Stated preference methods and landscape ecology indicators: An example of transdisciplinarity in landscape economic valuation

Abstract

This paper addresses the representation of landscape complexity in stated preferences research. It integrates landscape ecology and landscape economics and conducts the landscape analysis in a three-dimensional space to provide ecologically meaningful quantitative landscape indicators that are used as variables for the monetary valuation of landscape in a stated preferences study. Expected heterogeneity in taste intensity across respondents is addressed with a mixed logit model in Willingness to Pay space. Our methodology is applied to value, in monetary terms, the landscape of the Sorrento Peninsula in Italy, an area that has faced increasing pressure from urbanization affecting its traditional horticultural, herbaceous, and arboreal structure, with loss of biodiversity, and an increasing risk of landslides. We find that residents of the Sorrento Peninsula would prefer landscapes characterized by large open views and natural features.Residents also appear to dislike heterogeneous landscapes and the presence of lemon orchards and farmers' stewardship, which are associated with the current failure of protecting the traditional landscape. The outcomes suggest that the use of landscape ecology metrics in a stated preferences model may be an effective way to move forward integrated methodologies to better understand and represent landscape and its complexity.

Do people prefer natural landscapes? An empirical study in Chile

“…However, most studies have been conducted in developed countries, and Europe in particular, where landscapes as a well as individual characteristics, such as income and education level, differ significantly from those of South American countries. This study is in line with several recent efforts to understand public opinion regarding potential negative effects of natural landscape transformation and the implications this may have for landscape planning (Sevenant and Antrop 2010, Tagliafierro et al 2016, Lee and Son 2017.…”

“…The effects of income have already been investigated, especially in landscape economic valuation studies; the theoretical expectation that income and preferences (as measured by willingness to pay estimates) correlate positively for specific landscape attributes, such as naturalness, has been confirmed often (e.g. van Berkel and Verburg 2014, van Zanten et al 2014, Tagliafierro et al 2016.…”

Visitors’ preferences for landscape conservation in Alpine environments:Differences across regions, conservation programmes, and socio-economic groups

“…Source: Own survey and calculations, 2018. least, the respondents who considered the degree of naturalness to be excellent, also showed a greater WTP, corresponding to the literature on landscape evaluation (e.g. Molina, Rodríguez Y Silva, & Herrera, 2016;Tagliafierro, Boeri, Longo, & Hutchinson, 2016).…”

Research on Nonlinear Thinking of Landscape Architecture Design based on Computer-aided Parametric Model

“…Computer software technology, in particular, refers to the operating software that can translate and input parameters. Of course, here is not to introduce the software itself, but a brief analysis and summary of how they are used to carry out parametric design, as well as in the design process to reflect the basic characteristics [7]. At present, parametric design and operation of the software can be divided into two categories.…”