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Change from Agricultural to Touristic Use Effects on the Aesthetic Value

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Change from Agricultural to Touristic Use Effects on the Aesthetic Value Landscape and Urban Planning 187 (2019) 23–35 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Landscape and Urban Planning journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/landurbplan Research Paper Change from agricultural to touristic use: Effects on the aesthetic value of T landscapes over the last 150 years ⁎ Uta Schirpkea,b,1, , Andreas Altzingera,1, Georg Leitingerb, Erich Tassera a Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy b Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: The demand for cultural ecosystem services (CES) is increasing, and aesthetic values contribute substantially to Cultural ecosystem services attract visitors to mountain regions, enhancing the socio-economic well-being. While most studies focused on the Accessibility assessment of aesthetic values under current conditions, this study aimed to evaluate the historic development of Land use change aesthetic values from the perspective of today by analysing changes in the actual supply of this CES along roads Spatial modelling and paths in Sölden in the Ötztal valley (Austria) since the beginning of tourism. We first mapped roads and Social media paths for five time steps over the last 150 years to then estimate aesthetic values along these infrastructures, using a spatially explicit modelling approach. Furthermore, we compared spatial patterns of visitation pre- ferences derived from social media data with predicted aesthetic values. Our results indicate that an increased access to areas of high aesthetic values was related to general increases in the supply of aesthetic values until 1950. Although the accessibility to high-elevation areas continued to increase until 2017, aesthetic values generally decreased due to landscape changes induced by the shift from mainly agricultural to touristic use. The abandonment of alpine pastures occurred mainly above the forest belt, which coincides with high levels of photo density, as most pictures were taken around mountain huts and on mountain peaks. If carefully planned and managed, mountain regions may actively enhance aesthetic experiences and foster the touristic use by providing good infrastructure, but land use policies and landscape management should support agricultural activities to maintain high levels of aesthetic values. ⁎ Corresponding author at: Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (U. Schirpke), [email protected] (A. Altzinger), [email protected] (G. Leitinger), [email protected] (E. Tasser). 1 Joint first authors. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.03.004 Received 3 September 2018; Received in revised form 15 March 2019; Accepted 16 March 2019 Available online 30 March 2019 0169-2046/ © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/). U. Schirpke, et al. Landscape and Urban Planning 187 (2019) 23–35 1. Introduction important transport route to reach the tourist destinations, but soon, a new tourism infrastructure, such as roads and hotels, was developed Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are commonly defined as non- (Bätzing, 2003). During that time, Alpine Clubs of different countries, material benefits that are generated by human interaction with eco- which are associations focusing on mountain sports, mountaineering systems (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Ecosystems con- and alpinism as well as on related environmental and social issues, did tribute, for example, to aesthetic experiences, recreation, inspiration not only build mountain huts and hiking trails but also access roads to and spiritual enrichment, cultural identity and other cultural values the Alpine valleys (ÖAV, 2011). This increase in tourism infrastructure, that are highly important for physical and mental health and, hence, providing access to new areas, has again positive effects on visitation human well-being (Chan, Satterfield, & Goldstein, 2012; de Vries, van rates (Pomfret, 2011). Dillen, Groenewegen, & Spreeuwenberg, 2013; Triguero-Mas et al., To date, these socio-economic changes have been rarely related to 2015). More leisure time, improved living standards, demographic aesthetic values over a long time span. While few studies analysed the changes and rising concerns about physical and mental health are some effects of past changes of landscape pattern on aesthetic values (e.g., factors that have led, and still are leading, to an increasing demand for Lavorel et al., 2017; Schirpke et al., 2016), the role of accessibility and CES (Guo, Zhang, & Li, 2010). At the same time, in particular, the