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Sociocultural valuation of ecosystem services to improve protected area management: a multi-method approach applied to Catalonia, Spain

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Abstract

The notion of ecosystem services is considered useful for integrating perceptions and values into decision-making on environment and nature. Sociocultural factors have been suggested to explain perceptions and values assigned to ecosystem services. We examine this by undertaking a sociocultural valuation of ecosystem services provided by the natural park of Sant Llorenç del Munt, located at the edge of the Barcelona Metropolitan Region. Four methods are used, namely a review of the literature on ecosystem services, non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and a valuation survey among visitors. We assess whether visitors and other stakeholders understand the term ecosystem service, finding that the concept is rather unknown or misunderstood. Among the 28 ecosystem services identified, habitat and cultural services were the most valued. We statistically identify socioeconomic characteristics of visitors that have a main influence on their valuation of ecosystem services. We further assess diverging preferences of all stakeholders that might give rise to conflicting views about policies for protected areas. We draw lessons about the usefulness of the multi-method approach and about the management of protected areas.

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by the project “CONNECT—Linking biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services,” which is part of ERA-NET BiodivERsA 2 (http://www.biodiversa.org). We received national funding from “Programas Internacionales” of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ref.PRI-PIMBDV-2011–1053). We thank the experts and stakeholders for participating in the interviews, and Laia Echániz-Pou for elaboration of the map of the study area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Z, UAB Campus, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain

    Sara Maestre-Andrés, Laura Calvet-Mir & Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh

  2. Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    Laura Calvet-Mir

  3. ICREA, Barcelona, Spain

    Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh

  4. Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh

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  1. Sara Maestre-Andrés
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  2. Laura Calvet-Mir
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  3. Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh
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Correspondence to Sara Maestre-Andrés.

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Editor: Elena M. Bennett.

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Maestre-Andrés, S., Calvet-Mir, L. & van den Bergh, J.C.J.M. Sociocultural valuation of ecosystem services to improve protected area management: a multi-method approach applied to Catalonia, Spain. Reg Environ Change 16, 717–731 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0784-3

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