7%), "indirect use value linked to tourism and convenience facilities" (12.4%), "inspirational activities" (11.2%), "seasonal recreation activities" (6.2%), "natural appreciation and static recreation activities" (3.7%). Next, for the 13 cultural service topics derived from data gathered about Bukhansan National Park, the possibility of spatial assessment of the characteristics of cultural ecosystem services provided by urban forests was reviewed, and a total of 8 cultural service indicators were derived. The MA’s cultural service classification system for ecosystem services, which was widely used in previous studies, has limitations in that it does not reflect the actual user demand of urban forests, but it is meaningful in that it categorizes cultural service indicators suitable for domestic circumstances. In addition, the study is significant as it presented a methodology to interpret and derive the demand for cultural services using a large amount of user awareness and experience data.

Evaluating the supply and demand of cultural ecosystem services in the Tibetan Plateau of China

ContextIn the Tibetan Plateau (TP), the supply of cultural ecosystem services (CESs) is unique, and the demand for CESs is gradually increasing with rapid urbanization. Evaluating the relationship between the supply and demand for CESs is critical for guiding regional sustainable development. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining empirical data in the high altitude and complex topography of the TP, relevant research is still lacking.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to develop an approach to address the difficulty of obtaining the empirical data on the TP and to evaluate the relationship between the supply and demand for CESs.MethodsTaking the Qinghaihu–Huangshui basin as an example, we combined the SolVES (Social Values for Ecosystem Services) model and social media big data to evaluate the supply and demand for CESs in the TP.ResultsOur results showed that the combined method can effectively evaluate the supply and demand for CESs in the basin, and can be used for other remote regions. The supply and demand for CESs in the basin exhibited obvious spatial mismatch. Among the two types of mismatch, in the areas of high supply and low demand of CESs, residents’ subjective well-being (SWB) were substantially lower. Being far away from central city was an important reason for the high supply and low demand of CESs.ConclusionsEstablishing and improving the transportation system connecting central cities with other counties is encouraged to utilize the rich cultural and tourism resources of the TP, as well as enhance the SWB and promote regional sustainable development.

Identifying the Spatial Imbalance in the Supply and Demand of Cultural Ecosystem Services.

Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) are an important part of ecosystem services (ESs). Correctly understanding the supply and demand relationship of CES is the premise of ES sustainable management and helps to improve human well-being. However, the evaluation and mapping of CES supply and demand represents a significant gap in ES research. Using the Shigou Township of Mizhi County in China as an example, in this study, we evaluated CES supply and demand at the village scale. We first considered three aspects of supply potential, accessibility and quality to construct an indicator system of six types of CES supply, including aesthetic (Aest), sense of place (SP), social relations (SR), cultural heritage (Cult), education (Edu) and recreation (Recr) and obtained demand data through a questionnaire. Then, we identified the imbalance in the supply and demand of CES by Z-score standardization based on the quantification of the CES supply and demand. Secondly, bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to identify tradeoffs/synergies on the CES supply side, and chi-square tests were used to identify CES demand differences between stakeholder groups. The results indicated that the supply–demand patterns of CES presented evident spatial differences. The low-supply–high-demand patterns of Aest, SR and Recr accounted for the largest proportions, with values of 33.33%, 33.33% and 30.95%, respectively. The low-supply–low-demand patterns of SP and Cult accounted for the largest proportions, with values of 30.95% and 38.10%, respectively. The low-supply–low-demand pattern of Edu accounted for the smallest proportion (21.43%) and was mainly located in the south of Shigou Township. The southwest, northeast and central areas of Shigou Township were the key regions of tradeoffs/synergies of CES supply. There were significant differences in CES demand for SR, Cult and Edu among stakeholder groups. The results could contribute to optimizing regional ecosystem management and provide effective information for improving the imbalance between the supply and demand of CES.

Importance–performance analysis and improvement of an urban park’s cultural ecosystem services based on users’ perspectives: A Beijing case study

ABSTRACT To construct urban parks in high-density urban areas is an important strategy for dealing with urban problems caused by rapid urbanization and global climate change, and even small-scale parks can provide cultural ecosystem services (CES). However, the differences in the users’ perspectives of the supply and demand of CES in small-scale urban parks have been underexplored. Therefore, this study takes a newly-built park in a complex urban block in Beijing as a case. It studies different users’ perspectives of the urban park’s CES using importance–performance analysis. The results show that: (1) Users’ perspectives of the importance and performance of the park’s CES significantly differed, and “Recreation” was the sub-item that had the largest gap between supply and demand. (2) Users’ spatial and temporal profiles were the main factors that affected their CES perspective. (3) Users most agreed with improving the two CES sub-items of “Rest” and “Recreation” through design optimization. This study suggests that policymakers and planners can formulate targeted promotion strategies based on an understanding of the mismatch between the supply and demand of CES in urban parks. It can also provide guidelines for the construction and optimization of parks in central areas of high-density cities.

