Showing papers in "Landscape Research in 2013"

Place Attachment and Memory: Landscapes of Belonging as Experienced Post-migration

Abstract: This paper examines the role of public spaces in developing emotions of place attachment by first generation migrants. We look at the role of memory, of both continuity and dislocation prompted by everyday experiences of local places among residents who had moved to the UK from a range of non-European countries. The research was focused on a neighbourhood in Sheffield, with participants producing on-site independently recorded audio to communicate their responses to being outdoors. Our findings indicate the scope of outdoor places to prompt memories and highlight connections between different periods of the participants' lives. Performance of familiar activities and reflections of values in public spaces were important in developing a sense of belonging at the local scale. A sense of ‘personal fit’ to places of residence can reflect transnational identities and sense of continuity over different life stages.

Recording Manifestations of Cultural Ecosystem Services in the Landscape

Abstract: Attempts at assessing the values people attach to ecosystems reveal profound methodological gaps regarding the non-material domains associated with aesthetic, spiritual or heritage values. This paper presents a new approach for trying to grasp these intangible benefits—conceptualised as cultural ecosystem services (CES)—based on the assumption that making use of CES leaves discernible marks on the physical landscape. We explore the potential for tracing visible manifestations of CES in a field walk-based landscape analysis. The results provide information on the character, significance, and spatial distribution of CES and allow for analysis in terms of correlations with landscape features or ecosystem services bundles. Based on our results, the method has two main strengths: 1) as an approach suitable for statistical analysis and integration with spatially explicit and quantitative data in comprehensive landscape assessment; and 2) as a simplified version which can generate valuable data for explo...

Exploring the Relationship between Design Approach and Play Value of Outdoor Play Spaces

Abstract: This paper reports research that explores the relationship between approaches to the ‘design’ of outdoor play spaces and the play value of these spaces. The paper starts by explaining that there is an assumption that an outdoor space in the Kit, Fence, Carpet (KFC) style provides fewer opportunities for play than spaces designed in a more natural way. To test this hypothesis an evaluation tool is developed that draws upon a range of academic literature. The tool includes three dimensions of Play Value, Physical Characteristics of the site and the Environmental Characteristics of the site. This tool was tested on 10 sites in the East Midlands in England. The results indicate that there is a continuum between KFC and more natural spaces with a mid-category of ‘composite’ spaces. Play value increases along this continuum between the two styles while characteristics such as the amount and type of fixed play equipment and the use of loose and moving parts also vary between the types.

Crossing Borders: Review of Concepts and Approaches in Research on Greenspace, Immigration and Society in Northwest European Countries

Abstract: Relations between greenspace, immigration and society are emerging issues in policy and science. However, up to now research has been fragmented and no overview of approaches exists. This review describes concepts and approaches in Northwest European research on immigrants’ recreational use and perceptions of nature, rural landscapes and urban parks and on societal aspects of migration and greenspace. We show that national research traditions vary considerably, reflecting national ‘contexts of reception’ and conceptualisations of immigrants. Links between outdoor recreation and perceptions of greenspace have not been properly researched and explanatory factors are only superficially touched upon. Borders seem difficult to cross: learning processes and cooperation of scholars across approaches and countries are scarce. Furthermore, current research often lacks an explicit theoretical framework. We argue that the concept of identity-in-context can form a good starting point to build an internationa...

Tracking Restorative Components: Patterns in Eye Movements as a Consequence of a Restorative Rating Task

Abstract: Eye tracking was used to investigate the task of assessing how likely it is that one would be able to rest and recover in small urban spaces and how it affects the view pattern. We assess which environmental components, for example, flowers and trees, participants look at when evaluating restoration likelihood. Further, we compare number of fixations in restorative and non-restorative park photos. Photos were selected based on ratings of low and high likelihood of restoration. Participants were asked to imagine themselves in need of restoration. Photos were presented for 10 seconds each. In contrast to studies adapting a free viewing approach, the present study shows that image properties such as contrast and colour did not attract attention; instead participants looked at components that were of importance for assessing restoration likelihood. The components participants looked at the most were trees, followed by benches and bushes. This presents new information on people's view patterns in rela...

