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Assessment of the relationship between ecosystem services and human wellbeing in the social-ecological landscapes of Lefke Region in North Cyprus

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Abstract

Context

Social-ecological landscapes provide essential ecosystem services (ESs) for human wellbeing (HWB). Understanding the relationship between ESs and HWB is important for relevant policy development. Within this context, the purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between ESs and HWB in the social-ecological landscapes of Lefke Region located in North Cyprus.

Objectives

The objectives of the study include: to assess the relative values of ESs, their contributions to HWB, the relationship between ESs and HWB, and the major drivers of change.

Methods

The method of the study comprises two parts: (i) to develop a conceptual framework for assessing the linkages between ESs and HWB and (ii) to apply a socio-cultural preference method for evaluating the relative values of ESs and HWB based on local people’s perception obtained from a questionnaire. The average relative values were estimated by using a 0–5-point Likert scale.

Results

The results of the assessment revealed that the respondents perceived 20 ESs with a medium average relative value in all categories of ESs. These services contribute to 11 components of HWB from the highest (security) to the lowest (existence) degree. The relationship between the ESs and HWB changes from medium to low level in relation to several factors (e.g. culture). Several drivers (e.g. urbanization) have caused changes in the ecosystems and flow of ESs.

Conclusions

The results of this study can contribute to better understanding the human-environment interaction and developing appropriate policies for sustaining ESs and their contributions to HWB in Lefke Region and elsewhere.

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Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my colleagues Prof. Dr. Nur Sozen, Dr. Cemaliye Sunalp, and graduate students (Sinem Ebedi, Aslıhan Aydın and Halil Özet). Also, I like to thank the editor and both anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments in the early process of this paper.

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  1. Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, European University of Lefke, Mersin 10, Turkey

    Gulay Cetinkaya Ciftcioglu

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Correspondence to Gulay Cetinkaya Ciftcioglu.

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Ciftcioglu, G.C. Assessment of the relationship between ecosystem services and human wellbeing in the social-ecological landscapes of Lefke Region in North Cyprus. Landscape Ecol 32, 897–913 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-017-0494-y

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