A Review of Changes in Mountain Land Use and Ecosystem Services: From Theory to Practice

Ileana Pătru-Stupariu, Constantina Alina Hossu, Simona Raluca Grădinaru, Andreea Nita, Mihai-Sorin Stupariu, Alina Huzui-Stoiculescu and Athanasios-Alexandru Gavrilidis
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Ileana Pătru-Stupariu: Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, ICUB, Transdisciplinary Research Centre Landscape-Territory-Information Systems, CeLTIS, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
Constantina Alina Hossu: Department of Regional Geography and Environment, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
Simona Raluca Grădinaru: Department of Regional Geography and Environment, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
Andreea Nita: Department of Regional Geography and Environment, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
Mihai-Sorin Stupariu: Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, ICUB, Transdisciplinary Research Centre Landscape-Territory-Information Systems, CeLTIS, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
Alina Huzui-Stoiculescu: Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, ICUB, Transdisciplinary Research Centre Landscape-Territory-Information Systems, CeLTIS, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
Athanasios-Alexandru Gavrilidis: Department of Regional Geography and Environment, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: Global changes impact the human-environment relationship, and, in particular, they affect the provision of ecosystem services. Mountain ecosystems provide a wide range of such services, but they are highly sensitive and vulnerable to change due to various human pressures and natural processes. We conducted a literature survey that focused on two main issues. The first was the identification of quantitative methods aimed at assessing the impact of land use changes in mountain regions and the related ecosystem services. The second was the analysis of the extent to which the outcomes of these assessments are useful and transferable to stakeholders. We selected papers through a keyword-driven search of the ISI Web of Knowledge and other international databases. The keywords used for the search were mountain land use change and ecosystem service. Quantitative approaches to ecosystem service assessment rely on suitable indicators, therefore land use/land cover can be used as an appropriate proxy. Landscape metrics are a powerful analytical tool; their use can increase the accuracy of assessments and facilitate the mitigation of specific phenomena, such as fragmentation or the reduction of core habitat areas. Mapping is essential: it is the basis for spatial analyzes and eases the interactions between stakeholders. Land use/land cover change is a temporal process, so both past and future approaches are meaningful. It is necessary to enhance information transfer from theory to practice. Increasing stakeholder awareness can lead to suitable management solutions, and, reciprocally, stakeholder feedback can help improve current assessment methodologies and contribute to developing new tools that are suitable for specific problems.

Keywords: mountain ecosystem services; land use change; scenarios; stakeholders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:9:p:336-:d:417095

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