Sustainable Forest, Beautiful Forest, Well-Managed Forest: Attitudes towards Land Management and Their Influence on the Perception of a Mediterranean Agroforestry Landscape

Abstract

Aesthetic and ecological qualities overlap and interrelate in people’s attitudes towards landscapes. Additionally, the way a landscape manager is perceived, as well as the way a landscape is managed, usually play a significant role in the interpretation of these dimensions and how they are evaluated. A qualitative study was conducted in a Mediterranean agroforestry landscape (Sierra Oeste, Madrid) to understand how different components of a landscape (ecology, aesthetics, and management) influence the way that itis understood and valued by local stakeholders. Based on the results of a series of semistructured interviews and focus groups, a detailed analysis of the participants’ discourse was conducted. A series of guidelines for land planning and management were derived to reinforce the social perceptions of the landscape and enhance its ecological and aesthetic conditions.