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J. Beldade & T. Panagopoulos 2010. Integrating esthetical and ecological values at the central Asia landscape change
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Integrating esthetical and ecological values at the central Asia
landscape change
Joana Beldade & Thomas Panagopoulos
Centre of Spatial Research and Organizations (CIEO), University of Algarve, Campus
de Gambelas, 8000 Faro, Portugal
Abstract
Desertification is the gradual transformation of usable land into desert; is usually caused by
climate change or by destructive use of the land. The present study examines how a person
interprets desert landscapes using phenomenological methodology. In ecological aesthetics
pleasure is derived from knowing on how the part of the landscape relate to the whole. The
objective of the present paper is to describe how to integrate landscape aesthetics into landscape
planning of the Central Asia Silk Road area. A questioner was used as research tool to measure
landscape preference. The questions were constructed following the principles of
phenomenology. After qualitative and quantitative analysis, 7 main categories of cognitive
aspects of natural landscapes were identified. Each landscape evoked each participant's
memories and background, and altered through these influences, imagination/association,
impression, aesthetic judgments, and meaning and attractiveness of nature. All the above played
their role in the evaluation of desert landscapes.
Keywords: Desert landscape, aesthetics, landscape assessment, phenomenology
1. Introduction
There is mounting evidence pointing to the relationship between climate change effects and
landscape preferences (Cambers, 2009). Landscape preferences and perceptions usually are
influenced by demographic elements such as age, gender and ethnicity; as well as culture
(Brunson & Shelby, 1992). With few exceptions, most of those studies have examined
perceptions of environments within relative non-dynamic periods. There is therefore a scarcity
of studies on perceptions of desert landscapes that are undergoing reclamation. In light of
climate change, such investigations are crucial to the understanding of adaptation processes. It is
argued, that to a great extent, tourists’ perceptions have been left out of the debate on desert
landscape adaptation and climate change.
Given that desertification within major tourism destinations is an inevitable consequence of
climate change a deeper understanding of user perceptions can provide a holistic view to
adaptation processes. As the morphological structure of desert landscapes changes, social
driving forces will have to change not only in the way in which they visualize these areas but
also in how they relate to these natural environments and how sense of place changes in those
spaces.
The idea of beauty in landscapes has changed during the history of civilization and aesthetics
has been a topic of debate for philosophers, artists and architects since at least the time of
Socrates (Thorn and Huang, 1991; Carlson, 2002). At present, aesthetics is being taken into
consideration by environmental managers and policy makers (Canter, 1996). Symmetry and
other classical rules such as the ‘golden mean’ were the most important components of
Forest Landscapes and Global Change-New Frontiers in Management, Conservation and Restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology
Working Group International Conference, September 21-27, 2010, Bragança, Portugal. J.C. Azevedo, M. Feliciano, J. Castro & M.A. Pinto (eds.)
2010, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.