Evaluation of the landscape aesthetic experiences of olive groves and their contributions to human wellbeing: a case study from Akdeniz protected area in Northern Cyprus

Abstract Olive groves have played a crucial role in the sustainable development of the Mediterranean region throughout history. Even though they provide diverse benefits (e.g., ecological and economic) for human wellbeing (HWB), little is known about the landscape aesthetic experiences that olive groves offer and how they contribute to the different aspects of HWB. Such an oversight in the literature was the main source of motivation for the present study. To this end, the landscape aesthetic experiences of olive groves and their contributions to HWB among four distinct cultural groups were evaluated in Akdeniz Protected Area of Northern Cyprus by identifying the typologies for the landscape aesthetic experiences of olive groves and HWB, employing a preference-based questionnaire (on a 1–5-rating scale), and focus group discussions. The results showed that the respondents mostly appreciate the landscape aesthetic experience of olive groves for their ‘uniqueness’ (3.93 points), ‘olive-related products’ (3.90 points), and ‘naturalness’ (3.85 points). The total average mean score was estimated to be low, with 2.98 points. The landscape aesthetic experiences of olive groves mostly contribute to the ‘food’ (4.81 points), ‘physical health’ (4.68 points), ‘access to clean air’ (4.48 points), and ‘mental health’ (4.43 points) components of HWB. The overall contribution was estimated to be medium with 3.45 points. Culture was identified as the factor that affects the landscape aesthetic experiences of olive groves and their contributions to HWB. Consequently, landscape aesthetic experience should be used as a standard tool in landscape planning, management, and associated policies to enhance the protection of the olive groves, increase community awareness regarding the effective management of their lands and resources, and influence their attitudes and behaviors.