Spatial distribution of perceived cultural ecosystem services in different land cover infrastructure types in urban and rural areas – case Kokemäki area, Finland

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) have specific richness and diversity provision patterns related to particular landscape features and land cover forms. Studies of their spatial distribution, however, are quite rare in the Slovak Republic and surrounding countries. This paper links land cover information based on an ecosystem services (ES) matrix, field survey data and GIS method to assess CES supply in two selected Slovak regions. Our main focus is on the ecologically more valuable ‘hot-spots’ where socio-cultural values accumulate. We determined their spatial distribution, and our comparison with lower cultural value areas confirmed that mountainous landscapes have the highest capacity to provide CES. This especially applies to the landscapes under National Park protection. While Slovak forests, rocks and water areas also form essential ecosystems for overall CES provision, the lowest overall capacity is in areas with residential buildings, construction, industrial and other artificial habitats. Finally, a comparison of our results with the National Ecosystem Assessment indicates that our detailed CES assessment will be more effective in supporting future participatory planning and management processes.

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Transformasi Lanskap dan Layanan Ekosistem Budaya di Area Peri-Urban: Wisata Alam dan Permukiman di Bandung Selatan

Jurnal Wilayah dan Lingkungan ◽

10.14710/jwl.9.1.63-78 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 63-78

Author(s):

Medria Shekar Rani

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Change ◽

Landsat Imagery ◽

Urban Ecosystem ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Destination Area ◽

Landscape Alteration ◽

Increasing Demand

Peri-urban provides complementary urban ecosystem services when green areas in cities are decreasing due to densification. However, land cover change in the area from natural landscapes to agriculture and settlements affects the ecosystem's capacity to provide services. This study aims to identify landscape transformation using a model and analyze its effects on cultural ecosystem services at Kawah Putih (White Crater) nature-based tourism destination area in the peri-urban in South Bandung, Indonesia. This study also analyzes how cultural ecosystem services and the increasing demand for new settlements in the area have influenced tourist visitation. Landscape change in the area (1989-2019) was identified from mapsdeveloped from Landsat imagery, using the Land Change Modeler (LCM) module in Terrset. A spatial assessment of offered cultural ecosystem services was then conducted using three indicators based on the land cover change near Kawah Putih. It is found that the composition of developed areas in the district has increased from 6.09% to 10.79% in 30 years. The quality of cultural ecosystem service has decreased, which is arguably influenced by the landscape alteration in the area. However, there was an increasing trend in the number of tourists (2016-2019) despite the deterioration of landscape quality. It is argued that the result is influenced by the visitors' perception of the landscape in the case study area. The rapid land cover change in the area was affected by the nearby city's growth, in which the tourism industry is one of the elements of such transformation.

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A novel approach of mapping landscape aesthetic value and its validation with rural tourism data

Hungarian Geographical Bulletin ◽

10.15201/hungeobull.68.3.6 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 283-301

Author(s):

Zsuzsanna Lontai-Szilágyi ◽

Boglárka Bertalan-Balázs ◽

Bernadett Zsiros ◽

Mária Vasvári ◽

Singh Sudhir Kumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Cover ◽

Tourism Development ◽

Well Being ◽

Rural Tourism ◽

Landscape Aesthetics ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Aesthetic Value ◽

Tourism Product

Landscape aesthetic research that emerged from the second half of the 20th century has become increasingly appreciated and popular in the last few decades. There are two main reasons for this. On the one hand, it was recognized the role of landscape aesthetics in land use and environmental planning, management and conservation. On the other hand, its definition among Cultural Ecosystem Services has made it clear that landscape aesthetics has significant impact on human well-being and there is a need to examine it in the concept of Ecosystem Services and, in particular, Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES). The mapping of landscape aesthetics is mostly based on the exclusive evaluation of objective, biophysical landscape factors. The aim of the research was to create the landscape aesthetic map of Hungary with a novel method based on human perception. For this, a questionnaire survey and a GIS approach were used. In order to better understand the role of factors influencing the aesthetic value of the landscape, value maps separately for land cover and elevation that are decisive for the landscape experience were prepared. To validate the results of the maps, and contribute a better understanding of the interrelationship between CES, a certain tourism product was chosen, and the connection between landscape aesthetics and the offer of rural tourism was examined in Hungary and in the Danube Bend priority tourism development area. Our findings show that there is a difference in the results of the objective (GIS-based) and subjective (questionnaire-based) assessment of landscape aesthetic value with the more important role of elevation in the latter. According to our tourism product-based analysis, which represents a niche approach in its kind, landscape values are higher in the areas with rural accommodation. At the same time, based on the results of the Danube Bend region, it can also be concluded that elevation and land cover together are crucial factors in landscapes considered to be the most valuable in aesthetic terms. The most direct practical application of our research is to orientate further tourism development of the new Danube Bend area designated in 2017.

