How Did Sheep Save the Day? The Role of Dry Stone Wall Heritage and Agropastorality in Historical Landscape Preservation. A Case-Study of the Town of Cres Olive Grove

The dry stone wall landscape surrounding the town of Cres is a unique cultural landscape; it is one of the largest well-preserved historical olive groves in the Croatian Adriatic, while simultaneously serving as pasture for sheep. Still, there are currently no studies that capture this landscape as a multifunctional whole or which acknowledge its relevance within the current multidisciplinary discussions. The aim of this paper is to clarify past and current circumstances surrounding and affecting it. The study focuses on two main pillars of landscape preservation: (1) dry stone wall structures and (2) agro-pastoral practices; giving an overview of its historical formation and current management and trends. The goal is to establish knowledge that can be used as a foundation for the management of this area and present a good practice example for the preservation of historical landscapes in the Mediterranean region. The research involved combined desk and fieldwork: cartographic data analysis, literature analysis, GIS elaboration, terrestrial and aerial photographs and observations, followed by interviews with local informants. Continuous investing in the production of quality olive oil and the evolution of the landscape into a multifunctional agro-pastoral-touristic space is what enabled its preservation. This multifunctionality can only be matched by a diversity of scientific studies and this study aimed at providing the first step—a foundation for the identification of the values of the Cres landscape, with the scope of better precising further planning and management.

ARE CITY FEATURES INFLUENCING THE BEHAVIOR OF PHOTOGRAPHERS? AN ANALYSIS OF GEO-REFERENCED PHOTOS SHOOTING ORIENTATION

Every day millions of social media users upload information as texts, pictures or likes. These online posts are nowadays mainly uploaded via a smartphone, that adds automatically complementary pieces of information such as the device’s location and orientation. This additional material is valuable for public services, and can be used to reinforce knowledge provided by typical methods. This study aims to inquire this additional material to observe the influence of city features on public behavior. A semi-automated workflow is introduced to combine two large datasets: the flickR geo-referenced photos (associated with their shooting orientation) and the OpenStreetMap streets’ network. The study is conducted in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. This workflow promotes a novel approach to download, filter, compute and visualize large cluttered datasets. The investigations showed a significant difference between South/North photos’ orientation with a South dominance. Furthermore, the photographs’ orientation appears to be related to the street network, or city elements (such as remarkable buildings, fountains) only at a local scale; no connection was established at a larger scale. These results can be useful in urban planning for the diagnosis of a public place practice by its users (i.e., residents, tourists, etc.). An improved diagnosis promotes a better knowledge of a public space’s remarkable elements (by their attractiveness or unsightliness), easing the decision on conservation or transformation of these elements. Other applications are also outlined, notably in the touristic sector or the landscape preservation.

Landscape valuation of historical tourism site in Northern Iran: A case study from Sheikh-Zahed Tomb

In Iran, the importance of landscapes and the need to preserve these unique assets is not particularly recognized especially at tourism and environmental sites. This study investigated the landscape valuation of Sheikh-Zahed Tomb in Northern Iran. The contingent valuation method (CVM), which is based on a survey model, was used to assess visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) in order to preserve the landscape. The data used in this study were collected though face-to-face interviews with 157 visitors to a historic tomb in the first half of 2019. The results indicate that the average of respondents’ WTP to preserve the landscape was 0.47 $ per year. The annual total economic value (TEV) of the landscape is estimated to be 11 960 782 $. Respondents’ age, monthly income of the respondent’s household, the tomb accessibility, the tomb architectural attraction, and proposed price for the landscape preservation had significant effects on WTP. Proposed empirical model (CVM) provides a comprehensive framework for illustrating landscape valuation of natural heritages and historical tourism sites globally as well as in Iran. Highlights for public administration, management and planning: • The evaluation of landscape values of historical site of Sheikh-Zahed tomb (Iran) for visitors is presented. • Both types of qualitative and quantitative variables affect WTP of visitors for the landscape preservation. • Among the key factors, the accessibility to the landscape affects its value for visitors, and the pristine and original landscape of the tomb is important for visitors.