Users’ views on cultural ecosystem services of urban parks: An importance-performance analysis of a case in Beijing, China

Rapid urbanisation and global climate change have had a profound impact on the development of cities. Nature-based solutions, such as urban parks in dense city areas, play an important role in addressing such problems. They provide cultural ecosystem services to improve human well-being. Scholars have studied the cultural ecosystem services provided by urban parks from the perspective of users. Insufficient research, however, has addressed differences in perceptions of cultural ecosystem services among different social groups, as well as the relationship between the supply and demand of cultural ecosystem services. In this study, based on face-to-face questionnaire surveys and interviews, we analysed users’ perceptions of cultural ecosystem services in an urban park in Wudaokou, a multifunctional area in the centre of Beijing, China. The study pioneers the application of importance–performance analysis, a method to systematically analyse users’ perceptions of the importance and performance of the cultural ecosystem services of urban parks. We found significant differences in perceptions of importance, and the importance scores overall were significantly higher than the performance scores. Users’ perceptions of performance were affected by spatial identity source attribute and age: residents living nearby appreciated the performance more than commuters and passers-by; young people gave the highest scores. The importance–performance analysis approach offers a mechanism to help policymakers and planners match peoples’ needs with cultural ecosystem service provision.

The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for different shades of green.

COVID‐19 has heightened the dependence of urban dwellers on cultural ecosystem services provided by urban green spaces (UGS), specifically in regard to the provision of recreational opportunities, and psychological and physical health benefits arising from their use.As different types and levels of cultural ecosystem services are provided by different types of UGS, people may seek out different UGS to satisfy personal needs over various phases of COVID‐19 mobility restrictions imposed by cities. We report on a study that took advantage of the different phases of COVID‐19 mobility restrictions to assess the demand for and perception of different types of UGS in Singapore.The study utilised four datasets to compare demand for and visitorship patterns of UGS before the pandemic (Pre‐Circuit Breaker), the duration of the strictest mobility restrictions (Circuit Breaker), and after the measures were relaxed (Post‐Circuit Breaker). We used Google Search trends as a proxy for UGS demand, Google mobility data for an overview of population visitorship trends, visitor counts for granular insights on actual visitorship trends, and qualitative data on perception of parks by park visitors after restrictions eased. Parks were categorised as manicured and less manicured UGS for analysis.Search interest for UGS overall fell by more than 50% from during Circuit Breaker but the post‐Circuit Breaker levels exceeded pre‐Circuit Breaker, with a 70.9% increase for less manicured UGS compared to 20.8% for manicured UGS. This corroborated with Google mobility and visitor counts, which showed a steep decrease in park use followed by a rapid increase in the same periods, and with increased visitorship in the less manicured UGS. The perception study also showed that more than 50% of respondents reported visiting parks that they have never visited before, and there was a greater appreciation and use of UGS after the pandemic and preference for less manicured and more naturalistic landscapes.The pandemic has heightened the demand for cultural ecosystem services provided by UGS. Our study showed that this demand is not uniform across different types of UGS, with an increase visitorship and preference for less manicured green spaces. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The influence of landscape context on the production of cultural ecosystem services

ContextRecent efforts to apply sustainability concepts to entire landscapes have seen increasing interest in approaches that connect socioeconomic and biophysical systems. Evaluating these connections through a cultural ecosystem services lens clarifies how different spatiotemporal scales and levels of organisation influence the production of cultural benefits. Currently, however, the effects of multi-level and multi-scale ecological variation on the production of cultural benefits have not yet been disentangled.ObjectivesTo quantify the amount of variation in cultural ecosystem service provision by birds to birders that is due to landscape-level attributes.MethodsWe used data from 293 birding routes and 101 different birders in South African National Parks to explore the general relationships between birder responses to bird species and environmental conditions, bird-related observations, the biophysical attributes of the landscape and their effect on bird-related cultural benefits.ResultsBiophysical attributes (particularly biome, vegetation type, and variance in elevation) significantly increased the percentage of variance explained in birder benefits from 57 to 65%, demonstrating that birder benefits are derived from multi-level (birds to ecosystems) and multi-scale (site to landscape) social and ecological interactions.ConclusionsLandscape attributes influence people’s perceptions of cultural ecosystem service provision by individual species. Recognition of the complex, localised and inextricable linkage of cultural ecosystem services to biophysical attributes can improve our understanding of the landscape characteristics that affect the supply and demand of cultural ecosystem services.

