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Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of...
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Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 May 2024 | Viewed by 17256

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pedro Miguel Ramos Arsénio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: landscape visual quality; ecological quality in Mediterranean ecosystems; flora and vegetation mapping; landscape management; bioclimate and biogeography
Dr. Patricia María Rodríguez González

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: ecological restoration; environmental assessment and management; conservation ecology; riparian and wetland ecology; characterization modelling, assessment and monitoring of riparian vegetation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Landscapes sustain both natural ecosystems and human activities. In an increasingly humanized planet, our landscapes have been profoundly modified worldwide, both in developed countries, due to largely urbanized and/or industrialized regions, and in developing countries, suffering from intense human pressure as a result of aggressive natural resources exploitation, agriculture intensification or the uncontrolled spread of megacities. Such pressures produce a change in the perception of landscapes as well as their ecological quality, thus requiring interventions that meet people’s expectations on scenic quality, but also on sustainability and ecological functionality. In fact, these are especially meaningful aims to address in a decade which has been declared by the United Nations as the “Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030)”.

Almost five decades after the first “scenic beauty estimation” models for landscapes were proposed, expert judgment approaches gave way to assessments based on public preferences. The promotion of public participation mechanisms in landscape planning initiatives such as the European Landscape Convention call upon the development of novel ways to approach the assessment of Landscape Visual Quality, in order to understand the way people appreciate all landscapes, rather than the outstanding ones only. Furthermore, present-day societal challenges go well beyond landscape visual quality, hence the need to link landscape’s scenic beauty with ecological health, as suggested in the EU’s Green Deal.

Additionally, applied landscape studies rely on landscape quality evaluation methodologies to measure citizens’ receptivity to ecological restoration interventions, since many authors claim that restoration projects are fundamentally a social phenomenon. Hence, public acceptance and support may ultimately determine the success and sustainability of a project, and the definition of restoration goals can be designed such that they meet social needs and involve stakeholders since the beginning.

For this Special Issue, we invite authors to submit research articles or commentaries that focus on one or more of the following topics:

  • Innovative approaches in landscape visual quality assessment;
  • Bridging the gap between landscape aesthetics and ecology;
  • Public participation within landscape visual quality assessments;
  • Visual quality and ecological assessment and monitoring
  • Synergies between visual quality enhancement and ecological restoration;
  • Culturally derived differences in landscape perceptions and preferences;
  • Immersive experiences as the base for landscape visual quality assessments;
  • Visual quality and ecosystem services;
  • Landscape visual quality in urban landscapes;
  • Impact of built structures on landscape visual quality.