Cultural Landscape Preservation and Social–Ecological Sustainability

Cultural landscapes are the result of social–ecological processes that have co-evolved throughout history, shaping high-value sustainable systems [...]

Understanding the Relationships between Extensive Livestock Systems, Land-Cover Changes, and CAP Support in Less-Favored Mediterranean Areas

Farm abandonment and over-extensification trends in less-favored livestock breeding areas in the Mediterranean have led to socio-environmental issues that are difficult to assess and address, due to the characteristics of these areas (e.g., poor data availability and reliability). In a study case that presents many of the characteristics common to these areas, we combine qualitative and quantitative approaches to assess (i) the relationship between livestock production and land-cover change and (ii) the drivers of farmer decisions, concerning the types of livestock they breed. We show that the Common Agricultural Policy’s objective of open-landscape preservation cannot be achieved through the observed livestock management practices, with the most heavily CAP subsidy-dependent activities (e.g., suckler-cow breeding) having one of the weakest contributions to this objective. We also econometrically show that suckler-cow breeding is more likely to be adopted as a complementary or main activity in farms facing a labor scarcity and land abundance context. These results complement the literature and contribute to the discussion regarding the design of CAP support for less-favored Mediterranean areas.

Mosaic Landscape Structures in Relation to the Land Use of Nitra District

Mosaic landscape structures with traditional forms of land use are currently the most important landscape features, especially from the point of landscape and cultural-historical perspective. Their typical features are the alternation of the areas of narrow-field fields, meadow vegetation and permanent cultures, especially vineyards and orchards. Their presence in the territory is mainly related to the rich vineyard and fruit-growing tradition. On the territory of the Nitra district, we record the most extensive mosaic landscape structures from the south to the north-eastern part. These are heterogeneous units, typical of the rotation of small-area land management, scattered by non-woody vegetation and habitat. In the mosaic landscape structures, we also find elements of the traditional settlement architecture of the houses ‘hajloch’. Significant landscape elements in the form of mosaic structures survive thanks to the rich viniculture tradition. In the long run, however, there are changes in their use: they are often the subject of inheritance, they are converted into holiday homes or they are used for the needs of an expanding residential development. The aim of our study is to point out the dynamic and changes that occurred in the mosaic landscape structures between the two-time horizons (the 50s of the 20th century and the present). For this purpose, we use geospatial analysis to evaluate their area representation, spatial characteristics in relation to the surrounding settlement structure and selected properties of relief forms. The analysis and evaluation of the spatial diversity of mosaic landscape structures as important landscape elements play a significant role in protecting the natural and cultural heritage values of the area from the aspect of species diversity and rich gene pool, visual perception of the landscape, preservation of ecological stability of landscape, landscape potential and overall landscape diversity.

Rangeland Grazing Strategies to Lower the Dependency on Imported Concentrates in Norwegian Sheep Meat Production

Norway has vast rangeland resources (292,361 km2) with an estimated carrying capacity of nearly four million sheep and lambs, twice the current number. However, the intensive production system currently applied has led to more concentrate dependency, resulting in heavier animals in addition to poorer utilization of rangelands and homegrown feed. Intensive feeding systems indirectly influence the sustainability of ecosystems by promoting intensive cropping that can deplete soil fertility and threaten landscape preservation and biodiversity. By contrast, extensive grazing systems can produce environmentally and animal-friendly food products and contribute to regulating soil health, water and nutrient cycling, soil carbon sequestration, and recreational environments. In this paper, the economics of current sheep feeding practices in Norway, using a linear programming model, were compared with more extensive systems which allow for higher usage of on-farm feed resources. Changes in current sheep farming practices have the potential to increase lamb meat production relative to mutton production, in addition to improving the year-round supply of fresh meat. The investigated alternatives, using the Norwegian White Sheep (NWS) breed, suggest that delayed lambing is useful only on farms with abundant pastures available for autumn feeding. Lambs achieve a better market price than hoggets and mature sheep. Therefore, based on the current Norwegian meat market and price offered per kilogram of meat for lamb, an increase in NWS lamb production improves farm profits. On the other hand, when the aim is on greater use of homegrown feed and rangelands, this can be achieved through hogget production, and the quantity of concentrates required can be reduced substantially.