Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Landscape assessment'

Researchers' attempts to provide an objective, analytical basis for understanding observers perceptual preferences for landscapes is the basis of the field of landscape perception research. Within this field a series of paradigms have evolved around which the majority of research has been centered. One of these, the experiential paradigm focuses on the multi-sensory nature of mars relationship with the landscape. This study seeks to define a scope of dynamic variables effecting landscape perception and their impact on landscape preference.A study site in rural Indiana was selected and a loop trail was laid out to provide access to the site. Sixteen sites along the trail were defined as experiential test sites and were field marked and photographed. A test group was guided through the study area and was asked to give a preference rating for each site on a five point scale as well as in an open ended verbal response. Two weeks following the on site testing the same group was asked to provide preference ratings in the laboratory for slides of the same 16 sites experienced in the field.The resulting data was analyzed to determine to what extent dynamic variables were impacting preference for landscape experiences. Multisensory elements of the environment were found to have a direct impact on preference. This was reflected in both verbal and scaled preference data. In addition to this, experiential preference wwas also determined to be associated with the sequence in which experiences occurred. The linkage provided by transitional landscapes encountered as respondents progressed between test sites proved to be an important element of experiential preference. This 'clustering' effect was evident in the laboratory as well as in the field.T he results of this, research illustrate the importance of dynamic variables as essential components of landscape preference. This study further supports the use of verbal response formats as a method for determining the true scope of perceptual variables attributing to preference. In conjunction with this, the importance of transition landscapes and experiential sequencing identified in this research merits additional study in order to more precisely define the structure of the human / landscape interaction.
Department of Landscape Architecture

The object of this thesis is to provide, through a thorough analysis of human perception and interaction with aesthetics and landscape quality, a comprehensive basis on which to develop a credible methodology for the large scale assessment of perceived landscape quality. The analysis of human perception and interaction with aesthetics and landscape quality is gained by inquiring in depth into a range of theoretical constructs from key disciplines, cultural aspects, and empirical studies covering : 1. the contribution of philosophers to aesthetics 2. the psychology of perception and colour 3. the contribution of Gestalt psychology to aesthetics 4. the psychoanalytical construct of human responses to aesthetics 5. the influence of culture on landscape preferences, tracing the changing perceptions of mountains, the portrayal of landscapes in art, and the design of parks and gardens 6. a review of over 200 surveys of landscape quality in the late 20th century, including typologies and theories of landscape quality Based on the analysis of these and the knowledge gained, an empirical study is formulated and conducted, comprising a study of landscape quality of South Australia, an area of nearly 1 million km - 1. This involves, firstly, the acquisition of data covering the delineation of landscape character regions for the State, photography of these landscapes, derivation of a set of representative slides, and rating of these by groups of participants. Secondly, these preference ratings are comprehensively analysed on the basis of the attributes of the scenes covering land form, land cover, land use, water bodies, naturalism, diversity and colour. Thirdly, the results are applied as follows: 1. a map of landscape quality of South Australia is derived 2. the results are used to predict the effect that changes in land use ( e.g. clearance of trees ) will have on landscape quality 3. the theoretical constructs of landscape quality are evaluated on the basis of the preference ratings 4. a protocol is detailed to guide the undertaking of large - scale landscape quality assessment. The thesis thus fulfils the objective of conducting a thorough analysis of human perception and interaction with, aesthetics and landscape quality, to provide a basis for developing a credible methodology for the large - scale assessment of perceived landscape quality.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Social Sciences, 2000.

This study presents a systematic assessment of landscape experiences in the state of Arizona through the use of mail survey techniques. It investigates how residents perceive and experience the everyday nonurban landscape and identifies where valued landscape experiences occur, what activities are associated with those locations and why those places and activities are highly valued. Geographic and socio-economic differences in landscape experiences are explored among survey respondents and information is provided to resource managers for predicting valued outdoor activities and environmental experiences. The overall aims of this research were to develop ways of studying environmental experiences that would: (1) identify the places, the activities, and the reasons for engaging in those activities related to outdoor experiences; (2) indicate the relationships among these three components; and (3) assess the probable influence of personal background characteristics and place of residence variables upon these judgments, choices, and relationships. Findings suggest considerable agreement among respondents on the components of valued landscape experiences and show that different landscape types are supportive of different outdoor activities and of different kinds of experiences. Also revealed was a tendency by respondents to select items occupying positions at the beginning of reponse listings. Analyses also indicate few significant relationships between components of valued landscape experiences and socio-economic characteristics of respondents and between components of valued landscape experiences place of residence variables including geographic location, community size, and familiarity with or awareness of specific landscapes.

