The extrapolation of social landscape values to a national level in New Zealand using landscape character classification

Abstract

The human perception and valuation of landscapes is a complex process but has been pragmatically advanced through public participation GIS (PPGIS). PPGIS methods have the capacity to generate spatial data to empirically examine relationships between human landscape values and physical landscape character. In 2011, PPGIS methods were used to identify a range of social landscape values for two regions in southern New Zealand, Otago and Southland. Seven of these landscape values were analysed to identify significant relationships with physical landscape character from the New Zealand Landscape Classification system. In this paper we examine methods to extrapolate landscape values from this regional data set to a national level using these landscape value and character relationships. In the absence of empirical value data at a national level, we examine two quantitative approaches for extrapolating landscape values: (1) landscape component weights based on the percentage of value counts found within landscape components, and (2) landscape component weights based on the ratio of landscape values to the landscape area. We prepare and present maps of seven landscape values for the entire country of New Zealand to demonstrate the method. We conclude that landscape value extrapolation can assist impact assessment for land use change but should be kept simple for decision support.