Intersecting Dynamics of Agricultural Structural Change and Urbanisation within European Rural Landscapes: Change Patterns and Policy Implications

Abstract: European rural landscapes are, with few exceptions, characterised by farming and forestry as key functions. Whilst farming has been dominant historically and is still a significant dynamic in most regions, urbanisation is also a vital factor. This involves rural–urban emigration, urban expansion and migration from cities into the countryside (counter-urbanisation). A conceptual framework for the analysis and understanding of change patterns in European rural landscapes is presented and then applied at two spatial scales. First, the combined effect on local landscapes of agricultural structural changes and counter-urbanisation is analysed using data from two Danish case studies. Second, their expression at a wider European scale is explored using available regional statistics. Research and policy implications of the change patterns are identified and discussed, highlighting data limitations and challenges of managing the organisational and regulatory interface between local landscapes and internati...

Landowners' Participation in Biodiversity Conservation Examined through the Value-Belief-Norm Theory

Abstract: Landowners' choice of management practices will directly affect the conservation of biodiversity in large-scale productive landscapes such as forests and agricultural areas. Using the value-belief-norm theory, this study identifies the extent to which landowners differ regarding the psychological variables antecedent of a moral obligation to protect local biodiversity after participation in conservation programmes. A survey was carried out among 280 landowners who had to varying degrees participated in either voluntary forest preservation or wetland restoration. The results showed that the landowner groups did not differ in fundamental value structure and ecological worldview. Landowner groups that had participated in the projects tended to be more aware of consequences, ascribing more responsibility to themselves and expressing personal norms obligating them to participate in local biodiversity conservation more than landowners who did not participate. Local biodiversity conservation could benef...

What is Landscape Ecology? An Analysis and Evaluation of Six Different Conceptions

Abstract: ‘Landscape ecology’ is an ambiguous term commonly used to refer to different research agendas in different disciplines. Here we seek to contribute to the debate about the proper subject matter and method of landscape ecology by identifying and discussing six distinct conceptions of landscape ecology, particularly with regard to their respective understanding of ‘landscape’. Our analysis is based on an acknowledgment of the cultural contexts in which the idea of landscape has evolved. Our aims are i) to dispute definitions which involve a purely natural scientific interpretation of the term ‘landscape’; ii) to challenge the increasingly popular view that landscape ecology is (or should be) an inter- or transdisciplinary science or research programme comprising not only several natural sciences but also social sciences and humanities; iii) as an alternative to both of these definitions, to highlight and define a landscape ecology research agenda that is widespread but has not yet been explicitly de...

Landscape Quality and Brownfield Regeneration: A Community Investigation Approach Inspired by Landscape Preference Studies

Abstract: Increasing emphasis is given to brownfield regeneration across Europe. However, many local actors consider landscape quality as a secondary issue in the regeneration process. The present research investigated community sensitivity to landscape quality in the context of brownfield regeneration. This analysis was conducted in six post-industrial neighbourhoods situated in Wallonia (Belgium). The investigation method was inspired by landscape preference studies (LPS) and complemented with a qualitative case study approach. This method produced valuable insight into local community expectations regarding landscape management in the context of brownfield regeneration. The results presented in this paper suggest that perceived landscape quality influences community evaluation of regeneration schemes and reveal an unpredicted preference of certain community groups for post-industrial aesthetics. The findings also suggest that higher landscape quality in brownfield regeneration increases the attractivene...

Historic Landscape Character and Sense of Place

Abstract: Most studies of landscape character within archaeology and historical geography have focused on morphological features such as whether settlement patterns were nucleated or dispersed, but this paper discusses how adding depth to this, for example by studying place-names, vernacular architecture, and the territorial structures within which a landscape was managed in the past, gives us a far greater understanding of its texture and meaning to local communities. In two case-studies in southern Essex, for example, it is shown how the connections that once existed between inland and coastal communities can be used today to promote public access to the countryside. A further case study, in southwest England, shows how field-/place-names and vernacular architecture also make an important contribution to our appreciation of the time depth and complexity of landscape character.