Over the last two decades, researchers in landscape perception research have responded to the problem of preserving landscape scenery by examining issues of landscape management, planning and design in a number of countries. One of the underlying problems encountered over this period of time has been a lack of landscape perception theories essential to development of an integrated approach to assessing and mapping scenic value. The "Information Processing Model" proposed by Kaplan and Kaplan (1982) has received a considerable amount of attention in application of a theoretical model for landscape assessment. It describes concepts related to cognitive processes which provide an objective, analytical basis for understanding observers' preference for landscape scenery. In a Pioneering research effort, Brown and Itami (1982) used this theory as a basis for assessing and mapping scenic quality.However, the one component not successfully incorporated into the model has been mystery. Research has continued to reveal the underlying structure of the mystery attribute. This study looks at validating a refined definition of the mystery component of the Kaplan Model and develops a quantitative procedure based upon physical landscape characteristics and inherent landscape composition classes for predicting and mapping this mystery attribute, in the rural Indiana landscape. This study utilizes MultiDimensional Scaling to test the mystery component of the Kaplans' model and to confirm the dimensions of the mystery model as proposed by Gimblett and Fitzgibbon (1987). Ninety color slides of rural landscape scenery were presented to 26 respondents who rated each photograph on a five point scale for mystery. The selecticn of the mappable variables used to describe the four variables of mystery and landscape composition classes were based on the relationships of the mystery variables to the prediction of mystery in the study. The predictive model developed in this study incorporates land form and land use measures and each were assessed and combined to derive composite ratings of mystery. These groups were normalized and weighted in relationship to each other in order to derive composite values of mystery which then were mapped. The results of this research strongly theoretical model yet has the capability to be spatially illustrate a clearer understanding of the variables contributing to the perception of mystery and reveals a comprehensive procedure for assessing and mapping mystery. Finally, this research strongly supports the Kaplan and Kaplan (1982) conceptual model as a reliable, comprehensive mapped and utilized by researchers and practioners in the overall quest for determining scenic quality for landscape preservation and management practices.
Department of Landscape Architecture

Landscapes are changing environments. Conservation of the amenities associated with landscapes must take into account the tendency of a landscape to change over time. Change is considered to be influenced by both cultural land use practices and natural resource processes which act on the landscape. A technique is developed which demonstrates an approach to measure the stability of landscapes. This approach also provides a means to qualify the importance of the elements which make up the landscape, thus defining the matrix of the landscape. A case study of the San Pedro National Conservation Area is used to demonstrate the technique. Sampled at three intervals 1935, 1973 and 1986 the landscape is shown to be stable, identifying this area with intrinsic value for conservation. Landscape scale assessments are shown to be inappropriate for ecosystem scale changes.

This project was designed to extend the principles of natural categorization to the classification of landscapes for visual quality assessment. In the first study, 20 lay people named and outlined distinct geographic units on USGS topographic maps. Six of the units identified were selected for further study on the basis of ratings of overall environmental quality, familiarity, and naturalness. Consensual names and boundaries of the units were determined. In the second study, the same 20 subjects rated 15 scenes from each of the 6 units for representativeness (typicality) and visual quality. The ratings of representativeness and visual quality were highly reliable, with coefficients ranging from.98 to.84. The correlations between representativeness and visual quality were variable. The correlations were positive for the two high environmental quality units (r =.78 and r =.83, p<.05). Representativeness and visual quality were positively related for one of the two moderate quality environments (r =.53, p<.05). In the two low quality environments, the correlations were non-significant, but for one of these units there was a negative trend (r = -.45), and this relationship was significantly different from the other five correlations. Overall, these results suggest that the principles of natural categorization are active in the conceptual analysis of environments, judgements of representativeness and visual quality are reliable, and judgements of representativeness and visual quality are not the same. Judgements of representativeness can be used in resource decision making to provide reliable information about what is characteristic of an environment and to determine how development proposals relate to the existing character of an area. In addition, the principles of natural categorization are used in connectionist models to explain how humans identify objects and develop concepts. The principles of natural categorization are active in environmental perception, but it remains to be seen whether the connectionist approach can provide adequate models of environmental perception. This research provides a method which can be used to study how environmental perception relates to natural categorization.

This research attempts to establish that landscapes can support and enhance a business identity program. Previous environmental perception research has investigated affective and cognitive responses to natural landscapes, but little, if any, research has explored the area of meaning in a business landscape. Consequently, this study develops a theoretical framework from which to demonstrate a business identity in the landscape. In an effort to structure a framework for both affective and cognitive meanings in business environments, this study draws on past environmental perception research that focuses on affective responses to molar environments. From out of this research design, affective and cognitive dimensions are identified that allow testing of business identities in the environment. Findings show that landscapes can support and enhance an overall business identity program. The study concludes with a discussion of future research that might further the benefits of landscapes to the business community.

Thesis (M. L. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009.
Includes special report study entitled: The aesthetic design of road and bridge landscapes. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Master of Landscape Architecture
Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning
Howard Hahn
Disc golf is on the rise. Disc golf is a sport based on traditional golf but played with a flying disc instead of a ball and club. It was formalized in the 1970s and has grown steadily ever since, particularly in the last decade. Landscape architecture has largely ignored this phenomenon, except for two MLA theses (Plansky, 2013a; Hutzelman, 2012). This seems unusual, considering that landscape architecture has been called the most relevant degree to disc golf course design (DGCD, 2014). This study assesses the relationship between landscape architecture and disc golf. A general research question guides this study: what added benefit, if any, might landscape architects bring to disc golf course design and development? This guiding question is explored through three subquestions: 1) what services might landscape architects offer disc golf course development, 2) how might landscape architectural services be used by the current state of disc golf course development, and 3) how might future course development types take full advantage of the services provided by landscape architects? This project used literature synthesis, analysis of existing data, and three types of exploratory designs to answer the above questions. The results of these methods showed that landscape architects can add value to disc golf course design and development through their skillsets and process. Not every landscape architect necessarily possesses the skills and experience to design a disc golf course, but landscape architects as a whole can propose disc golf courses if they have a basic knowledge of course requirements. A closer relationship between landscape architects and disc golf would be beneficial for the growth of the profession and the sport. This report concludes with recommendations and an action plan to reach this goal.

