Identifying and mapping the tourists⿿ perception of cultural ecosystem services: A case study from an Alpine region

Landscapes provide an array of services to society, from the provision of food and material, to the provision of cultural ecosystem services such as recreation, aesthetics or spirituality. Studies on cultural ecosystem services, however, remain rare and little is known about the spatial localisation of these services. In this study, we adopt and test a framework to identify and map the provision of cultural ecosystem services as perceived by tourists in an Alpine region, i.e. the region of South Tyrol in Italy. A photo-based questionnaire survey is combined with cartographical representations of landscape types to elicit hot and coldspot areas of cultural ecosystem service provision. We statistically test for influences of the land use type and the respondents' socio-demographic background on the tourists' perception of these services. The results show that different spatial patterns emerge for each of the investigated cultural ecosystem services depending on the distribution and extent of the landscape types to which they are related. In particular traditionally managed landscapes, small in extent and mainly scattered over large areas between 1000 and 2200 m a.s.l., are hotspot areas of aesthetic beauty, leisure activities and spirituality. In contrast, intensively managed landscapes, mainly located in the lowland plains of the study site, are considered to be more important for the provision of cultural heritage values. While the results suggest that land use type exerts the strongest influence upon tourists' perception, factors such as the respondents' perceived importance of the services, their gender, cultural background, environmental engagement and experience with the landscape play a significant but subordinate role. We conclude that the spatially explicit information about the provision of cultural ecosystem services can serve as a helpful basis for the design and further implementation of land use policies that acknowledge the high touristic value of traditionally used landscapes in mountain regions.     

外商直接投资对中国西部矿业的潜在发展

文章对外商直接投资我国矿业的重要意义进行了全面论述,进而又分析了当前影响外商直接投资矿业的种种障碍,最后提出了克服这些障碍的三大举措.     

舟山群岛新区港口区位势评价及其发展战略研究——基于舟山、宁波、上海三港区位势的实证分析

舟山群岛新区是国务院继上海浦东新区、天津滨海新区和重庆两江新区之后批准设立的第四个国家级经济开发新区,港口物流功能的发挥是舟山群岛新区建设是否成功的重要标志.文章构造并运用港口区位势理论模型,量化分析舟山群岛新区港口及其主要竞争港口的区位势,模型结论显示了舟山群岛新区港口的相对能力以及在长三角区域港口物流体系的地位,并以此为依据提出舟山群岛新区港口发展思路及相应的保障措施.