Pedosphere Research, vol. 4, 2024, no. 2: 95 – 108
Original paper
POSSIBILITIES OF EVALUATION OF CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICE (RECREATION) IN AGRARIAN LANDSCAPE EXAMPLE OF A MODEL REGION
Jarmila Makovníková1, Stanislav Kološta2, Boris Pálka1
1 National Agricultural and Food Centre – Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute Bratislava, Mládežnícka 36, Regional Station, 974 04 Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic
2 Matej Bel University, Faculty of Economics, Tajovského 10, 974 01 Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic
Corresponding author: RNDr. Jarmila Makovníková, PhD., National Agricultural and Food Centre – Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute Bratislava, Slovakia, e-mail: jarmila.makovnikova@nppc.sk, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3328-405X
Citation: Makovníková J., Kološta, S., Pálka, B. (2024). Possibilities of evaluation of cultural ecosystem service (recreation) in agrarian landscape example of a model region. Pedosphere Research, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 95–108, NPPC – VÚPOP Bratislava, ISSN 2729-8728. https://doi.org/10.64122/j.pedosres.2024.04.06
Abstract
The quantification and assessment of ecosystem services is also one of the driving forces of the sustainable development of human activities in the context of natural capital. Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are among the most important values that people associate with nature. They are defined as non-material intangible benefits that humans derive from ecosystems and directly influence the quality of life The aim of the article was to apply and compare three different approaches to the assessment of one of the cultural ecosystem services (CES) – recreation, at the Krupina model region in Slovakia using: 1) a matrix system, 2) assessment based on SolVES model 3) assessment base on RegModel. The matrix system is suitable when data availability is limited. For agricultural systems, it is more suitable at the national scale, while at regional and local scales its informative value regarding the potential for recreation is only indicative and only with respect to other ecosystems. CES analysis using the SolVES and RegMod models are more suitable for regional application, as they can provide more accurate spatial data on CES, specifically on the potential for recreation at both regional and national scales. The management of agriculturally used lands is a way to realize the benefits of a wide range of ecosystem services, especially when considering synergistic effects. The potential of grasslands to provide cultural agroecosystem services can significantly contribute to the economic stability and prosperity of farmers in a particular region. Lands with low production potential can be preferentially used for recreational purposes, e.g. in the field of agrotourism.
Keywords: ecosystem services, recreation, matrix approach, SolVES model, Krupina region