Suitability of discrete choice experiments for landscape management under the European Landscape Convention

Amaia de Ayala, David Hoyos and Petr Mariel

Journal of Forest Economics, 2015, vol. 21, issue 2, 79-96

Abstract: Landscapes throughout the world are increasingly being altered as a result of human actions and natural processes, therefore necessitating urgent management. Acknowledging this situation, the European Landscape Convention (ELC) was approved in 2000 with the explicit objective of protecting, managing and planning European landscapes. In this paper, we provide empirical evidence on the suitability of the Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) methodology for valuing multidimensional landscapes under the ELC. An application in the Basque Country, Spain, serves as an example to illustrate that the DCE methodology may be suitable for supporting the aims of the ELC because: (i) it is a tool for public consultation; (ii) it offers an insight into the relative attractiveness of key landscape attributes, such as native forests and farming activities; and (iii) it provides policy-makers with quantitative information on the public preferences for potential future landscape protection, management and planning programmes. The results highlight the important role that the conservation of native forests and the promotion of organic farming may play in the management of European landscapes, which in turn is found to be strongly culturally dependent.

Keywords: European Landscape Convention; Discrete Choice Experiment; Llanada Alavesa; Random Parameter Logit; Willingness to pay; Welfare measure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C51 Q24 Q51 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.jfe.2015.01.002

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