Green Space as Classroom: Outdoor School Teachers’ Use, Preferences and Ecostrategies

Abstract: More and more Danish teachers have started introducing curriculum-based outdoor learning as a weekly or biweekly ‘outdoor school’ day for school children. This move towards schooling in non-classroom spaces presents a challenge for green space managers. Basic managerial knowledge related to what, who, when and where has thus far only been supported by anecdotal evidence, but seems fundamental to the decision-making of a range of green space providers. The present study aims to describe, characterise and discuss outdoor teachers’ use, preferences and ecostrategies in relation to green space. A nationwide survey was conducted among Danish teachers practising outdoor teaching (107 respondents), and it showed that a majority used and preferred forest areas. The outdoor teachers used mainly school grounds and local green space for their outdoor teaching with a majority using the same place or mostly the same place and preferring natural environments with easy access. We recommend that green space manag...

Field boundary stone walls as exemplars of 'novel' ecosystems

Abstract: In some parts of Europe, stone wall field boundaries pervade agricultural landscapes, yet despite their prominence there has been very little research into field boundary walls anywhere. However, these anthropogenic features within cultural landscapes may offer insights into current debates on ‘novel’ ecosystems because of their artifice, their longevity in the landscape particularly in remote or exposed regions, and their morphology. In a review of the available, published literature in Europe, it was found that no publications exist that examine or illustrate specific ecological characteristics of field boundary stone walls, despite this longevity. Using examples from Ireland, where these structures are locally abundant, this paper aims first to draw attention to the poorly representative literature on this topic, and thus stimulate research that will detail the potential ecological characteristics of these ancient forms of field boundary. It then briefly explores the potential for these walls ...

Capturing the Intangible and Tangible Aspects of Heritage: Personal versus Official Perspectives in Cultural Heritage Management

Abstract: In discussions on how to handle local heritage values, local values or insider-ness are often seen as synonymous with intangible aspects of heritage. At the same time, expert knowledge is usually associated with material objects, whereby experts have had the power to define what to preserve. In this study of three Norwegian towns, complementary and interdisciplinary methods have been used to address the relationship between personal and official perspectives on cultural heritage values and their tangible and intangible aspects. Results from interviews asking people to describe places they value in the area in which they live have been compared with results from a study of the official heritage plans in three selected towns. The study shows that a gap has unintentionally been constructed in the understanding of cultural heritage. To bridge the gap additional methods for documentation of cultural heritage and their contexts have to be developed. Experiments with various forms of active user partici...

“Instead of 40 Sheep there are 400”: Traditional Grazing Practices and Landscape Change in Western Lesvos, Greece

Abstract: In the semi-arid zones of the Eastern Mediterranean, husbandry of sheep and goats has been an integral part of livelihoods and survival strategies since the Neolithic, but underwent major changes after approximately the 1960s. In this paper, we analyse the landscape changes that were induced by the following increase of sheep numbers and the underlying socio-economic and biophysical driving forces in an insular semi-arid locality of the Eastern Mediterranean, Western Lesvos, Greece. Thirty-four sheep farmers were surveyed and secondary sources such as agricultural statistics and regional literature were analysed. The findings indicate a transition from an agrosilvopastoral system strongly dependent on local ecosystem services to a market economy with intensified animal production that has brought a significant loss of traditional ecological knowledge. This loss is expressed in the simplification of current management practices in comparison to former ones. The causes of the resulting intensificat...

Socio-Economic Demands, Ecological Conditions and the Power of Tradition: Past Woodland Management Decisions in a Central European Landscape

Abstract: Humans have managed European landscapes, including woodlands, for millennia. Prior to the birth of modern forestry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there existed two basic management forms for lowland broadleaved woods: coppicing and wood pasture. While the existence and characteristics of these two basic management types are well-known, the reasons why particular woods were coppiced while others pastured are little investigated. As a case-study, we chose two large ancient woods in the southern Moravian region of Central Europe. One was managed as coppice, while the other as wood pasture for most of their histories. The woods are similar in size, location, climate and vegetation. We examined several potential explanations (terrain morphology, soil productivity, abundance of woodland, ownership and economy) for past management decisions in these woods. We found that the links between soil productivity, economic demands and ownership were of key importance. Other factors were less signif...

