Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Maria BACHER VU Advanced statistics –

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Background… 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

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps … and impacts (1)…

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps … and impacts (2)

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Societal desired landscape in the Alps Problems 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.

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps 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.

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps The standardised questionaire – our most important tool

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Questionaire - Overview 1.Assessment of photo series to judge possible future landscape scenarios 2.Expectations from landscape in general 3. Ecosystem services 4.Assessment of extensification and intensification of agricultural landuse 5.Agricultural subsidies

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Face-to-face Interviews in Tyrol and South Tyrol - Standardised questionnaire (12 pages) - Period: Summer Target groups : - Locals - Tourists more than 3200 answered questionnaires

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps 1. Descriptive results 2. Factor analysis 3. Factor analysis

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Interviews - Overview Frequency% Locals Tyrol40012,5 Locals Sout Tyrol63919,9 Tourists Tyrol100331,2 Tourists South Tyrol117036,4 TOTAL Age classes Frequency% , , ,2 60 plus65620,7 TOTAL Sex (1=female, 2=male) Tourists - Origin Living place

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps 1. Descriptive results Photo series 1: How do you like these pictures? 1= do not like at all, 5= like very much

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps 1The farmer should get public financial help. 2The farmer should get public financial help, if the meadow is ecologically valuable and if he mantains certain requirements. 3The meadow should be abbandoned. Q8: Immagine a farmer isn‘t able to cultivate a meadow in a profitable way anymore. What should happen to this meadow?

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps … a cultural loss. … a natural consequence of the economic development. … bad for tourism. … is an enrichment for for the landscape scenery. 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. Q10: The intensive agricultural land use is… Applies not al all Applies completely

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Photo series 4: How do you like these pictures? 1= do not like at all, 5= like very much

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps TOP

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Procedure: 1. Estimation of a correlationmatrix 2. Estimation of factor loadings 3. Determination of the number of factors 4. Rotation of the factor loadings to enhance the factorinterpretation 2. Factor analysis - Theory ab Example of a varimax- rotation: a) before and b) after the rotation Factor analysis is a multi-variate statistical process that relates a multitude of variables to common basic dimensions based on their mutual correlative relationships.

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Results - Factor analysis Aim: T o describe variability among observed variables in terms of a potentially lower number of unobserved variables called factors. -Lots to explore -Finding peace -Doing things I like to do -Awakes memories -Threat -Insecurity -Feeling foreign -Feeling free -No commitments -Diversity -Mystery -Orientation -Recreation -Particularity -Harmonic unit -Cultivated better then wild Security Manifested Variability (%): 54,41 AutonomyLegibilityDiscoveryExperience

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

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps 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

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps Results - Factor analysis Aim: T o describe variability among observed variables in terms of a potentially lower number of unobserved variables called factors. -Lots to explore -Finding peace -Doing things I like to do -Awakes memories -Threat -Insecurity -Feeling foreign -Feeling free -No commitments -Diversity -Mystery -Orientation -Recreation -Particularity -Harmonic unit -Cultivated better then wild Security Manifested Variability (%): 54,41 AutonomyLegibilityDiscoveryExperience

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps 3. Clusteranalysis Hierarchical CA Method: Ward Distance: Euclidean N. of objects: 2580

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps 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

Maria BACHER - Landscape preferences in the Alps THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!