The presented dissertation entitled „Development and Validation of a Landscape Metrics Based Approach for Standardized Landscape Assessment Considering Spatial Patterns” addresses three main questions: I. Which ecosystem services depend on landscape structure? II. How can landscape metrics be used to achieve a standardized routine for assessing the impact of landscape structure on the hereon dependent ecosystem services? III. How can regional planning benefit from the consideration of landscape structural effects on the provision of ecosystem services? The PhD study was carried out in the context of the Climate Change adaptation project REGKLAM (funding code 01 LR 0802). The work package “Land Use” was conducted at the Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecology of the TU Dresden under the direction of Prof. Dr. Makeschin. The PhD study took place in the framework of a sub-work package of it, which was called “Integrated Land Use Assessment”. The aim of this sub-work package was the evaluation of Climate Change adaptation strategies at the landscape scale in a cross-sectoral manner. The ecosystem services concept was chosen as methodological framework for this purpose. Particular motivation of this PhD study was that landscape structural aspects are often not sufficiently considered in commonly used ecosystem services assessment approaches. A standardized assessment procedure regarding the impact of the composition and configuration of land use/ land cover types is not yet existent in contemporary planning approaches, neither in strategic environmental assessment. In my thesis, I developed in the period from 2010 to 2014 a methodological basis which addresses this challenge. My thesis was realized as cumulative dissertation, which consists of three articles. These articles are published in peer-reviewed, ISI-listed international journals, whereas the third article still is in press. The short introduction in chapter one gives information on the motivation and the structure of the thesis. In chapter two, the research hypothesis is formulated and scope and objectives are explained. Chapter three gives an overview of the history of landscape metrics, the state-of-the-art, and current research in topic. In chapter four, the model region, focus areas, and the methodological basis are described. The fifth chapter summarizes results of the three articles (Frank et al. 2012, 2013, in press). Discussions in chapter six critically reflect the methodology and identify limitations, strengths, and its contribution to regional planning and to decision-making. Furthermore, some suggestions for extending the approach to other ecosystem services, especially regulating services, are made and perspectives towards different research questions are shown. Chapter seven summarizes the main outcomes of the PhD study. The central output of the dissertation is a module of GISCAME, a land use change impact assessment platform for supporting regional planning. The landscape metrics based ecosystem services assessment approach facilitates calculation, combination, and interpretation of a choice of landscape metrics and, hence, the evaluation of the impact of composition and configuration of land use patterns on ecosystem services. I selected eleven focus areas in the planning region “Upper Elbe Valley/Eastern Ore Mountains” to demonstrate the application and validation of the landscape metrics based approach that I propose in my dissertation. With these use cases, I show that the landscape structure significantly influences the provision of the ecosystem services ecological integrity and landscape aesthetics. Within the first use case I could demonstrate that the afforestation planning can be enhanced by including landscape metrics in the planning process. Actual priority areas for afforestation do not contribute to ecological integrity at the regional scale. Landscape fragmentation, habitat connectivity, and landscape diversity must be taken into account in order to identify most efficient priority areas for afforestation in terms of enhancing ecological integrity. The second use case focused on the question, how landscape structure influences scenic beauty. By means of a survey, I performed a comparison between the landscape metrics based approach and landscape perception of 153 respondents. This test underpinned my assumption that a landscape metrics based routine allows conclusions on the value of landscape aesthetics. The third use case gives practical advice in the current planning challenge about how to enhance water erosion protection planning in the context of Climate Change. Here, I demonstrated that not only land use change in preferential water erosion paths, but especially the change of management strategies combined with an improvement of landscape structure have the capacity to reduce water erosion potential by 92 %. The results show that it is of great importance to consider landscape structural aspects in current and future regional planning questions because additional, relevant planning information becomes tangible. The comparison of the presented method with other landscape metrics based approaches for ecosystem services assessment shows that the interpretation of the landscape metric values in the GISCAME platform module goes one step further towards usability for planning support: its transparency, spatial transferability, and flexibility are the main strengths of the approach. However, there is a clear need to involve the impact of landscape structure aspects also regarding other ecosystem services
Die vorgelegte Dissertation mit dem Titel „Entwicklung und Validierung eines auf Landschaftsstrukturmaßen basierten Ansatzes zur standardisierten Landschaftsbewertung unter Berücksichtigung räumlicher Muster“ behandelt die drei Hauptfragen I. Welche Ökosystemdienstleistungen hängen von der Landschaftsstruktur ab? II. Wie können Landschaftsstrukturmaße genutzt werden, um ein standardisiertes Bewertungsverfahren dieser abhängigen Ökosystemdienstleistungen zu ermöglichen? III. Wie kann die Regionalplanung von der Berücksichtigung der Effekte von Landschaftsstruktur auf die Bereitstellung von Ökosystemdienstleistungen profitieren? Die Promotions-Studie wurde im Rahmen des Klimawandel-Anpassungs-Projektes REGKLAM (Förderkennzeichen 01 LR 0802) durchgeführt. Das Arbeitspaket „Landnutzung“ wurde am Institut für Bodenkunde und Standortslehre der TU Dresden unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. Makeschin bearbeitet. Die Promotions-Studie erfolgte im Rahmen des Teil-Arbeitstaktes „Integrierte Landnutzungsbewertung“. Ziel dieses Teil-Arbeitspaketes war die Bewertung von Klimawandel-Anpassungs-Strategien auf Landschaftsebene in Sektor-übergreifender Weise. Zu diesem Zweck wurde das Ökosystemdienstleistungskonzept als methodischer Rahmen gewählt. Der spezielle Anlass dieser Promotion-Studie war, dass landschaftsstrukturelle Aspekte in gebräuchlichen Ökosystemdienstleistungs-Bewertungsansätzen oft ungenügend berücksichtigt sind. Ein standardisiertes Bewertungsverfahren des Einflusses von Zusammensetzung und Anordnung von Landnutzungs-/Landbedeckungstypen existiert weder in aktuellen Planungsansätzen noch in Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfungen. In meiner Dissertation entwickelte ich im Zeitraum von 2010 bis 2014 eine methodische Grundlage, welche diese Herausforderung angeht. Meine Promotion wurde als kumulative Dissertation, welche aus drei Artikeln besteht, umgesetzt. Diese Artikel wurden in begutachteten, ISI-gelisteten, internationalen Journalen veröffentlicht, wobei sich das dritte aktuell im Druck befindet. Die kurze Einleitung im ersten Kapitel informiert über die Beweggründe und die Struktur der Dissertation. Im zweiten Kapitel ist die Forschungshypothese formuliert sowie Geltungsbereich und Zeile erläutert. Kapitel drei gibt einen Überblick über die Geschichte der Landschaftsstrukturmaße, den aktuellen Forschungsstand und aktuelle Forschungsfelder. Im vierten Kapitel sind die Modellregion, die Fallstudien-Gebiete, sowie methodische Grundlagen beschrieben. Das fünfte Kapitel fasst die Ergebnisse der drei Artikel (Frank et al. 2012, 2013, im Druck) zusammen. Diskussionen in Kapitel sechs reflektieren die Methodik kritisch und identifizieren ihre Grenzen und Stärken sowie den Beitrag der Ergebnisse zu Regionalplanung und Entscheidungsfindung. Darüber hinaus werden einige Empfehlungen zur Erweiterung des Ansatzes für weitere Ökosystemdienstleistungen, insbesondere regulierende Leistungen, getroffen und Perspektiven zur Anwendung für andere Forschungsfragen werden aufgezeigt. Kapitel sieben fasst schließlich die wichtigsten Ergebnisse der Promotions-Studie zusammen. Das zentrale Ergebnis der Dissertation ist eine Erweiterung des Entscheidungsunterstützungs-Werkzeuges GISCAME. Der auf Landschaftsstrukturmaßen basierende Ökosystemdienstleistungs-Bewertungsansatz ermöglicht die Berechnung, Kombination und Interpretation einer Auswahl von Landschaftsstrukturmaßen und somit die Bewertung des Einflusses von Zusammensetzung und Anordnung von Landnutzungsmustern auf Ökosystemdienstleistungen. Ich wählte elf Fokusgebiete in der Planungsregion „Oberes Elbtal/Osterzgebirge“ aus um die Anwendung und Validierung des auf Landschaftsstrukturmaßen basierenden Ansatzes, den ich in der Dissertation vorschlage, zu demonstrieren. Mittels dieser Anwendungsfälle zeige ich, dass die Landschaftsstruktur die Bereitstellung der Ökosystemdienstleistungen ökologische Integrität und Landschaftsästhetik erheblich beeinflusst. Im ersten Anwendungsfall konnte ich zeigen, dass die Aufforstungsplanung durch die Einbeziehung von Landschaftsstrukturmaßen in den Planungsprozess verbessert werden kann. Vorranggebiete für Waldmehrung in ihrer derzeitigen Form tragen nicht zur ökologischen Integrität auf der regionalen Ebene bei. Landschaftszerschneidung, Biotopverbund und Landschaftsdiversität müssen vermehrt beachtet werden, um Vorranggebiete für Waldmehrung für eine Verbesserung der ökologischen Intaktheit effizienter anzuordnen. Der zweite Anwendungsfall richtete sich auf die Frage, wie Landschaftsstruktur die Landschaftsästhetik beeinflusst. Mithilfe einer Befragung verglich ich den auf Landschaftsstrukurmaßen basierenden Ansatz mit der Landschaftswahrnehmung von 153 Befragten. Dieser Test untermauerte meine Annahme, dass das auf Landschaftsstrukurmaßen basierende Vorgehen Rückschlüsse auf den ästhetischen Wert einer Landschaft zulässt. Der dritte Anwendungsfall gibt praktische Hinweise bezüglich der aktuellen Planungs-Herausforderung, wie Erosionsschutzplanung im Kontext des Klimawandels verbesset werden kann. In diesem Fall konnte ich zeigen, dass nicht nur Landnutzungsänderungen in präferenziellen Abflussbahnen, sondern insbesondere eine Änderung der Bodenbearbeitungsstrategie in Kombination mit verbesserter Landschaftsstruktur das Potential hat, die potentielle Wassererosion um 92 % zu reduzieren. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es von großer Bedeutung ist, landschaftsstrukturelle Aspekte in aktuellen und zukünftigen Planungsfragen zu berücksichtigen, da somit zusätzliche, maßgebliche Informationen greifbar werden. Der Vergleich der vorliegenden Methodik mit anderen Ansätzen, die Landschaftsstrukturmaße nutzen um Ökosystemdienstleistungen zu bewerten, zeigt, dass die automatisierte Interpretation der Landschaftsstrukturmaße mittels des neuen Moduls in GISCAME einen Schritt in Richtung Nützlichkeit für Planungsunterstützung geht: Transparenz, räumliche Übertragbarkeit und Flexibilität sind weitere Stärken des Ansatzes. Jedoch gibt es eindeutig den Bedarf den Einfluss von Landschaftsstruktur auf weitere Ökosystemdienstleistungen einzubeziehen

