scholarly journals Exploring Public Recognition and Perceived Cultural Value of the Special Qualities within English Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12178
Author(s):  
Isabelle King ◽  
John Martin
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Cultural Value ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Perceptions ◽  
Natural Beauty ◽  
General Preference ◽  
Combination Of Methods ◽  
Large Groups

As both the concept of ‘landscape’ and ‘beauty’ have very perceptual definitions, they must be assessed by large groups to be appropriately addressed. Therefore, amid a review of AONB designation, cultural perceptions of what is valuable within these designated areas is of paramount importance. Ecosystem services have gained traction as a way to assign social value to the non-physical benefits landscape can provide. AONB landscapes have a list of ‘special qualities’ (SQs) which are the features and characteristics of this area that warrant its protection. This study looks at the extent to which SQs reflect public values. Multiple methods including photo elicitation, participatory mapping, in-person surveys and social media data analysis have been used. The study suggests that when presented with the same landscape there is huge diversity as to what should be considered ‘special’. There is a general preference of landscape heterogeneity, therefore no one SQ could be more important than any of the others if considered in isolation. SQs that have a tangible link to the cultural ecosystem services they provide, were most appreciated. All methods used had their own benefits and flaws, hence future research should use a combination of methods to address perception issues.

scholarly journals Karst landscapes of China: patterns, ecosystem processes and services

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2743-2763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelin Wang ◽  
Chunhua Zhang ◽  
Hongsong Chen ◽  
Yueming Yue ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Landscape Pattern ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Karst Region ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Soil Processes ◽  
Karst Rocky Desertification ◽  
Landscape Models ◽  
Karst Ecosystems ◽  
Karst Landscapes

Abstract Context The karst region of southwestern China, one of the largest continuous karsts in the world, is known for its unique landscapes and rich biodiversity. This region has suffered severe environmental degradation (e.g., vegetation cover loss, soil erosion and biodiversity loss). In recent decades, Chinese governments at different levels have initiated several ecological programs (e.g., Green for Grain, Mountain Closure) to restore the degraded environment and to alleviate poverty. Objectives This study summarizes landscape studies of karst landscapes patterns, their dynamics and interactions among landscape pattern, hydrological processes and ecosystem services (ES). Methods We conducted a systematic literature review of science and land use policy to identify knowledge gaps and recommend future research and policy directions. Results Karst landscapes have experienced rapid turnover in recent decades due largely to the overlap of intense human activity on the fragile karst ecosystems. Many studies have comprehensively examined hydrology, soil processes and ecosystem services (ES) and their relationships with landscape pattern. Most of these studies have found that karst ecosystems recover with improved ES. However, the importance of epikarst in hydrological and soil processes, intense anthropogenic disturbance and landscape heterogeneity in landscape models remains elusive. Conclusions Future research should focus on in-depth examination and modelling of karst specific hydrological and soil processes, investigating relationships between climatic change, landscape change, ecological processes, and region-specific ES assessments. Results from such research should provide the necessary scientific support for a comprehensive, national karst rocky desertification treatment project (Stage II) and poverty alleviation initiatives.

scholarly journals An Overview of Ecosystem Service Studies in a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot, Sri Lanka: Key Perspectives for Future Research

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 540
Author(s):  
Chaya Sarathchandra ◽  
Yirga Alemu Abebe ◽  
Iresha Lakmali Wijerathne ◽  
Sasith Tharanga Aluthwattha ◽  
Sriyani Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Species Introduction ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Service Category ◽  
Tropical Biodiversity ◽  
Published Evidence

Tropical island countries are often highly populated and deliver immense ecosystem service benefits. As human wellbeing depends on these ecosystems, proper management is crucial in the resource-rich tropical lands where there is less related research. Though ecosystem service and biodiversity studies are a promising path to inform the ecosystem management for these mostly developing countries, published evidence of using ecosystem service studies in decision making is lacking. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of ecosystem services and related research in Sri Lanka, examining trends and gaps in how these studies are conceptualized. Out of the considered 220 peer-reviewed articles, the majority of articles (48.2%) were terrestrial and forest related while coastal ecosystems were considered in 33.2% of studies. In most studies, the ecosystem service category studied was provisioning (31.5%) followed by regulatory service (28.7%). Studies investigating and quantifying ecosystem services, pressures on ecosystems, and their management were fewer compared to studies related to biodiversity or species introduction. Moreover, studies investigating the value of ecosystem services and biodiversity to the communities or involvement of stakeholders in the development of management actions regarding the ecosystem services were rare in Sri Lanka, and an intense focus from future studies in these aspects is timely and necessary.