Dr. Pedro Miguel Ramos Arsénio
Dr. Patricia María Rodríguez González
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2504 KiB  
Article
The Potential Health Benefits of Urban Tree Planting Suggested through Immersive Environments
by Christopher Hassall, Michael Nisbet, Evan Norcliffe and He Wang
Land 2024, 13(3), 290; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land13030290 - 26 Feb 2024
Viewed by 663
Abstract
Disruptive change in urban landscapes, such as large-scale tree planting, is complicated by the different priorities of the wide range of urban stakeholders. Here, we demonstrate an approach to the planning of urban green spaces using virtual reality simulations. We evaluate the health [...] Read more.
Disruptive change in urban landscapes, such as large-scale tree planting, is complicated by the different priorities of the wide range of urban stakeholders. Here, we demonstrate an approach to the planning of urban green spaces using virtual reality simulations. We evaluate the health benefits (restorative benefits) and safety concerns of participants using virtual reconstructions of 10 urban parks in Bradford, UK, to simulate changes in woodland cover. Participants experienced each of the 10 parks as immersive environments with each of three scenarios: (i) no trees, (ii) real tree distribution, and (iii) doubling of tree numbers. Participants answered a short questionnaire while in each virtual park to quantify their feelings of safety and the restorative benefit that they thought they would experience. The results show that our VR approach produces reported restorative benefits that are not significantly different from those reported in the physical parks during visits by participants. We then demonstrate that increased tree cover is associated with significant increases in perceived restorative benefit, with some evidence of saturation at higher tree densities. Reductions in tree cover lead to a reduction in reported restorative benefit. We suggest that immersive technologies present a useful tool for the consultation and co-design of urban landscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration)
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26 pages, 38536 KiB  
Article
Integrating Landscape Character Assessment with Community Values in a Scenic Evaluation Methodology for Regional Landscape Planning
by Ata Tara, Gillian Lawson, Wendy Davies, Alan Chenoweth and Georgina Pratten
Land 2024, 13(2), 169; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land13020169 - 31 Jan 2024
Viewed by 969
Abstract
The Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) method from the UK has proven effective in identifying landscape values and characteristics through a comprehensive mapping process. However, it is predominantly expert-led and lacks an evaluation of scenery, hindering the inclusion of the broader community’s preferences and [...] Read more.
The Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) method from the UK has proven effective in identifying landscape values and characteristics through a comprehensive mapping process. However, it is predominantly expert-led and lacks an evaluation of scenery, hindering the inclusion of the broader community’s preferences and visual attachment to their landscape. In Australia, the application of the Scenic Amenity Methodology (SAM) using Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping has engaged communities but has often overlooked the importance of landscape character. To overcome these limitations, this study presents an innovative scenic assessment methodology, referred to as modified Scenic Amenity Methodology (modified SAM). The methodology establishes landscape character types (LCTs) to map scenic preference ratings derived from community photo surveys. Simultaneously, it incorporates the visual exposure of the landscape from publicly accessible viewpoints, modelled using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The combination of scenic preferences and visual exposure enables mapping of the scenic amenity values held by the community. This methodology was first trialled in Bundaberg, then Cairns, the Whitsunday Islands, and, most recently, Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia. This paper presents the results of the Toowoomba study and reports on the challenges and limitations of informing landscape character type (LCT) values through a public photo survey, developing a scenic preference map from ratings of photos across a region, a map of the visual exposure of landscape elements from key public viewing locations, and, ultimately, a map of scenic amenity values across the Toowoomba Region. It indicates that integrating previous LCA approaches with public participation through community preferences is indeed feasible for regional landscape planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration)
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12 pages, 882 KiB  
Article
Preferences of Young Adult Visitors to Manor Parks in South Poland: A Study on Ecosystem Services and Scenic Quality
by Beata Fornal-Pieniak, Agnieszka Mandziuk, Dagmara Stangierska, Stanisław Parzych and Pedro Miguel Ramos Arsénio
Land 2023, 12(2), 323; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land12020323 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1176
Abstract
Manor parks are characteristic cultural features in Polish agricultural landscapes. About 10,000 manor parks are estimated to exist in Poland, and due to their high natural, historic and scenic value, these features represent potential in terms of ecosystem services. To properly manage these [...] Read more.
Manor parks are characteristic cultural features in Polish agricultural landscapes. About 10,000 manor parks are estimated to exist in Poland, and due to their high natural, historic and scenic value, these features represent potential in terms of ecosystem services. To properly manage these sites, it is advisable to determine the preferences of its visitors. The present study presents the results of a quantitative survey based on a group of 352 young visitors to manor parks in south Poland. The results show that visitors with higher monthly incomes have a statistically significant higher awareness as far as caring for the authenticity and preservation of the natural and historical heritage of manor parks and forests. Conversely, for visitors with lower incomes, additional touristic promotion attractions (e.g., souvenirs, guided visits) are increasingly important. The results of the study provide an important basis of information for local authorities, as well as private owners, with regard to preserving the natural and historical values (which are closely connected with the scenic values) of these sites, as well as local tourism development. The values of nature, sustainability, tourism and the improvement of life quality are linked to the enhancement of manor parks, as these facilities are providers of ecosystem services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration)
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17 pages, 7383 KiB  
Article
Mapping Landscape Perception: An Assessment with Public Participation Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis Techniques
by Amalia Vaneska Palacio Buendía, Yolanda Pérez-Albert and David Serrano Giné
Land 2021, 10(6), 632; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10060632 - 14 Jun 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4012
Abstract
Mapping cognitive landscape perception is hindered by the difficulty of representing opinions that are spatially distributed in a heterogeneous way or not restricted by the locations of physical elements in the landscape. In recent years, the use of tools based on geographic information [...] Read more.
Mapping cognitive landscape perception is hindered by the difficulty of representing opinions that are spatially distributed in a heterogeneous way or not restricted by the locations of physical elements in the landscape. In recent years, the use of tools based on geographic information techniques has gained momentum in landscape assessment. We propose a methodology for generalizing cognitive landscape opinions on a spatial basis. To this end, we used a public participatory geographic information system to collect data, which is a method based on bipolar adjectives to approach users’ opinions, and the inverse distance weighted spatial interpolator and multi-criteria evaluation to undertake the spatial analysis. The study was conducted in the Ebro Delta, which is a protected wetland in northeastern Spain. The assessment was based on 1593 georeferenced opinions and resulted in a continuous geographic map of 330 km2 depicting positive and negative perceptions about the landscape. The area under study was perceived as productive, interesting, attractive, and, for the most part, quiet and peaceful, although it was seen as dirty in some parts. The method successfully mapped cognitive landscape opinions and establishes a novel procedure in landscape approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration)
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19 pages, 5280 KiB  
Article
Insights into Public Visual Behaviors through Eye-Tracking Tests: A Study Based on National Park System Pilot Area Landscapes
by Peng Wang, Wenjuan Yang, Dengju Wang and Youjun He
Land 2021, 10(5), 497; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10050497 - 07 May 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3801
Abstract
National parks are important natural reserves of high ecological value, and the visual perception of national park landscapes is closely tied to the degree of protection that the natural resources within national parks receive. Visual cognition has a direct impact on public consciousness [...] Read more.
National parks are important natural reserves of high ecological value, and the visual perception of national park landscapes is closely tied to the degree of protection that the natural resources within national parks receive. Visual cognition has a direct impact on public consciousness and plays an increasingly important role in national park management. Most techniques and methods previously used to study visual behaviors are subjective and qualitative; objective and quantitative studies are rare. Here, we used the eye-tracking method to study the visual behaviors of individuals viewing landscapes within the Qianjiangyuan National Park System Pilot Area to assess the visual and psychological mechanisms underlying public perception of different landscapes. The effect of landscape type on visual behaviors was greater than that of color diversity and degree of spatial confinement and was mainly related to the characteristics of landscape elements. The public preferred recreational and forest landscapes with high ornamental value, whereas rural and wetland landscapes tended to be neglected given that perception of these landscapes required additional information to facilitate interpretation. When landscape colors were uniform and landscape spaces were more confined, the fixation duration was longer, and instant attractiveness was stronger. The effects of subject background on behavioral preferences were examined. Females were more interested in the whole landscape, whereas males focused more on the parts of the landscapes with prominent humanistic architectural features, complex colors, and open space. Art students generally preferred landscapes with strong humanistic attributes, whereas students majoring in forestry preferred landscapes with strong natural attributes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration)
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Review

