Changes in use and landscape preferences on the agricultural-livestock landscapes of the central Iberian Peninsula (Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

The abandonment of traditional uses over the last 60 years of the dehesa landscapes of the central Iberian Peninsula is leading to an increase in trees and bushes and to a big change in the structure of these landscapes. We studied one of these cases, comparing four different points in time of the ecological succession (years: 1930, 1957, 1995 and 2010) which were from photorealistic simulations represented by digitally treated photographs. Different groups of users (livestock farmers, managers and recreationists) have different landscape preferences. The livestock farmers tend to prefer open landscapes, in comparison to the recreationists and managers who show a preference for landscapes with denser vegetation. These differences could be related to certain cultural components or expectations with regard to uses on these landscapes. The relationships between landscape preferences, expected uses on the territory and environmental goods and services should be taken into account in the context of an environmental planning involving participation and democracy.