Integrating Ecological, Social and Cultural Dimensions in the Implementation of the Landscape Convention

Abstract: Implementation of the European Landscape Convention requires new tools that link ecological, social and cultural dimensions in practical planning. Here, we propose connectivity as a conceptual tool to include different dimensions into landscape and spatial planning. We present a short review of the connectivity concept in relation to ecological, social and cultural dimensions and illustrate it by examples from a real landscape planning case.

Eden, Earth Day, and Ecology: Landscape Restoration as Metaphor and Mission

Abstract: This paper sketches the religious roots of landscape restoration, showing how it morphed from a theological to an environmental agenda, while retaining the fervour of a sacred mission. In the aftermath of Lynn White, Jr.’s ‘Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis’ (1967) and the Earth Day reform mission (1970), convergent redemptive philosophies realigned ecotheology and landscape restoration along Franciscan lines, shedding commandments to subdue and conquer for injunctions to live in harmony with nature. Previously condemned as the antithesis of Eden, wilderness was transformed from dreaded chaos into a redemptive realm that led ecological restorers to idealise and worship supposedly virgin scenes. Instead of getting civilised, wild landscapes were treasured as locales of spiritual and bodily renewal. Favoured locales defiled by human occupance and imprint were restored to simulated wildness. Perceived analogies with archaeology, art, architecture and medicine further shape the aims and convent...

Planning Rural Landscapes: A Participatory Approach to Analyse Future Scenarios in Monferrato Astigiano, Piedmont, Italy

Abstract: The future of rural landscapes in Europe is the subject of considerable debate between policy-makers and researchers. This paper aims to analyse public awareness of social, economic and political forces affecting future rural landscapes in an effort to support local planning policies implementing the European Landscape Convention in a rural landscape (Piedmont, Italy). Public consultation with two focus groups (Institutional Stakeholders and Civil Society Stakeholders) was set up to reveal personal perceptions. In the first part, the main driving forces affecting local landscape transformations were identified and their likely effects were discussed with the participants. Participants’ preferences regarding three alternative future scenarios were analysed in the second part. Results confirmed the complexity of a shared decision-making process in planning rural landscapes. Not only did the two groups differ in expectation, perception and attitude, but also in their interpretation of the landscape s...

Policy Change and ELC Implementation: Establishment of a Baseline for Understanding the Impact on UK National Policy of the European Landscape Convention

Abstract: The European Landscape Convention (ELC) now presents an important frame for the approach to achieving desirable landscape change in Europe. A response within national policy is seen as one way to achieve such change. This paper discusses the process of the construction of a baseline survey as the starting point for examining national policy change in relation to the ELC in the UK. It outlines the theoretical approach and methodology, the components of the baseline and provides concluding comment. The baseline was devised as i) an overview of present understandings of ‘landscape change’ in the UK context; ii) an overview of relevant sectoral policy and tools, iii) a detailed national policy content review and discourse analysis using the principles and Articles of the ELC as monitoring indicators, and iv) a survey summary. Collaborative working, complexity of criteria to judge ‘progress’, the need for transferability and manageability of information and the development of a monitoring framework wit...

“Who Milks the Cows at Maesgwyn?” The Animality of UK Rural Landscapes in Affective Registers

Abstract: Landscapes are complex outplays of intersecting flows of agency in which humans and non-humans combine in a series of registers, and in cycles of comings and goings to make meshworks of life in place. The presence of animals in some landscapes can be particularly culturally, politically, ecologically, and economically significant but are often overlooked or only partially acknowledged. Here I focus on UK rural landscapes which are rich in animal presences both historically and today. I show how animal presences, and human engagements with them, form key elements of individual and collective practices and imaginings of identity. These presences come in many interrelating, messy, and contesting forms, such as companion animals, wildlife, agricultural livestock, and animals bound up with conservation and field sports. In the shifting meshworks of social, cultural, economic, political and ecological forces at work in rural landscapes, the composition of these animal presences, and the natures of these encounters, will be ever-changing but also retain familiar themes and iconographies. I argue that the animality of rurality is far more strongly represented in popular culture (television, film, literature) than it has been in academic readings of the rural. I also suggest that much of the exchange that makes up animality-rurality meshworks is articulated in affective/emotional registers. Landscape and rural studies need to develop awareness of these registers, and means by which they can be more sensitively investigated. This will be an important step in developing our understandings of all landscapes and the practices of relational, affective, everyday life, both of humans and non-humans, within them.