scholarly journals Infrastructural nature

2021 ◽  
pp. 030913252199391
Author(s):  
Sara H Nelson ◽  
Patrick Bigger
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Strategic Management ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Political ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Conservation Investment

The assertion that ‘ecosystems are infrastructure’ is now common in conservation science and ecosystem management. This article interrogates this infrastructural ontology, which we argue underpins diverse practices of conservation investment and ecosystem management focused on the strategic management of ecosystem functions to sustain and secure human life. We trace the genealogies and geographies of infrastructural nature as an ontology and paradigm of investment that coexists (sometimes in tension) with extractivist commodity regimes. We draw links between literatures on the political economy of ecosystem services and infrastructure and highlight three themes that hold promise for future research: labor, territory, and finance.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Variation in Ecosystem Services and Their Drivers among Different Landscape Heterogeneity Units and Terrain Gradients in the Southern Hill and Mountain Belt, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1375
Author(s):  
Liang-Jie Wang ◽  
Shuai Ma ◽  
Jiang Jiang ◽  
Yu-Guo Zhao ◽  
Jin-Chi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Soil Conservation ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Invest Model ◽  
Casa Model ◽  
Mountain Belt ◽  
Integrated Valuation

Understanding the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of ecosystem services (ESs) and their drivers in mountainous areas is important for sustainable ecosystem management. However, the effective construction of landscape heterogeneous units (LHUs) to reflect the spatial characteristics of ESs remains to be studied. The southern hill and mountain belt (SHMB) is a typical mountainous region in China, with undulating terrain and obvious spatial heterogeneity of ESs, and was selected as the study area. In this study, we used the fuzzy k-means (FKM) algorithm to establish LHUs. Three major ESs (water yield, net primary productivity (NPP), and soil conservation) in 2000 and 2015 were quantified using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model and Carnegie Ames-Stanford approach (CASA) model. Then, we explored the spatial variation in ESs along terrain gradients and LHUs. Correlation analysis was used to analyze the driving factors of ESs in each terrain region and LHU. The results showed that altitude and terrain niche increased along LHUs. Water yield and soil conservation increased from 696.86 mm and 3920.19 t/km2 to 1061.12 mm and 5117.90 t/km2, respectively, while NPP decreased from 666.95 gC/m2 to 648.86 gC/m2. The ESs in different LHUs differed greatly. ESs increased first and then decreased along LHUs in 2000. In 2015, water yield decreased along LHUs, while NPP and soil conservation showed a fluctuating trend. Water yield was mainly affected by precipitation, temperature and NDVI were the main drivers of NPP, and soil conservation was greatly affected by precipitation and slope. The driving factors of the same ES were different in different terrain areas and LHUs. The variation and driving factors of ESs in LHUs were similar to some terrain gradients. To some extent, LHUs can represent multiple terrain features. This study can provide important support for mountain ecosystem zoning management and decision-making.

scholarly journals Building tourism-resilient communities by incorporating residents’ perceptions? A photo-elicitation study of tourism development in Bruges

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Janusz ◽  
Sofie Six ◽  
Dominique Vanneste
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resilient Communities ◽  
Historical Center