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

Environment & Ecosystem science ◽

10.26480/ees.02.2021.121.128 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 121-128

Author(s):

Xuehui Sun ◽

Kun Zhang ◽

Xiaozheng Zhang ◽

Renqing Wang ◽

Jian Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Development Planning ◽

Local Scale ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Scoring Method ◽

Rural Residents ◽

Land Use Types

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.

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Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Optimum Layout of Urban and Rural Areas in Different Geomorphological Types

Earth Sciences Research Journal ◽

10.15446/esrj.v24n3.89450 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 267-275

Author(s):

Jing Li ◽

Zhongyuan Cai ◽

Lianru Duan

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

River Basin ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Distribution Characteristics ◽

Rural Settlements ◽

Spatial Distribution Characteristics ◽

Jinghe River Basin ◽

Urban And Rural Areas ◽

Jinghe River ◽

Channel Type

Taking Jinghe River Basin in the Loess geomorphological area and Guangnan County in the karst geomorphological area as the study area, the spatial distribution characteristics of urban and rural areas of different geomorphological types are analyzed. By using GIS and related statistical analysis software, this paper summarizes three basic urban and rural types: river channel type, plateau surface type, and loess terrace horizon prototype in the Loess Landscape Jinghe River Basin. It is known that most towns in the loess plateau gully area are in the Jinghe River Basin. According to the spatial distribution characteristics of urban and rural areas, the optimal layout based on the main structure of five districts, nine River corridors, and four plates is proposed. Using the DEM module of ArcGIS to divide the elevation and gradient of Guangnan County, we know that the density of urban and rural settlements in Guangnan County is low and the spatial distribution is dispersed, and the distribution of urban and rural settlements shows a strong elevation orientation. The distribution of urban and rural settlements has a normal distribution relationship with the elevation. The largest number of urban and rural settlements is between 2.1° and 25°. According to the present situation of settlement distribution, this paper puts forward some optimization strategies, such as appropriate settlement scale, settlement space development monitoring, and so on.

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The Urban–Rural Heterogeneity of Air Pollution in 35 Metropolitan Regions across China

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12142320 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (14) ◽

pp. 2320 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wenchao Han ◽

Zhanqing Li ◽

Jianping Guo ◽

Tianning Su ◽

Tianmeng Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Boundary Layer ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Anthropogenic Impacts ◽

Spatial Inhomogeneity ◽

Metropolitan Regions ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Urban And Rural Areas

Urbanization and air pollution are major anthropogenic impacts on Earth’s environment, weather, and climate. Each has been studied extensively, but their interactions have not. Urbanization leads to a dramatic variation in the spatial distribution of air pollution (fine particles) by altering surface properties and boundary-layer micrometeorology, but it remains unclear, especially between the centers and suburbs of metropolitan regions. Here, we investigated the spatial variation, or inhomogeneity, of air quality in urban and rural areas of 35 major metropolitan regions across China using four different long-term observational datasets from both ground-based and space-borne observations during the period 2001–2015. In general, air pollution in summer in urban areas is more serious than in rural areas. However, it is more homogeneously polluted, and also more severely polluted in winter than that in summer. Four factors are found to play roles in the spatial inhomogeneity of air pollution between urban and rural areas and their seasonal differences: (1) the urban–rural difference in emissions in summer is slightly larger than in winter; (2) urban structures have a more obvious association with the spatial distribution of aerosols in summer; (3) the wind speed, topography, and different reductions in the planetary boundary layer height from clean to polluted conditions have different effects on the density of pollutants in different seasons; and (4) relative humidity can play an important role in affecting the spatial inhomogeneity of air pollution despite the large uncertainties.

