Landscape preferences in the Alps

1. Landscape preferences in the Alps Maria BACHER VU Advanced statistics – 21.01.2010

2. Changes in agriculture in the Alpine Region Increase of agricultural land use in favorable areas (e.g., easily accesible, easy to cultivate mechanically) Decrease of agricultural land use in unfavorable areas (e.g., mountain pastures, steep meadows) Reasons: Missing rentability and competitiveness as a consequence of the free market economy Hindered cultivation and production conditions Missing workforce Background…

3. … and impacts (1)…

4. … and impacts (2)

5. Landscape development in the Alpine Region stands in the area of conflict between agricultural extensification and intensification. These processes change the landscape essentially. Not much evidence so far, how society assesses and judges these changes. The reasons for possible preferences are still unknown. These reasons are important to know for long-term planning. Societal desired landscape in the AlpsProblems

6. Aims ? • To investigate the (conflicting) objectives and expectations of locals and tourists regarding the Alpine landscape development and • to develop and apply suitable methods to foster consensus building regarding these objectives.

7. The standardised questionaire – our most important tool

8. Questionaire - Overview • Assessment of photo series to judge possible future landscape scenarios • Expectations from landscape in general • Ecosystem services • Assessment of extensification and intensification of agricultural landuse • Agricultural subsidies

9. Face-to-face Interviews in Tyrol and South Tyrol • Standardised questionnaire (12 pages) • Period: Summer 2010 • Target groups : • Locals • Tourists more than 3200answered questionnaires

10. Preliminary results 1. Descriptive results 2. Factor analysis 3. Factor analysis

11. Interviews - Overview Tourists - Origin Living place Sex (1=female, 2=male)

12. 1. Descriptive results Photo series 1: How do you like these pictures? 1= do not like at all, 5= like very much

13. Q8: Immagine a farmer isn‘t able to cultivate a meadow in a profitable way anymore. What should happen to this meadow? • The farmer should get public financial help. • The farmer should get public financial help, if the meadow is ecologically valuable and if he mantains certain requirements. • The meadow should be abbandoned.

14. Q10: The intensive agricultural land use is… Q9: The reforestation and rewilding is… … bad for tourism. … cultural loss. …enables the supply of regional products.. …is negative for the landscape scenery. … is good for the regional economy. … a cultural loss. … a natural consequence of the economic development. … bad for tourism. … is an enrichment for for the landscape scenery. Applies not al all Applies completely Applies not al all Applies completely

15. Photo series 4: How do you like these pictures? 1= do not like at all, 5= like very much

16. + - TOP 3 1 2 3

17. 2. Factor analysis - Theory Factor analysis is a multi-variate statistical process that relates a multitude of variables to common basic dimensions based on their mutual correlative relationships. • Procedure: • Estimation of a correlationmatrix • Estimation of factor loadings • Determination of the number of factors • Rotation of the factor loadings to enhance the factorinterpretation Example of a varimax-rotation: a) before and b) after the rotation a b

18. Results - Factor analysis Aim: To describe variability among observed variables in terms of a potentially lower number of unobserved variables called factors. 1 2 3 4 5 • Orientation • Recreation • Particularity • Harmonic unit • Cultivated better then wild • Lots to explore • Finding peace • Doing things I like to do • Awakes memories • Feeling free • No commitments • Diversity • Mystery • Threat • Insecurity • Feeling foreign Discovery Security Autonomy Experience Legibility Manifested Variability (%): 54,41

19. Interpretation of the results – Theoretical excursion Social dimension Biological dimension • Main statement: • Prefered landscapes include socially important landscape elements (e.g., depending on place attachment and socio-economic interests) • Main statement: • Those landscapes are prefered, whose structural arrangements were/are ideal for prehistoric man. • Also modern people prefer this kind of landscapes. • More or less constant within different social groups, but variable among social groups and time. - Continuous throughout time and culture Examples: - Savanna theory (Orians 1986) - „Information-Processing“-theory (Kaplan&Kaplan 1989) Examples: - Sense of place (z.B. Proshansky 1983) - Familiarity (z.B. Hammit 1981)

20. How do we assess different landscapes? The „answer“ of ONE theory • S. & R. Kaplans „Information-Processing“ theory • Base: survival requirements of the prehistoric man • Most important competitive advantage compared with other animals: Brain/Mind => Possibility to get and use information about the environment • Ideal landscapes are those, who stimulate information search and processing • Important keywords: Legibility, Complexity, etc. • Factor analysis

21. Results - Factor analysis Aim: To describe variability among observed variables in terms of a potentially lower number of unobserved variables called factors. 1 2 3 4 5 • Orientation • Recreation • Particularity • Harmonic unit • Cultivated better then wild • Lots to explore • Finding peace • Doing things I like to do • Awakes memories • Feeling free • No commitments • Diversity • Mystery • Threat • Insecurity • Feeling foreign Discovery Security Autonomy Experience Legibility Manifested Variability (%): 54,41

22. 3. Clusteranalysis • Hierarchical CA • Method: Ward • Distance: Euclidean • N. of objects: 2580

23. Conclusions • Security is the central factor regarding landscape assessment • Reforestation, partial wilderness and traditionally used landscapes are mostly rated in a positive way • The intensive agricultural land-use and urbanisation are not considered desiderable, but they are accepted as a natural consequence of the economic development

24. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!