Purpose In a current trend of a growing amount of short city trips, it becomes crucial to understand how local residents perceive the presence of tourists and tourism in their cities and how their socio-cultural context influences those perceptions. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this understanding which will enable the city planners to take actions to create the well-balanced and resilient communities in which the needs of residents and tourists are equally met. Design/methodology/approach To understand residents’ perceptions’ about tourism in Bruges, this research applied photo-elicitation interviews with 28 residents who lived in various locations in the historical center to understand socio-cultural background of residents, their tourism-related concerns and whether they are in line with what is commonly perceived as problematic in Bruges. Findings Results show that as long as residents can benefit from tourism and tourism-related infrastructure, they support tourism. On the other hand, tourism decreases the liveability of the historical center due to supersession of infrastructure serving the residents by tourist-oriented amenities. Practical implications To build a sustainable and resilient city in the future, the authorities of Bruges should cease further “museumification” of the historical city by breaking the hegemony of tourism industry, providing affordable housing and rethinking the concentration model of tourism. Originality/value The photo-elicitation method proved to produce rich content and good-quality data by stimulating respondents’ memories and evoking experiences and emotions. Thus, this paper recommends that future research about residents’ attitudes is developed around visual methods as they give voice to the residents and are able to uncover issues which are difficult to capture with other methods.

scholarly journals Integrating Visual Methods With Dialogical Interviews in Research With Youth Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 160940691775094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Teachman ◽  
Barbara E. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Integrated Methods ◽  
Combination Of Methods ◽  
Communication Impairments

Scant information is available to guide the selection and modification of methods for doing research with people with communication impairments. In this article, we describe and illustrate a novel combination of methods used to optimize data generation in research with 13 disabled youth who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Using a critical dialogical methodology developed for the study, we explored links between dominant calls for social inclusion, disabled youths’ social relations and life circumstances, and their position-takings in relation to inclusion. Building on emergent methodologies, we selected and integrated complementary methods: photo-elicitation, a graphic elicitation method termed “Belonging Circles,” observations, and interviews. The interview methods were modified to recognize all AAC modes used by participants and to acknowledge the relational, situated and thus, dialogical nature of all communication in interviews. Each method is described, and rationales for their selection and modification are discussed. Processes used to combine the methods, generate data, and guide analysis are illustrated using a case example from the study. The integrated methods helped illuminate the lives and practices of youth who use AAC and the strategies they used to negotiate inclusion across the social spaces that they traversed. We conclude with reflections on the strengths and limitations of our approach, future directions for development of the methodology, and its potential use in research with a broad range of persons experiencing communication impairments.

Cross Cultural Perceptions on Privacy in the United States, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Taiwan

2009 ◽  
pp. 284-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Chiou
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Single System ◽  
Cultural Perceptions ◽  
Internet Privacy ◽  
Different Cultures

In this chapter, the authors will briefly discuss some cross cultural concerns regarding Internet privacy. The authors believe that due to the cross cultural nature of the Internet itself, different cultures will tend to result in different concerns regarding Internet privacy. As such, there is no single system of protecting Internet privacy that may be suitable for all cultures. The authors also utilize focus groups from various countries spanning Asia and the United States to discover the differences between cultures. Hopefully an understanding of such differences will aid in future research on Internet privacy to take a more culture sensitive approach.

Unfurling the cultural value of street art experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-82
Author(s):  
Amelia Green ◽  
Steffen Gray
Keyword(s):  
Social Contexts ◽  
Cultural Value ◽  
Street Art ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Art Form ◽  
Arts Marketing ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Research Stream ◽  
Part Model

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to begin unfurling the cultural value of street art experiences by opening up an audience-centred research stream sensitive to the nuances of this art form.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a two-part model through which to investigate how everyday citizens experience street art. The methodology involves a purposeful literature review, and direct assessment of how the nuances of street art could pertain to audience experiences.FindingsThe first part of the model conceptualises the characteristics that distinguish contemporary street art from other art forms. To help further guide future research, the second part distinguishes six layers that frame street art audience experiences: (1) “the art”, (2) artist's intentions for the art, (3) the street artist, (4) experiential context, (5) social contexts and (6) audience interpretive lenses.Research limitations/implicationsThe investigative model provides a constructive stimulus for substantive empirical inquiries into the dynamics, complexities and implications of everyday street art experiences.Practical implicationsThe research stream developed could inform appropriate approaches to facilitating street art, and collaboration amongst street artists, facilitators, municipal representatives and policymakers.Originality/valueThe paper helps to open up an audience-centred approach to street art that intersects with recent developments in arts experience, cultural value and arts marketing.

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