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Cultural ecosystem services for development of nature-based tourism in Bulgaria

Journal of the Bulgarian Geographical Society ◽

10.3897/jbgs.e78719 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 81-87

Author(s):

Mariyana Nikolova ◽

Velimira Stoyanova ◽

Desislava Varadzhakova ◽

Aleksandra Ravnachka

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Ecosystem Approach ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Natural Heritage ◽

Heritage Sites ◽

Goods And Services ◽

Different Types ◽

New Type ◽

The Rich

The rich and diverse Natural Heritage of Bulgaria is a prerequisite for the development of nature- based tourism (NBT) of a new type. The research is carried out by the implementation of the ecosystem approach. The results include an assessment of the natural heritage capacity to provide goods and services for the development of NBT in the Tourist Regions (TR) of Bulgaria. The results show the spatial distribution of the natural heritage sites in all nine TR in Bulgaria and their natural capacity for development of different types of NBT. There are only 37 municipalities out of 265 with not a one Natural Heritage (NH) site, and all the rest have natural resources to develop NBT. The results can be of use for the achievement of the goals for sustainable tourism by assessment of the capacity to provide recreation ecosystem services (RES).

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Quantification of Land Cover Changes in Sub-urban Areas of Pekanbaru City

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/887/1/012020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 887 (1) ◽

pp. 012020

Author(s):

F. Firmansyah ◽

A. B. Raharja

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Economic Activity ◽

Urban Areas ◽

The Road ◽

On The Road ◽

Urban And Rural Areas ◽

High Level ◽

Two Stages

Abstract Morphologically, land cover, urban and rural areas have different characteristics. It is the same as Pekanbaru City area that has unique characteristics including its surrounding regencies. However, the high level of land demand caused by increasing economic activity, high natural and non-natural population growth, makes the morphology of land cover in urban and rural areas unclear. Empirically this beginning to be considered common in urban areas that have a role as a strategic point or center of economic activity, but one of the concerns is the development of unplanned and dominating areas in a space that later create a more fragile environmental conditions in suburban areas. This study aimed to identify changes in land cover and assess the level of conformity of land use in the suburbs of Pekanbaru City. This study used a description method with two stages, (1). Identifying land cover using temporal images, (2). Analyze the level of conformity of land use. The results showed that there are four patterns of land cover change in the suburbs of Pekanbaru City, especially on the road axis connecting the surrounding area. These developments indicate nonconformity of land use which has an impact on the loss of protected land and productive plantation land in the suburbs of Pekanbaru City.

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Spatial distribution and correlates of smoking in Zambia

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030044 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. e030044

Author(s):

Herbert Tato Nyirenda ◽

David Mulenga ◽

Moono Silitongo ◽

Herbert BC Nyirenda ◽

Tambulani Nyirenda

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Health Survey ◽

Tobacco Smoking ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Formal Education ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cigarette Smoker ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Urban And Rural Areas

ObjectiveThe objective of the paper was to investigate the spatial distribution and correlates of tobacco smoking in various regions of Zambia.MethodsThis paper adopts a cross-sectional study design. The study used data from the 2013/2014 Zambia Demographic Health Survey which is a nationwide health survey conducted in all the 10 provinces. A random sample of men and women from 15 920 households was successfully selected and interviewed. All women aged 15–49 and men aged 15–59 who were either permanent residents of the households or visitors present in the households on the night before the survey were eligible to be interviewed.ResultsThe results show that 8.2% and 11% of Zambians in urban and rural areas smoke, respectively. In urban areas, the risk of being a cigarette smoker was 2.31 (CI: 1.69 to 3.16) and 2.03 (CI: 1.36 to 3.02) times higher for the divorced and separated. However, the risk of being a cigarette smoker was lower for those with some formal education. In rural areas, the risk of being a cigarette smoker was lower for the married (relative risk ratios (RRR): 0.69, CI: 0.55 to 0.86) and those with a formal education. Nevertheless, in rural areas, the risk of being a pipe and other smoker was higher for those who were self-employed (RRR: 8.46, CI: 2.95 to 24.20) and with an occupation (RRR: 2.37, CI: 1.39 to 4.02) but was lower among women.ConclusionTobacco smoking varies between and within regions as well as provinces. Therefore, interventions to curbsmoking should target specific demographic, socioeconomic and cultural factors and how they are spatially distributed.

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