Can We Model the Scenic Beauty of an Alpine Landscape?

Uta Schirpke, Sonja Hölzler, Georg Leitinger, Maria Bacher, Ulrike Tappeiner and Erich Tasser
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Uta Schirpke: Institute for Alpine Environment, EURAC research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Sonja Hölzler: Institute for Alpine Environment, EURAC research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Georg Leitinger: Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Maria Bacher: Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Ulrike Tappeiner: Institute for Alpine Environment, EURAC research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Erich Tasser: Institute for Alpine Environment, EURAC research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy

Sustainability, 2013, vol. 5, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: During the last decade, agriculture has lost its importance in many European mountain regions and tourism, which benefits from attractive landscapes, has become a major source of income. Changes in landscape patterns and elements might affect scenic beauty and therefore the socio-economic welfare of a region. Our study aimed at modeling scenic beauty by quantifying the influence of landscape elements and patterns in relationship to distance. Focusing on Alpine landscapes in South and North Tyrol, we used a photographic questionnaire showing different landscape compositions. As mountain landscapes offer long vistas, we related scenic beauty to different distance zones. Our results indicate that the near zone contributes by 64% to the valuation of scenic beauty, the middle zone by 22%, and the far zone by 14%. In contrast to artificial elements, naturalness and diversity increased scenic beauty. Significant differences between different social groups (origin, age, gender, cultural background) occurred only between the local population and tourists regarding great landscape changes. Changes towards more homogenous landscapes were perceived negatively, thus political decision makers should support the conservation of the cultural landscape.

Keywords: distance zones; landscape composition; landscape diversity; regional development; scenic beauty; socio-demographic groups (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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