Letecká termální hyperspektrální data přinášejí řadu informací o teplotě a emisivitě zemského povrchu. Při odhadování těchto parametrů z dálkového snímání tepelného záření je třeba řešit nedourčený systém rovnic. Bylo navrhnuto několik přístupů jak tento problém vyřešit, přičemž nejrozšířenější je algoritmus označovaný jako Temperature and Emissivity Separation (TES). Tato práce má dva hlavní cíle: 1) zlepšení algoritmu TES a 2) jeho implementaci do procesingového řetězce pro zpracování obrazových dat získaných senzorem TASI. Zlepšení algoritmu TES je možné dosáhnout nahrazením používaného modulu normalizování emisivity (tzv. Normalized Emissivity Module) částí, která je založena na vyhlazení spektrálních charakteristik nasnímané radiance. Nový modul je pak označen jako Optimized Smoothing for Temperature Emissivity Separation (OSTES). Algoritmus OSTES je připojen k procesingovému řetězci pro zpracování obrazových dat ze senzoru TASI. Testování na simulovaných datech ukázalo, že použití algoritmu OSTES vede k přesnějším odhadům teploty a emisivity. OSTES byl dále testován na datech získaných ze senzorů ASTER a TASI. V těchto případech však není možné pozorovat výrazné zlepšení z důvodu nedokonalých atmosférických korekcí. Nicméně hodnoty emisivity získané algoritmem OSTES vykazují více homogenní vlastnosti než hodnoty ze standardního produktu senzoru ASTER.

