Perceived contributions of multifunctional landscapes to human well-being: evidence from 13 European sites

Nora Fagerholm, Berta Martín-López, Mario Torralba, Elisa Oteros-Rozas, Alex M. Lechner, Claudia Bieling, Anton Stahl Olafsson, Christian Albert, Christopher M. Raymond, Maria Garcia-Martin, Natalie Gulsrud, Tobias Plieninger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

85 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Multifunctional landscapes provide critical benefits and are essential for human well-being. The relationship between multifunctional landscapes and well-being has mostly been studied using ecosystem services as a linkage. However, there is a challenge of concretizing what human well-being exactly is and how it can be measured, particularly in relation to ecosystem services, landscape values and related discussions. In this paper, we measure self-reported well-being through applying an inductive free-listing approach to the exploration of the relationships between landscape multifunctionality and human well-being across 13 rural and peri-urban sites in Europe. We developed a face-to-face online survey (n = 2,301 respondents) integrating subjective perceptions of well-being (free-listing method) with mapping perceived ecosystem service benefits (Public Participation GIS, PPGIS approach). Applying content analysis and diverse statistical methods, we explore the links between well-being (i.e. perceived well-being items such as tranquillity, social relations and health) and social-ecological properties (i.e. respondents' sociocultural characteristics and perception of ecosystem service benefits). We identify 40 different well-being items highlighting prominently landscape values. The items form five distinct clusters: access to services; tranquillity and social capital; health and nature; cultural landscapes; and place attachment. Each cluster is related to specific study sites and explained by certain social-ecological properties. Results of our inductive approach further specify pre-defined conceptualizations on well-being and their connections to the natural environment. Results suggest that the well-being contributions of multifunctional landscapes are connected to therapeutic well-being effects, which are largely neglected in the ecosystem services literature. Our results further point to the context-specific character of linkages between landscapes and human well-being. The clusters highlight that landscape-supported well-being is related to multiple interlinked items that can inform collective visions of well-being in the future. For landscape planning and management, we highlight the need for place-specific analysis and consideration of perceptions of local people to identify the contributions to their well-being. Future research would benefit from considering the experiential qualities of value and well-being as they relate to direct experiences with the landscape and wider psychological needs, specifically over time. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)217-234
Number of pages18
JournalPeople and Nature
Volume2
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ecosystem services
  • free listing
  • human well-being
  • landscape planning
  • multifunctional landscapes
  • PPGIS
  • quality of life
  • self-reported well-being

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