Visual Perception of Agricultural Cultivated Landscapes: Key Components as Predictors for Landscape Preferences

Abstract: This study focuses on the visual perception of agricultural cultivated landscapes by examining the role of five specific landscape components as predictors of visual preferences: field size, lot shape, land texture, crop texture and built elements. The Lower Galilee in northern Israel was chosen as the study area. The landscape was viewed by 90 participants using a photographic representation. Overall, the preference ratings indicated a relatively positive judgment of the agricultural cultivated landscapes. More specifically, the findings suggest that visual preferences regarding agricultural cultivated landscapes may be explained to a large extent by land textures, crop textures and lot shapes that are associated with complexity and fertility. Despite these findings, the intensification of agriculture over the last decades in many agricultural areas is still characterised by the removal of boundaries and the reduction of crop types. Increasing knowledge related to the visual perception of these ...

Landscape Quality in Farmyard Design: An Approach for Italian Wine Farms

Abstract: This study addresses the issue of landscape quality in farmyard design for farm wineries. Tourist and marketing strategies have been increasingly emphasising the relationships between landscape and typical products through the farmyard image. However, ordinary farms often lack accurate design research, due to economic constraints and cultural issues. The study aims at defining the main variables that should be considered in designing outdoor spaces of small and medium-sized wine farms, based on a contemporary interpretation of the hortus topos. It allows us to consider the farmyard as a transition space between architecture (farm buildings) and cultivated land, combining functional and aesthetic values. Landscape, composition and architectural characters of various design solutions, as well as the main requirements and critical issues related to farmyard design have been analysed on a representative sample of farms, with reference to an Italian study area. Moreover, useful design references were o...

Considering the Limits of Rural Place Making Opportunities: Rural Dystopias and Dark Tourism

Abstract: Tourism is viewed as the panacea for rural decline. A critical dimension of this is the recreation of rural places as spaces of consumption as opposed to agricultural production. This transition draws explicitly upon the discourse of the rural idyll, which positions rural places as a utopia of harmony, tranquillity and safety. However, an alternate discourse concerning some rural places exists. This discourse is darker, embodying a rural dystopia. This paper explores the limits of idyllic rural place making opportunities. Drawing upon the systematic stigmatisation of the South Australian rural community of Snowtown, this paper considers the scope for dark tourism to constitute a means of renewal for places characterised as rural dystopias. In doing so, the paper invites discussion on the limited theorisation of dark tourism with specific regards to new rural economies.

Towards Harmonisation in Landscape Unit Delineation: An Analysis of Spanish Case Studies

Abstract: The European Landscape Convention has encouraged member states to develop tools for landscape planning and management. Landscape character assessment is the most widespread approach. The aim of this paper is to identify the main trends in landscape unit delineation in Spain. For this purpose, 29 works are analysed by the Multiple Correspondence technique (MCA). Each work is characterised by a category of the variables: scale, type of extent, geomorphology, land matrix and visual boundaries. Results show that there is an implicit hierarchy in the way Spanish professionals are mapping landscape units. It is more apparent in variables related to geomorphology and less evident in variables related to land matrix. Regarding visual boundaries, they are not usually used at small scales and are more frequent at intermediate and large scales. The definition of clear criteria that allow comparable classifications and the increased consideration of cultural and perceptual factors is encouraged for future la...