ex- underlying socio-economic mechanisms have been largely disregarded. tension and intensification of agricultural activities and urban sprawl In this study, we therefore illustrate effects on aesthetic values, origi- result in a decline of ecosystem services and enjoyable environments nating from the shift from agricultural to touristic use since the be- (Metzger, Rounsevell, Michlik, Leemans, & Schröter, 2006). Mountain ginning of tourism, based on the example of the municipality of Sölden regions with an appealing landscape and a high level of near-natural in the Ötztal valley (Austria). Since 4500 BCE, this area has been used habitats are therefore of increasing importance for providing CES, in- as grazing and hunting ground and has later on been settled by people cluding the aesthetic value of the landscape and recreational activities coming from today's region of South Tyrol (Italy) (Haas, Weber, Reiter, (Schirpke, Timmermann, Tappeiner, & Tasser, 2016; Schirpke, Meisch, Wrbka, Prinz, Kaufmann, & Ryffel, 2008). In the 19th century, the Marsoner, & Tappeiner, 2018; Scolozzi, Schirpke, Detassis, Abdullah, & ‘Inner Ötztal valley’ was deployed by a typical agrarian community Gretter, 2015; Tenerelli, Demšar, & Luque, 2016). In this sense, the which relied on livestock farming during summer and on craft activ- aesthetic value is one of the most important values that people associate ities, mainly weaving, during winter. Due to the limited income op- with the landscape and that vitally contributes to human well-being portunities in the agricultural sector, many people emigrated during (Bieling, Plieninger, Pirker, & Vogl, 2014). this time, inducing a decrease in the number of inhabitants from around Landscapes are often used for destination marketing of touristic 200 in 1760 to 39 in 1910. New income sources were found in the mountain locations (Pechlaner, Raich, & Zehrer, 2007). However, the upcoming tourism sector, with the curate and alpinist Franz Senn landscapes of mountain regions all over the world have been and still playing an important role. He was a co-founder of the German Alpine are subject to changes due to altered socio-economic conditions that Club (DAV) and supported the construction of mountain huts and determine the type and intensity of land use (Briner, Elkin, & Huber, hiking trails. Mountain huts are buildings located at high elevations and 2013; Cocca, Sturaro, Gallo, & Ramanzin, 2012; Egarter Vigl, Schirpke, provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers; they are Tasser, & Tappeiner, 2016; Munteanu et al., 2014; Semwal et al., 2004). mostly only accessible by foot. There are also other buildings (Almen) In the European Alps, the fundamental structural change started in the where cattle herders (Senner) live during the summer while they look 19th century, when farming, crafts and mining became less important after grazing livestock. Today, many of these ‘Almen’ also offer food due to the industrial revolution (Bätzing, 2003). Agricultural areas with and beverages for tourists. good climatic conditions and easily accessible with machineries were Accessibility to the Ötztal valley strongly increased with the con- intensified, whereas less accessible areas, especially alpine pastures, struction of the Arlberg railway in 1848 (Meixner & Siegl, 2010) and were often abandoned (Rutherford, Bebi, Edwards, & Zimmermann, the enlargement and paving of paths (Meleghy, Preglau, & Walther, 2008; Tasser, Ruffini, & Tappeiner, 2009; Zimmermann, Tasser, 1982; Portnov, Axhausen, Tschopp, & Schwartz, 2011). This is also Leitinger, & Tappeiner, 2010). Consequently, the agriculturally used reflected in the increase in tourists. In 1863, around 100 tourists were area in the Alps decreased from almost 50% in 1850 to 28% in 2000 counted in Obergurgl (Meixner & Siegl, 2010). From 1951, the number (Egarter Vigl et al., 2016). This decline of the traditional cultural of overnight stays increased from 100,000 (Austrian Central Statistical landscape results in altered landscape patterns and affects the provision Office, 1953) to more than 2.5 million in 2016 (Statistics Austria, of ecosystem services (Garbarino, Sibona, Lingua, & Motta, 2014; 2016). In contrast, a sharp decline in the number of farmers (from 230 Lavorel et al., 2017; Navarro & Pereira, 2012). Roughly at the same farmers in 1951 to 18 full-time farmers in 1999) caused a decrease in time as the beginning decline in farming, first economic activities re- managed grassland and arable land by 63%, resulting in an increase in lated to tourism started in some parts of the Alps (Kariel & Kariel, natural grassland, forest and shrub areas. Such socio-economic devel- 1982). After a period of stagnation caused by two world wars, tourism
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