Differences in the experience of cultural ecosystem services in mountain protected areas by clusters of visitors

• Protected Areas (PA) provide multiple cultural ecosystem services (CES). • We analyse linkages between visitor characteristics and CES demand. • We use on-site surveys and participatory mapping in four European mountain PA. • We identify three clusters of visitors differing in CES use and location (“short time visitors”, “long-stay visitors”, and “regular visitors”). • Understanding of visitors CES demand is key for mountain PA management. Protected Areas contribute to the conservation of nature with associated cultural ecosystem services (CES) and values, such as recreational and educational opportunities, wildlife observation, scenic beauty, inspiration and sense of belonging. Informed management of Protected Areas needs to consider the distinct use and preferences for CES of different types of visitors to increase opportunities for nature experience while avoiding conflicts with biodiversity conservation. Therefore, it is important to understand the linkages between visitor characteristics and their demand for specific sets of CES, particularly in fragile mountain ecosystems. Here we do so by combining information from individual on-site surveys and participatory mapping of visitors in four European mountain Protected Areas. We analysed visitors’ frequency of use of eight CES and their socio-demographic information, identifying three clusters of visitors. We also assessed the spatial distribution of CES locations used by each visitor cluster. Our results highlight strong differences between clusters both in the most frequently experienced CES and in the spatial location where those CES were experienced. We suggest that a better understanding of visitors regarding the way they experience nature is relevant for the environmental management of mountain Protected Areas and their surroundings.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ecosystem Services
Published
2024-09-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2024.101663
Citations
11
Primary Topic
Land Use and Ecosystem Services
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.11

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article

Differences in the experience of cultural ecosystem services in mountain protected areas by clusters of visitors

Aletta Bonn, Marco Heurich, Cláudia Carvalho‐Santos, Ana Paula Portela et al.
11 citations
Ecosystem Services
Land Use and Ecosystem Services
3.11
article

Differences in the experience of cultural ecosystem services in mountain protected areas by clusters of visitors

Aletta Bonn, Marco Heurich, Cláudia Carvalho‐Santos, Ana Paula Portela, Christian Rossi, María R. Felipe‐Lucia, Ana Sofía Vaz, Volker Grescho, Franziska Pöpperl, Melissa Marselle, Ana Stritih, Ángel de Frutos, Florian Porst, Émilie Crouzat, Jonna M. Heuschele
article en
11 citations

Abstract

• Protected Areas (PA) provide multiple cultural ecosystem services (CES). • We analyse linkages between visitor characteristics and CES demand. • We use on-site surveys and participatory mapping in four European mountain PA. • We identify three clusters of visitors differing in CES use and location (“short time visitors”, “long-stay visitors”, and “regular visitors”). • Understanding of visitors CES demand is key for mountain PA management. Protected Areas contribute to the conservation of nature with associated cultural ecosystem services (CES) and values, such as recreational and educational opportunities, wildlife observation, scenic beauty, inspiration and sense of belonging. Informed management of Protected Areas needs to consider the distinct use and preferences for CES of different types of visitors to increase opportunities for nature experience while avoiding conflicts with biodiversity conservation. Therefore, it is important to understand the linkages between visitor characteristics and their demand for specific sets of CES, particularly in fragile mountain ecosystems. Here we do so by combining information from individual on-site surveys and participatory mapping of visitors in four European mountain Protected Areas. We analysed visitors’ frequency of use of eight CES and their socio-demographic information, identifying three clusters of visitors. We also assessed the spatial distribution of CES locations used by each visitor cluster. Our results highlight strong differences between clusters both in the most frequently experienced CES and in the spatial location where those CES were experienced. We suggest that a better understanding of visitors regarding the way they experience nature is relevant for the environmental management of mountain Protected Areas and their surroundings.

Ecosystem ServicesVol. 70
Landscape Institute (GB), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (DE), University of Freiburg (DE), Universidade do Porto (PT), Universidad de Zaragoza (ES), Bavarian Forest National Park (DE), German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (DE), Swiss National Park (CH), University of Surrey (GB), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), University of Inland Norway (NO), Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (ES), Departamento de Educación (ES), Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (PT), Technical University of Munich (DE), Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR), University of Minho (PT)
European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Land Use and Ecosystem Services
3.11
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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