Landscape Fieldwork: Scientific, Educational and Awareness-Raising Requirements in the Context of the European Landscape Convention

Abstract: Fieldwork reaches its full potential when one of its key objectives is the interpretation of the landscape. Field trips are part of a longstanding and effective tradition of contact with the natural environment, which has evolved from the nineteenth century to the present day, in accordance with the scientific, educational and awareness-raising requirements of advanced societies. In keeping with the fundamental principles of geographical science, direct contact with the landscape has enabled a holistic approach to our surroundings which are increasingly complex. The European Landscape Convention (ELC) provides a new focus on the enhancement of a landscape culture, one of which main sources is fieldwork. This paper reflects on the evolution and premises of direct landscape data recollection within the frame of the ELC and its contribution to student and general public engagement.

Historical Changes in the Distribution and Abundance of Constructed Ponds in Response to Changing Population Density and Land Use

Abstract: In the United States most ponds are constructed for varying purposes and at varying historical rates, yet little attention is paid to their presence or ecological impact. We evaluated changes in pond density, landscape position with respect to streams, and rates of pond construction and loss within a watershed in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware that has experienced increases in population density and associated changes in land use. Based on aerial photographs taken on nine dates between 1937 and 2005, and maps prepared in 1883, abundances of all water bodies declined slightly from 1883 to 1937, then increased 18-fold during the remainder of the study period. Most ponds in 1883 (94.6%) were ‘in-line’ impoundments receiving stream inflows, whereas ‘off-line’ water bodies without inflows represented 77.3% of total ponds in 2005. Pond loss rates averaged 3.2%/year between 1883 and 1946, but declined to 0.16%/year between 1946 and 2005. Because of their changing abundance and landscape ...

Otters as Symbols in the British Environmental Discourse

Abstract: The otter is a top predator demanding clean water to survive and has thus become an important biological indicator of the purity and health of water and wetland ecosystems. Using the constructivist approach to explore literary and ethnographic sources, I argue that otters, in addition to being biological indicators, have become meaningful and necessary environmental symbols and function as mediators of ecological values. Following this, I argue that the otter is not only a mediating symbol, but also a unifying symbol. Because the appreciation of the otter is uncontested, it can be the spark that kindles further understanding and cooperation between different interest groups in landscape management and land use issues. Finally, the symbolic value of otters as biodiversity markers can benefit other species in need of protection.

Editorial: Living landscape: the European landscape convention in research perspective

Abstract: This special issue reports some of the highlights of the conference Living Landscape – The European Landscape Convention in Research Perspective, organised jointly by UNISCAPE and Landscape Europe ...

The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia

Abstract: Review(s) of: The biggest estate on earth: How aborigines made Australia, by Bill Gammage, Allen and Unwin, 2011, ISBN 978 1 74237 748 3, $49.99 hardback.

The cognitive play behavior affordances of natural and manufactured elements within outdoor preschool settings

Abstract: 1 ABSTRACT Considering the significance of natural environments for children’s mental and physical development, outdoor preschool settings can be critical resources in providing chances for daily contact with nature. Based on Gibson, affordances are functional properties of the environment that suggest specific behavioral options to individuals. Through the application of affordance theory, this study aimed to explore how the physical environment features of two outdoor learning environments composed of a variety of manufactured and natural settings, can afford cognitive play behavior of children. Additionally, the research intended to extend knowledge relating to the association of naturally designed outdoor preschool settings and children’s cognitive play behavior. Through behavior mapping of 62, four-to-five year old children, 471 data points were collected. The results revealed the significance of natural elements in affording all five types of cognitive play behaviors. Natural loose elements had considerable potentiality in affording constructive, dramatic and exploratory play behaviors. In contrast, manufactured fixed elements mostly afforded one type of cognitive play behavior: functional. Exploratory play was the least afforded type of behavior within both outdoor preschool setting which suggests the increase of implementing natural features affording discovery and engaging play opportunities. The results of this study points out the reconsideration of implementing manufactured fixed elements that mostly afford a one-dimensional cognitive function for children. The findings also accentuate the importance of integrating natural elements that can be shaped, explored, and experimented by children in outdoor preschool settings, while providing them daily opportunities to acknowledge nature and develop a sense of stewardship.