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10 pages, 262 KiB  
Review
Ecosystem Services for Scenic Quality Landscape Management: A Review
by Richard Smardon
Land 2021, 10(11), 1123; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10111123 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2479
Abstract
Since the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Project proposed the valuation of ecosystem services—defined as regulatory, provisional, ecosystem and cultural—the question arises as to the utility of such assessments for scenic landscape management. This author as well as others has looked at the issue of [...] Read more.
Since the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Project proposed the valuation of ecosystem services—defined as regulatory, provisional, ecosystem and cultural—the question arises as to the utility of such assessments for scenic landscape management. This author as well as others has looked at the issue of integrating ecological concerns with landscape planning. This article will be a comprehensive literature review and analysis of issues involved with utilizing ecosystem services of assessment of scenic/visual landscape quality as well as management implications. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of cultural ecosystem services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration)

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

11 pages, 483 KiB  
Commentary
Ecology and Esthetics, Esthetic Ecology and the Ecological Esthetic in the Landscape: Contributions to the Apparent TongueTwister
by Alicia López-Rodríguez, Ana-Belén Berrocal Menárguez, Rafael Escribano Bombín and Simon Bell
Land 2021, 10(9), 887; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10090887 - 24 Aug 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1787
Abstract
The interface between ecology and esthetics does not only exist but is often vaster than thought at first sight. The implications of one for the other are diverse and often subtle, but both dimensions share a link that is as elusive as it [...] Read more.
The interface between ecology and esthetics does not only exist but is often vaster than thought at first sight. The implications of one for the other are diverse and often subtle, but both dimensions share a link that is as elusive as it is significant because of its influence on human behavior and on the landscape itself. Therefore, it is increasingly viewed as one of the aspects in the complex human–nature reality that should receive serious consideration to better manage the landscape. However, this relationship can be approached in different ways, and each of these perspectives will shape certain outcomes and different ways of intervening in the landscape. This article presents a generic framework of the models of analysis and intervention in the landscape from the point of view of how they address the ecological and esthetic component, with the aim of defining the limits in which each one moves, the differentiating nuances, and the repercussions they can have on the landscape. Likewise, the strategy that would best incorporate a more effective and meaningful relationship between ecology and esthetics in landscape planning is suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Landscape Visual Quality Assessment in the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration)
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