IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v75y2018icp557-569.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Methods for landscape characterisation and mapping: A systematic review

Author

Listed:
  • Simensen, Trond
  • Halvorsen, Rune
  • Erikstad, Lars

Abstract

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of landscape research, many different systems and methods for landscape identification and classification exist. This paper provides a systematic review of 54 contemporary landscape characterisation approaches from all over the world, with the aim of identifying major methodological strategies. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed segregation of the approaches according to the landscape concept applied, the degree of observer independence and various other factors involved in the landscape characterisation process. Our review confirmed a major distinction between approaches rooted in the natural sciences and approaches rooted in the arts and the humanities. Three substantially different methodological approaches or strategies were identified: 1) ‘holistic’ landscape character assessment approaches, by which visual perception and socio-cultural aspects of the landscape are emphasised; 2) landscape characterisation methods based on a priori selection of geo-ecological and land-use-related properties of the landscape; and 3) biophysical landscape characterisation approaches which rely strongly on statistical analyses in order to identify gradients of variation in the presence and/or abundance of landscape elements and properties. Assessment of landform and the composition of natural and human landscape elements was a central part of all of the reviewed methods. A trend towards increasing observer-independence over time was identified.

Suggested Citation

  • Simensen, Trond & Halvorsen, Rune & Erikstad, Lars, 2018. "Methods for landscape characterisation and mapping: A systematic review," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 557-569.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:75:y:2018:i:c:p:557-569
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.04.022
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837717314072
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.04.022?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ioannis N. Vogiatzakis & Maria Zomeni & A. M. Mannion, 2017. "Characterizing Islandscapes: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges Exemplified in the Mediterranean," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Kenneth R. Olwig & Chris Dalglish & Graham Fairclough & Pete Herring, 2016. "Introduction to a special issue: the future of landscape characterisation, and the future character of landscape – between space, time, history, place and nature," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 169-174, February.
    3. Ingrid Sarlöv Herlin, 2016. "Exploring the national contexts and cultural ideas that preceded the Landscape Character Assessment method in England," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 175-185, February.
    4. Mar�a Vall�s & Francisco Galiana & Rafael Bru, 2013. "Towards Harmonisation in Landscape Unit Delineation: An Analysis of Spanish Case Studies," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(3), pages 329-346, June.
    5. Andrew Butler & Ulla Berglund, 2014. "Landscape Character Assessment as an Approach to Understanding Public Interests within the European Landscape Convention," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(3), pages 219-236, June.
    6. Sandström, Ulf G. & Hedfors, Per, 2018. "Uses of the word ‘landskap’ in Swedish municipalities’ comprehensive plans: Does the European Landscape Convention require a modified understanding?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 52-62.
    7. Carles Riu-Bosoms & Teresa Vidal & Andrea Duane & Alvaro Fernandez-Llamazares Onrubia & Maximilien Gueze & Ana C. Luz & Jaime Paneque-G�lvez & Manuel J. Macia & Victoria Reyes-Garcia, 2015. "Exploring Indigenous Landscape Classification across Different Dimensions: A Case Study from the Bolivian Amazon," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 318-337, April.
    8. Walz, Ulrich, 2015. "Indicators to monitor the structural diversity of landscapes," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 295(C), pages 88-106.
    9. J. Kruskal, 1964. "Nonmetric multidimensional scaling: A numerical method," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 29(2), pages 115-129, June.
    10. J. Kruskal, 1964. "Multidimensional scaling by optimizing goodness of fit to a nonmetric hypothesis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 29(1), pages 1-27, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Muñoz-Mas, Rafael & Vezza, Paolo & Alcaraz-Hernández, Juan Diego & Martínez-Capel, Francisco, 2016. "Risk of invasion predicted with support vector machines: A case study on northern pike (Esox Lucius, L.) and bleak (Alburnus alburnus, L.)," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 342(C), pages 123-134.
    2. Willem Heiser, 1991. "A generalized majorization method for least souares multidimensional scaling of pseudodistances that may be negative," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 56(1), pages 7-27, March.
    3. Luís Francisco Aguiar & Pedro C. Magalhães & Maria Joana Soares, 2010. "Synchronism in Electoral Cycles: How United are the United States?," NIPE Working Papers 17/2010, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
    4. Kennen, Jonathan G. & Kauffman, Leon J. & Ayers, Mark A. & Wolock, David M. & Colarullo, Susan J., 2008. "Use of an integrated flow model to estimate ecologically relevant hydrologic characteristics at stream biomonitoring sites," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 211(1), pages 57-76.
    5. Berrie Zielman & Willem Heiser, 1993. "Analysis of asymmetry by a slide-vector," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 58(1), pages 101-114, March.
    6. Andrew Lothian, 2022. "Visual Resource Stewardship—An International Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-38, March.
    7. Jerzy Grobelny & Rafal Michalski & Gerhard-Wilhelm Weber, 2021. "Modeling human thinking about similarities by neuromatrices in the perspective of fuzzy logic," WORking papers in Management Science (WORMS) WORMS/21/09, Department of Operations Research and Business Intelligence, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology.
    8. Patrick Groenen & Bart-Jan Os & Jacqueline Meulman, 2000. "Optimal scaling by alternating length-constrained nonnegative least squares, with application to distance-based analysis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 65(4), pages 511-524, December.
    9. Phipps Arabie, 1991. "Was euclid an unnecessarily sophisticated psychologist?," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 56(4), pages 567-587, December.
    10. Verniest, Fabien & Greulich, Sabine, 2019. "Methods for assessing the effects of environmental parameters on biological communities in long-term ecological studies - A literature review," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 414(C).
    11. Raymond, Ben & Hosie, Graham, 2009. "Network-based exploration and visualisation of ecological data," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(5), pages 673-683.
    12. Luís Aguiar-Conraria & Pedro Magalhães & Maria Soares, 2013. "The nationalization of electoral cycles in the United States: a wavelet analysis," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 156(3), pages 387-408, September.
    13. Etschberger, Stefan & Hilbert, Andreas, 2002. "Multidimensional Scaling and Genetic Algorithms : A Solution Approach to Avoid Local Minima," Arbeitspapiere zur mathematischen Wirtschaftsforschung 181, Universität Augsburg, Institut für Statistik und Mathematische Wirtschaftstheorie.
    14. Si-Tong Lu & Miao Zhang & Qing-Na Li, 2020. "Feasibility and a fast algorithm for Euclidean distance matrix optimization with ordinal constraints," Computational Optimization and Applications, Springer, vol. 76(2), pages 535-569, June.
    15. Groenen, P.J.F. & Winsberg, S. & Rodriguez, O. & Diday, E., 2006. "I-Scal: Multidimensional scaling of interval dissimilarities," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 360-378, November.
    16. J. Carroll, 1985. "Review," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 50(1), pages 133-140, March.
    17. Shuang Zhao & Diechuan Yang & Chi Gao, 2023. "Identifying Landscape Character for Large Linear Heritage: A Case Study of the Ming Great Wall in Ji-Town, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, February.
    18. Aurea Grané & Rosario Romera, 2018. "On Visualizing Mixed-Type Data," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 47(2), pages 207-239, March.
    19. Michael W. Trosset, 2002. "Extensions of Classical Multidimensional Scaling via Variable Reduction," Computational Statistics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 147-163, July.
    20. Saburi, S. & Chino, N., 2008. "A maximum likelihood method for an asymmetric MDS model," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 52(10), pages 4673-4684, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:75:y:2018:i:c:p:557-569. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.