Landscape scenic preference based on user input is an important element in planning decisions. On-site observation is generally not the most efficient method. As a consequence, various landscape simulations have been used including black and white pictures, color pictures, color slides, models, and 16mm film.Recognizing the need to simulate the landscape for user preference testing, the limitations of the presentation media currently being utilized were investigated. Shuttleworth (1980) discussed three possible limitations with photographic simulations: the restrictive field of vision found in a camera, the lack of three-dimensional objects and movement and the need to include landscape elements to resolve conflicts of where objects are in the landscape.Video was selected as the focus of this research because it was a medium which might mitigate the problems found in the use of other media. It was tested against an established presentation medium in the form of slides.Four formats were developed to test forty rural Indiana landscape scenes. All of the thirty respondents in the study participated in the landscape scenic preference testing using slides. The same group was then randomly assigned to three video formats for the second day of testing. Thethree video formats were video pan with sound (video pan is the rotation of the camera on its axis for ninety degrees), video pan without sound, and video hold (video hold is a focus on a particular scene for five to eight seconds).The respondents preference ratings were analyzed using three approaches: Analysis of Variance, Mean ratings of the various scenes, and a questionnaire. The results of this study clearly indicate that video pan with sound is the most accurate presentation medium than can be used to elicit observers' responses to landscape scenery. In addition, this study also suggests that video could have a major impact on understanding observers' preferences and revolutionize current approaches to understanding human behavior in the areas of planning and design.
Department of Landscape Architecture

Between 1940 and 1970 the cultural landscape of Yellowstone National Park's Canyon development changed dramatically. The government relocated visitor services away from the rims of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to a new development, inaugurating the National Park Service's Mission 66 redevelopment program. Replacing the 70-year-old, "organically grown," rustic settlement was a Modern, preconceived village resembling 1950s suburbia. This study examines how different generations of Yellowstone visitors have experienced two dramatically disparate and contested versions of Canyon as a park place. The old Canyon settlement was established incrementally and grew organically. It was tied to a geographic point and its pattern evolved through time. Unfortunately, the settlement was built quite close to the canyon's rim. When developments at Canyon were initiated in the 1880s, national parks represented a new responsibility for the federal government-a new type of land use. Entrepreneurial interests and visitor expectations challenged the government's ability to regulate visitor place creation. By the mid-1930s, federal park planning strategies matured and government control strengthened. Planners recognized the undesirable location of Canyon's visitor settlement. The government persuaded park concessioners to move the tourist settlement away from the canyon, motivated in part by the nation's developing preservation ethic. The Mission 66 initiative also encouraged a dramatic reworking of the Canyon area, producing much of the cultural landscape visible today. The formation and evolution of that landscape illustrates the evolving political strength and maturation of federal government stewardship in national parks.

Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) provides a structured approach to identifying the character and distinctiveness about the landscape. It is a tool used to identify what makes a location unique, a set of techniques and procedures used to map differences between landscapes based on their physical, cultural and historical characteristics. Although the UK has committed to assessing all of its landscapes by signing the European Landscape Convention in 2006, only 60% of coverage has been achieved. The majority of LCAs are carried out by professional environment or landscape consultancies rather than ‘in-house’. Geographical Information Systems are increasingly being used to collate and analyse data and produce character maps. This research presents a Spatial Decision Support System (LCA-SDSS) based in ArcGIS 9.3 that can be used to support decision makers in conducting a LCA. The LCA-SDSS provides a method for storing data, a model base for the assessment of Landform, Ground Type, Land Cover & Cultural attributes and a method for the user to interact with the resulting maps. Using the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) as a study area the SDSS was developed and tested, resulting in character maps for each stage of the modelling and a final characterisation map. These maps were compared to a LCA conducted by a professional environmental consultant and were found to have produced a good quality assessment as verified by the end user at the Tamar Valley AONB Partnership.

