Does socioeconomic diversification enhance multifunctionality of mountain landscapes?

Lisa Huber, Uta Schirpke, Thomas Marsoner, Erich Tasser and Georg Leitinger

Ecosystem Services, 2020, vol. 44, issue C

Abstract: Multifunctional landscapes optimise the benefits for stakeholders by providing multiple demanded ecosystem services (ESs) within the same area. Although previous studies have indicated human-induced trajectories of landscape pattern and ESs supply in the European Alps, relationships between these aspects and the implications for landscape multifunctionality are little studied. In this case study in the Austrian Alps, we revealed significant changes in landscape pattern, a significant decline in provisioning ESs and an increase in cultural and regulating ESs between 1860 and 2015. Overall, multifunctionality (i.e., the sum of ESs) decreased from 1860 to the middle of the twentieth century and increased afterwards. These changes in multifunctionality can be explained by climate- and human-induced changes in landscape composition, particularly by an increase in the diversity of land use/land cover (LULC) types and a decrease in glacier and unused grassland areas. Landscape composition has been altered by inhabitants as economic focus shifted from agriculture to tourism. Our findings improve the understanding of interlinkages between changes in socioeconomic characteristics, LULC, landscape patterns and multiple ESs. Moreover, we indicate the importance of low-intensity agricultural activities and landscape protection to enhance multifunctionality in tourism-oriented land use systems.

Keywords: European Alps; Ecosystem services; Spatial analysis; Sustainability; Landscape management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoser:v:44:y:2020:i:c:s2212041620300644

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101122

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