Diverse perceptions of supply and demand of cultural ecosystem services offered by urban green spaces in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract Understanding inhabitants' perceptions of cultural ecosystem services (CES) of urban green space will offer solutions to sustainability challenges. This study aimed to analyse the social perceptions of the supply and demand sides of CES in Dhaka City. A questionnaire-based social preference method was used. Questions in the survey concerned the respondents' satisfaction with green spaces, connected activities, limitations, CES preference and motivation. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to the 405 surveyed questionnaire data to understand variation in respondents' opinions. Respondents were mostly dissatisfied with the quantity of green spaces. Respondents' family status and age influenced their satisfaction with green space quantity. Single and teenage respondents prefer green space for active recreational activities, whereas young and old respondents preferred passive kinds of recreational activities. Both space-related issues and respondents' barriers limited CES provisioning. This contextual factor particularly affected female, single and young respondents. Respondents most preferred CES was recreation. Respondents' gender, family status and age are drivers for differing perceptions of the green space-based CES. To develop sustainable city planning in the face of global environmental change, those divergent perceptions should be taken into consideration through urban development strategies. Moreover, understanding the supply and demand sides of CES help facilitate a more inclusive planning process to address urban sustainability issues.

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.

Mapping the provision of cultural ecosystem services in large cities: The case of The Andean piedmont in Santiago, Chile

Large cities are both centers of demand for cultural ecosystem services (CES) and a source of environmental impacts. Assessing CES yields information to reduce the vulnerability of these services to such environmental impacts as well as to strengthen them in order to improve human well-being in cities. The Andean piedmont of Santiago is a natural mountainous area adjacent to the largest city in Chile and a source of CES, which are threatened as a result of the urbanization and weak territorial management instruments. A model was constructed to represent the provision of CES in the piedmont. The model integrated participatory techniques and geographic information analyses, making it possible to quantify and map the CES provision, which was represented by ecosystem attributes. CES are provided according to the weight that different stakeholders assign to these attributes. Attributes were characterized and then represented in space, resulting in a spatially explicit index constructed as the weighted sum of the previously established attributes. Our results show that the most relevant variables for the visitors when they come to enjoy the CES of the piedmont are accessibility and scenic beauty. In general terms, this means that the highest CES provision level is concentrated in the mid-altitude zone of the piedmont (away from the city but still accessible). We conclude that the piedmont areas close to large cities are relevant in terms of provision of CES and their protection is a priority to maintain the flow of CES towards the inhabitants of these cities.

Spatial distribution of cultural ecosystem services demand and supply in urban and suburban areas: A case study from Shanghai, China

In the urban ecosystem, the demand for cultural ecosystem services (CES) has greatly increased, and the imbalance of CES supply and demand has been prominent. This paper integrated multi-source data to analyze and visualize the spatial differences in CES demand and supply capacity between Shanghai urban center and suburbs. Based on the geo-tagged photo data, the spatial distribution differences of the four types of CES demand, Recreation & tourism services (RTS) demand, Aesthetic services (AS) demand, Heritage & cultural services (HCS) demand, and Spiritual & religious services (SRS) demand, were analyzed. Residents and tourists had a strong demand for recreation and tourism, and the spatial agglomeration effect was the most obvious. Overall, CES demand was more concentrated in urban center, while the spatial distribution of suburbs was relatively discrete. At the same time, there were under supply areas of CES near the Huangpu River in urban center and suburbs. Results from bivariate Moran’s I method showed: 1) there was a significant positive spatial correlation between CES demand and CES supply capacity in urban center; 2) CES supply had a positive external impact on CES demand; and 3) the increase in CES supply capacity can promote the growth of CES demand.

Supply-demand spatial patterns of park cultural services in megalopolis area of Shenzhen, China

Rapid urbanization has created daunting challenges with respect to the demand for cultural ecosystem services (CES). Recreation is a special CES provided by the biophysical properties of parks in the city. However, assessment of the CES of parks remains challenges partly due to the lack of appropriated framework at community level, and partly because of paucity of information on park demand. This study uses spatially explicit approaches including recreation accessibility and potential indicators and multi-sources data such as crowd-sourced information form Point of Interests (POIs) to map the supply and demand for CES of parks. Then, the spatial statistics were used to identify unbalanced communities to reveal the pattern to support landscape planning at the city scale. The results show that 33.76% of Shenzhen’s community, concentrated in the central urban area, was characterized by a large supply of CES with a strong spatial aggregation. A total of 39.4% of the communities had high demand for CES, and were scattered in the central urban areas and suburbs. This mismatch in distribution shows that 29.8% of the communities had inadequate supply relative to demand. Moreover, 5% of the communities were prioritized to plan new parks while only 2.6% had the potential to share their services. The new park planning priority was determined according to the significance of low supply-high demand communities and its surroundings, which helped for local development planning. This study provides a comprehensive spatial way to make park planning and management in rapidly urbanizing areas.