A rule-based expert system was developed to evaluate landscape quality from the perspective of a landscape designer/architect. The rationale for the development of such a system is that it can provide explanations for final assessments and retain this information during the reasoning process. The system also provides for systematic consideration of a broad range of variables with complex interrelationships. The entire system is composed of four subsystems programmed in VPI PROLOG. These subsystems are each separate expert systems for the assessment of man-made features, natural features, spatial organization and visual composition. The prototype of the system has been preliminarily tested and the results of the evaluation of selected landscape photographs is encouraging. The visual quality determination along with the explicit explanations, which are the translation and interpretation of the expert rules used in the reasoning process, were shown to be important in achieving a better understanding and evaluation of the landscape visual quality.
Master of Science

Landscape-based approaches to solving environmental issues have been widely recommended by scientists and policy makers. These issues are found at the interface of social and ecological systems. Understanding the social dimensions of landscape issues has been suggested as part of the solution. This doctoral research integrated theoretical concepts with survey-based numerical taxonomy and qualitative analysis to explore three social dimensions underpinning decision-making at the landscape scale in rural Australia. These linked social dimensions that provided a research focus were sense of place and accompanying social capital that is embedded within private, social and institutional practice in discourses of the environment. Complex systems theory provided the framework to explore the interactions and relationships between these dimensions and to describe the emergent processes. The first phase of this research developed theoretically and empirically derived conceptual models for the three dimensions. These models provided a basis for operationalisation for the survey-based numerical taxonomy in the second phase. Data for this analysis was collected through survey questionnaires (124 returned with 60% response rate) from two social catchments (the Katanning Zone in the Blackwood Basin in Western Australia and the Condamine Headwaters in the upper reaches of the Murray Darling Basin in Queensland). The results from the numerical taxonomy provided a focus for semi-structured interviews (24 representative participants) that provided further analysis through qualitative methods in the third phase. Combining conceptual models with quantitative and qualitative analysis was used to expose three emergent processes that maintain resilience in these landscape systems. The first was formed through the interactive social relationships between communities of place, identity and interest that constitute social catchments. The second emergent process formed at the nexus of local, scientific and Indigenous frameworks of knowledge. The interactive social catchment relationships and three knowledge frameworks dictated the relative weightings of social, ecological and economic values of the triple bottom line, which formed the third emergent process. It is suggested that the interactions of these emergent processes characterised resilience in these systems. The social dimensions in this thesis provided a focus that suggests that the interactions between community in a social catchment governs the predominance of knowledge form and the accommodation of the values in the triple bottom line. The integration of theoretical, quantitative and qualitative approaches can be couched within a complex systems framework. This contributes to a re-framing of the social relationships in landscapes to identify social catchments as the appropriate focus for interaction in decision-making at the landscape scale.

Landscape-based approaches to solving environmental issues have been widely recommended by scientists and policy makers. These issues are found at the interface of social and ecological systems. Understanding the social dimensions of landscape issues has been suggested as part of the solution. This doctoral research integrated theoretical concepts with survey-based numerical taxonomy and qualitative analysis to explore three social dimensions underpinning decision-making at the landscape scale in rural Australia. These linked social dimensions that provided a research focus were sense of place and accompanying social capital that is embedded within private, social and institutional practice in discourses of the environment. Complex systems theory provided the framework to explore the interactions and relationships between these dimensions and to describe the emergent processes. The first phase of this research developed theoretically and empirically derived conceptual models for the three dimensions. These models provided a basis for operationalisation for the survey-based numerical taxonomy in the second phase. Data for this analysis was collected through survey questionnaires (124 returned with 60% response rate) from two social catchments (the Katanning Zone in the Blackwood Basin in Western Australia and the Condamine Headwaters in the upper reaches of the Murray Darling Basin in Queensland). The results from the numerical taxonomy provided a focus for semi-structured interviews (24 representative participants) that provided further analysis through qualitative methods in the third phase. Combining conceptual models with quantitative and qualitative analysis was used to expose three emergent processes that maintain resilience in these landscape systems. The first was formed through the interactive social relationships between communities of place, identity and interest that constitute social catchments. The second emergent process formed at the nexus of local, scientific and Indigenous frameworks of knowledge. The interactive social catchment relationships and three knowledge frameworks dictated the relative weightings of social, ecological and economic values of the triple bottom line, which formed the third emergent process. It is suggested that the interactions of these emergent processes characterised resilience in these systems. The social dimensions in this thesis provided a focus that suggests that the interactions between community in a social catchment governs the predominance of knowledge form and the accommodation of the values in the triple bottom line. The integration of theoretical, quantitative and qualitative approaches can be couched within a complex systems framework. This contributes to a re-framing of the social relationships in landscapes to identify social catchments as the appropriate focus for interaction in decision-making at the landscape scale.

