Envisioning alternative futures of cultural ecosystem services supply in the coastal landscapes of Southwestern Ghana, West Africa

AbstractCultural ecosystem services (CES) in Southwestern Ghana evoke a strong sense of attachment of local land users to the landscape. Hence, their supply is necessary for a balanced socio-ecological system. This study explored the potential supply of cultural ecosystem services (science/education, spiritual, tourism, health and recreation benefits) under different land use planning (LUP) scenarios in Southwestern Ghana. Future LUP scenarios were developed and articulated with a diverse group of land-use planning actors (LUPAs) such as regional land use planners, environmental experts, researchers, farmers and landowners. The scenarios covered business-as-usual, mangrove ecosystem restoration, market-driven growth, and the establishment of an “eco-corridor” as green network. A spatially explicit modeling platform, GISCAME, which combines Geographic Information System and Cellular Automaton modules and multicriteria evaluation was used to evaluate the developed scenarios. Outcomes of the study revealed that in the coastal landscape of Southwestern Ghana, values, perceptions and preferences of LUPAs underpin socio-ecological interactions aimed at maintaining and enhancing CES supply. In addition, it indicated that future supply of CES is characterized by an interplay between multiple and diverse perspectives about plausible land-use futures. Perceptions of, and preferences for, CES align with land-use visions related to afforestation, infrastructure development, agriculture expansion and tourism. In the study area and similar contexts where an array and diversity of individual and societal values exist, effective negotiation and facilitation are essential for harnessing and optimizing land-use planning for CES supply.

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Participatory Mapping of Cultural Ecosystem Services in Madrid: Insights for Landscape Planning

Land ◽

10.3390/land9080244 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 244 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Víctor García-Díez ◽

Marina García-Llorente ◽

José A. González

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Sense Of Place ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Outdoor Recreation ◽

Landscape Planning ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Participatory Gis ◽

Aesthetic Enjoyment

Cultural ecosystem services are gaining increasing attention in the scientific literature, despite the conceptual and methodological difficulties associated with their assessment. We used a participatory GIS method to map and assess three cultural ecosystem services, namely, (a) outdoor recreation, (b) aesthetic enjoyment, and (c) sense of place, in the Madrid region (Spain). The main goal of the study was to identify cultural ecosystem service hotspots in the region and to explore the relationships among the three ecosystem services mapped. We developed a Maptionnaire online questionnaire asking participants to locate places that they associate with these three ecosystem services and their main reasons for choosing those places on a map. We collected 580 complete questionnaires with 1710 location points (807 for outdoor recreation, 506 for aesthetic enjoyment and 397 for sense of place). We found that the three ecosystem services analysed were spatially correlated, with similar hotspots appearing across the region. Most of the identified hotspots were located in the northern part of the region, which is characterised by mountains and forests. Other hotspots appeared within the city of Madrid, highlighting the importance of urban green areas. Natural protected areas supplied significantly more cultural ecosystem services than non-protected areas. Among CORINE land-use types, forested areas, mountain shrubs and rocky landscapes were more relevant than arable lands for the supply of cultural ecosystem services. Our results highlight the utmost importance of including ecosystem services mapping within land-use planning and policy-making agendas to ensure the conservation of areas supplying cultural services that are critical for societal wellbeing.

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Mapping Cultural Ecosystem Services (CESs) and key urban landscape features: a pilot study for land use policy and planning review

International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development ◽

10.1080/19463138.2021.1941050 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Laura Bachi ◽

Diomira M. C. P. Faria ◽

Marise Barreiros Horta ◽

Sónia Carvalho-Ribeiro

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Urban Landscape ◽

Land Use Policy ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Landscape Features ◽

Policy And Planning

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An urban hierarchy-based approach integrating ecosystem services into multiscale sustainable land use planning: The case of China

Resources Conservation and Recycling ◽

10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.106097 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 178 ◽

pp. 106097

Author(s):

Xiao Sun ◽

Jianguo Wu ◽

Huajun Tang ◽

Peng Yang

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Sustainable Land Use ◽

Urban Hierarchy

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The utilization of ecosystem services mapping in land use planning: the experience of LIFE SAM4CP project

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management ◽

10.1080/09640568.2019.1598341 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (3) ◽

pp. 523-545 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Stefano Salata ◽

Carolina Giaimo ◽

Carlo Alberto Barbieri ◽

Gabriele Garnero

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Ecosystem Services Mapping

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Ecosystem services for connecting actors – lessons from a symposium

Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems ◽

10.1515/cass-2015-0001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Paul Opdam ◽

Christian Albert ◽

Christine Fürst ◽

Adrienne Grêt-Regamey ◽

Janina Kleemann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Central Government ◽

Open Science ◽

Collaborative Relationships ◽

Assessment Design ◽

Actual Nature ◽

Individual Actor ◽

And Gender

AbstractThis paper is a communication from the corresponding symposium at the Global Land Project Open Science Meeting, Berlin, March 2014. We explored the assumption that the ecosystem services-(ES) concept has the potential to support communication and collaboration between actors in land use planning. If true, the concept could facilitate collaborative planning processes. We analyse how to evolve a planning context in which governance networks at the local landscape level gain importance in decision making, while the central government delegates power. From case studies presented during the symposium we learned that the ES-concept has been explored for application in local land use planning around the world. However, whether ES are recognized as a useful planning concept depends on individual actor preferences and cultural and contextual factors, such as the actual nature-human relationship and gender differences. Also, successful application requires the support of novel assessment, design and visualization tools, which are designed to foster collaboration and social learning. The potential of the concept to contribute to collaborative relationships needs further investigation.

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