Substitution effects and spatial factors in the social demand for landscape aesthetics in agroecosystems

Abstract

One of the cultural ecosystem services provided by agroecosystems is landscape aesthetics, which has a very positive effect on social well-being. In many areas, such as the Mediterranean, changes in land use have been negatively affecting the provision of this service, which is becoming increasingly crucial in the formulation of agricultural policies. The objective of this paper was to assess the social demand for agricultural landscape aesthetics, considering both the levels of use and the willingness to contribute to its conservation. This was done while considering the existence of substitute landscapes and spatial effects. The flowering fruit trees in Cieza (SE-Spain) were used as a representative case study of semi-arid Mediterranean agricultural landscapes. A survey of 493 households was conducted, in which a contingent valuation exercise was implemented. The results demonstrated the availability of alternative spaces in the region and spatial effects, such as distance decay or distance increase, were factors that explain the diverse aspects of the social demand for the agricultural landscape. This justifies the suitability of carrying out this type of analysis of complete social demand as a preliminary step towards the formulation of more effective agricultural and land management measures to achieve social well-being.