This thesis considers varied representations of landscape in Australian narrative film and designed landscape. Landscape is taken as an active concept that combines the associative meanings of place and the dynamism of space. Sixteen film and designed landscapes are examined to derive their landscape sources, forms and ideas, using the methodology of 'contextual poetics', Each of these landscapes is considered under a specific theme: landscape as delight, absence, nation or hope. In addition to detailing specific landscape responses by the designers of the examined landscapes, this project aims to contribute to an enhanced conversation about the effective, just practice of landscape architecture. The topic derives from a question central to landscape architectural practice in a post-colonial context, such as Australia. In a cultural setting where no single, agreed definition of landscape is allowed by the conditions of its history, which versions do practitioners of landscape architecture take up? What should be their limits, where are their inspirations and whose landscape narratives are ignored in these decisions?

This project was initiated to revise the procedures for designation of scenic roads in Arizona. The portions of the procedures which required revision were viewpoint selection and the expert scenic assessment scale. A method for selecting viewpoints was developed based on mapping landscape character types. Three expert scenic assessment scales were evaluated for inclusion in the designation procedure based on the criteria of reliability, validity, generalizability, and utility. Psychology students' global judgements of scenic beauty provided the validity criterion. Three groups of landscape architecture students applied the three expert scales to allow evaluation of the other criteria. All three scales performed well on the selected criteria. The FHWA scale was superior overall. The results suggest that expert scenic assessment scales predict public preferences for a range of landscape types. When the reliability of scenic quality assessment scales is evaluated for the summed dimensions of the scales, reliability is improved substantially compared to previous research.

This thesis develops a philosophy for management, preservation, and interpretation of Woodlands Farm and Thomas's Wharf in Northampton County on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service methodology for historic properties, including cultural landscapes, is used to complete this study. The National Park Service method includes four interrelated steps: (1) historical research, and (2) inventory and documentation of existing conditions, (3) site analysis and evaluation of significance and integrity, and (4) recommendations for future management. Essential to the future of Woodlands Farm and Thomas's Wharf is continued use of the property while retaining character defining features that make them significant. The most suitable management philosophy for a historic property that allows for protection and maintenance of significant features, as well as future use and development, is Rehabilitation. Thomas's Wharf's significance is derived from fragments of many periods and histories can be read on the landscape; a palimpsest. The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service evaluates a landscape much as one evaluates a historic building, defining it as a type or from a specific time period. The U.S. Department of the Interior's criteria for significance does not address a landscape, like Thomas's Wharf, as part of the continuum of history. Rather the study of landscapes is limited and the criteria does not acknowledge a site's broader continuum of significance. Landscapes that are records of change and evolution, palimpsests of a people, culture, and place, need to be identified and deemed significant for that quality.
Master of Landscape Architecture

The growing pressure on natural resources and biodiversity has led to a widespread acknowledgement of the services nature provides for humans. The appropriate representation of the benefits of sustainable land use in decision-making is still a challenge and tools that facilitate land use planning processes are needed. The dissertation presents a multicriteria assessment approach for a qualitative estimation of regional potentials to provide ecosystem services. This approach has been applied in several case studies in Saxony, Eastern Germany and Brasil. The ecosystem services concept builts the methodological framework for the assessment as it offers a universal approach to evaluate the impact of Land use/ Land cover change (LULCC) on human well-being. Since standardized methodical approaches for ecosystem services assessment at the landscape level are lacking, a particular requirement was to conceive a method that is easily transferable to other case study areas. Further the method should enable the use of existing and easily available environmental data, and it should be transparent for stakeholders and decision makers. The results of our study show that the combination of selected ecosystem services and land cover data such as CORINE Land Cover (CLC) can contribute to regional planning by communicating the effect of LULCC on ecosystem services, especially when applied as an evaluation basis in the tool GISCAME. The approach supports also the assessment of the performance of a region to provide ecosystem services and the comparison of regions towards this aspect. In the discussion section, the limitations of the developed approach are discussed. Main sources of uncertainty are related to coarse land cover data, lacking knowledge on the provision of ecosystem services at a landscape scale, and the difficulty to make relevant the ecosystem services concept in regional planning processes.

In mobile computing, there is variety of approaches to develop applications. One challenge is the diversity of mobile devices in the market and targeting more than one mobile device to develop applications. One approach to handle this is traditional, in which for every device there is a project carried out to develop application. Another method is the cross-platform application development which has been introduced in recent years. The purpose of this thesis is to explore if existing cross-platform frameworks can aid startup companies to develop cross-platform mobile apps. The research questions are 1) How can cross-platform frameworks be a viable approach for start-up companies in this respect? 2) What challenges and benefits do cross-platform approaches bring to developers? In order to answer the research questions, respondents from five small-sized and two large companies developing mobile apps are being interviewed. The results shows that cross-platform frameworks are good tools when developing mobile apps for multiple platforms, but are applicable to different degrees depending on the actual case. Challenges and benefits identified by the respondents mainly touched upon decreasing development time, and less coding effort, but also the uniqueness of Apple and Android products and difficulties in making developers switch to new languages.

Do current landscape security practices provide sufficient protection to support building sustainability in the event of a terrorist attack? By exploring the relative effectiveness of current landscape security practices and methodologies, this thesis proposes to provide the landscape architect with sufficient background to define security objectives; participate in vulnerability assessments and design functional solutions while maintaining an open, aesthetically pleasing environment. This research thesis supports the study of site security as a discipline within the landscape architecture profession. Recent events have resulted in a rush to install various types of permanent and temporary security measures such as barriers, barricades, surveillance systems, etc., in the landscape. Typically, the placement of security components in the landscape has resulted in negative visible impacts on the environment, reinforcing an image of a siege, or fortress, mentality. This study will examine whether these security components, as currently employed, are effective deterrents against terrorist activities. This thesis will provide landscape architects with a broad understanding of security objectives and design options. Security objectives can only be met if the client, engineers, architects and landscape architects work together as a team. This thesis will provide the landscape architect with sufficient knowledge concerning security vulnerability, facility blast survivability, and emergency response capabilities to coordinate site security requirements with the design team. A thorough knowledge of security component capabilities and facility site vulnerability will assist the landscape architect in making design decisions which are both functional and aesthetic, while meeting security objectives.
Master of Landscape Architecture

The focus of this research was the practical application, inventory, and analysis of scenic resources of the marine environment. From an international perspective, the concept of establishing marine parks and preserves was traced and shown to be a recent phenomenon in an effort to protect pristine and unique marine areas. Unfortunately, the inclusion of marine scenic resources as a distinct element in the site planning and site design management process is at present negligible. This research presents a systematic scenic resource inventory and scenic preference testing using the Q-sort method of underwater photographic examples from three case study areas: Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, Florida, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands and Jervis Bay, New South Wales Australia. Over three hundred volunteers rated fifteen underwater photographs from each case study area in an attempt to determine the predictive factors for scenic resource quality. Demographic information was collected from each volunteer in terms of sex, age, occupation, education, place of residence and diving experience. These background characteristics were evaluated in terms of their effect on scenic preference ratings using correlation analysis. It was demonstrated that these background factors had no significant influence on scenic preference rating. Nine seascape dimensions were selected and analyzed using multiple regression to determine if certain physiographic variables influenced preference rating. It was determined that color, marine fauna, marine flora, and water clarity were the most influential factors affecting scenic preference rating. Based on these scenic preference results, a proposed site management plan was demonstrated for each case study that could be a model for future scenic resource assessment.

How individuals perceive their environment determines how they relate to and interact with it. This research takes a specific landscape, the South Island high country, and identifies and evaluates how it is perceived. It is evident that the way in which individuals perceive landscape reflects not only their physical enviroment, but their culture. Culture gains even greater importance in this process, when one considers the perceptions of community and society. Landscape perception concerns how individuals view and interact with their environment. It is the initial step in developing opinions and positions on issues relating to a specfic area. Experience of, and participation are identified as crucial components of the perception process. Those who indicated they were actively involved in the high country were more likely to have richer and more acute perceptions of the area than those who were not so involved. The latter group tended to reflect the imagery of the media and other sources. Current perceptions of the high country were found to be oriented around images of pastoral farming, wilderness experience, recreation and tourism activity. The location of the high country, as perceived by respondents, centred on the lakes district of inland Otago and South Canterbury. Where survey respondents resided was clearly of influence on their perceived high country. While the perceived high country reflected much of the historical imagery, it also reflected socioeconomic change in the area. The move from pastoralism to recreation and tourism was apparent, as was resistance by the public to alienation of high country land through sale of Crown land to overseas interests and its use in Treaty settlements. There was general acceptance, especially amongst experts, that change in the area (lease reorganisation and economic activity in particular) will have an important impact on landuse and how the public perceives the high country. The future of the high country is seen by lay-person and expert alike as lying with the expansion of tourism and recreation. This will see more people visiting and living in the area. All interviewees agreed that pastoral farming will play a decreasing role in the area and that a greater diversity of landuse and, in turn, perceptions of the high country will result from these shifts.

For Maori the cultural landscape is the foundation of traditional, historical and spiritual values and is fundamental to their cultural ideology. It is the relationship between people and the land that bestows Maori with a sense of cultural identity and belonging. At present the cultural landscape is under increasing pressure from inappropriate development, resulting not only in the destruction of the physical landscape but also defilement of associated intrinsic values. Planning for Maori cultural landscape values at the district level is challenging, with limited sucess in curbing landscape degradation under a dominant western planning regime. This study examines the planning process incorporating the cultural landscape values of Maori within the context of the Dunedin district. An overview of cultural landscape significance is provided. The study also assesses the current measures employed onto the landscape. The study also assesses the current measures employed for protecting the cultural landscape and offers recommendations for improving the integration of cultural landscape values into the planning process, both at a general level and with particular reference to three case studies of culturally significant landscapes in Dunedin. A combination of in-depth interviews with local Maori and Dunedin City Council planners, literature review, district plan content analysis and case studies established that current protection measures engaged by the Dunedin City Council are insufficient and lack the specificity required for adequate cultural landscape protection. A general lack of comprehension regarding cultural landscape meaning amongst planners was also found. It is recommended that cultural landscape planning extends beyond statutory requirements to adopt a collaborative approach, with Maori having a more significant role in the planning process. Three main recommendations for future management of the cultural landscape are provided: identification, co-management and public education. Together these recommendations promote a move towards a planning system with a greater bi-cultural focus. Improved protection provisions in planning will ensure the continuation and enhancement of the Maori cultural landscape into the future, as part of New Zealand�s heritage.

Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.
In the past, development was allowed in agricultural areas which would not be acceptable under current planning policy. There is a growing need to develop and maintain highly productive and ecologically stable agricultural systems. One approach to encourage better land management and utilisation is the international certification of a farm’s production practices.