16 results on '"Ghermandi, Andrea"'
Search Results
2. Spatial analysis, local people's perception and economic valuation of wetland ecosystem services in the Usumacinta floodplain, Southern Mexico.
- Author
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Camacho-Valdez, Vera, Saenz-Arroyo, Andrea, Ghermandi, Andrea, Navarrete-Gutiérrez, Dario A., and Rodiles-Hernández, Rocío
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ECOSYSTEM services ,VALUATION ,GEOGRAPHIC spatial analysis ,WETLAND ecology ,FLOODPLAINS ,WETLANDS ,FLOODPLAIN ecology ,SENSORY perception - Abstract
The Usumacinta floodplain is an exceptional area for biodiversity with important ecosystem services for local people. The main objective of this paper was to estimate reference values and define local perceptions of ecosystem services provided by wetlands and overlapping them with spatially explicit socioeconomic and biodiversity indicators. We used the Usumacinta floodplain as an example of a territory where high dependence of rural people on ecosystem services is confronted with development projects that threat the flow of ecosystem services, thus affecting rural people well-being. With a combination of data from remote sensing, global databases of ecosystem service values, local perception of ecosystem services and socioeconomic and biodiversity richness indicators in a spatially explicit framework, we develop a policy-oriented approach for rapid assessment to manage wetlands and maintain people's livelihoods. Regulating and provisioning services are identified as the most relevant ecosystem services in terms of their monetary value and local perceived importance. In a spatially explicit manner, this approach highlights the most valuable wetlands and identifies rural societies that are highly dependent on ecosystem services. Our approach can be replicated elsewhere and could provide valuable information for policymakers to design policies that can contribute to conserve wetland ecosystems where under threat of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. A crowdsourced valuation of recreational ecosystem services using social media data: An application to a tropical wetland in India.
- Author
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Sinclair, Michael, Ghermandi, Andrea, and Sheela, Albert M.
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ECOSYSTEM services , *SOCIAL media , *DECISION support systems , *GEOGRAPHIC information systems , *WETLANDS - Abstract
Online social media represent an extensive, opportunistic source of behavioral data and revealed preferences for ecosystem services (ES) analysis. Such data may allow to advance the approach, scale and timespan to which ES are assessed, mapping and valued. This is especially relevant in the context of developing regions whose decision support tools are often limited by a lack of resources and funding. This research presents an economic valuation tool for recreational ES, suitable at wide spatial scales, relying on crowdsourced metadata from social media with a proof of concept tested on an Indian tropical Ramsar wetland. We demonstrate how geotagged photographs from Flickr can be used in the context of a developing country to (i) map nature-based recreation patterns, (ii) value recreational ecosystem services, and (iii) investigate how recreational benefits are affected by changes in ecosystem quality. The case-study application is the Vembanad Lake in Kerala, India, and the adjacent backwaters. Geographic Information Systems are implemented to extract 4328 Flickr photographs that are used to map hot spots of recreation and infer the home location of wetland visitors from within Kerala state with good accuracy. An individual, single-site travel cost demand function is generated and estimated using both Poisson and Negative Binomial regressions, which results in mean consumer surplus estimates between Rs. 2227–3953 ($34–$62) per visit and annual domestic recreation benefits of Rs. 7.53–13.37 billion ($115.5–$205 million) in the investigated wetlands. Improvement in water quality to a level that supports wildlife and fisheries is projected to result in a Rs. 260 million ($4 million) annual increase in recreational benefits, while restoring previously encroached lake area would result in almost Rs. 50 million ($760,000) in yearly value increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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4. Interbasin water transfer for the rehabilitation of a transboundary Mediterranean stream: An economic analysis.
- Author
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Akron, Ariel, Ghermandi, Andrea, Dayan, Tamar, and Hershkovitz, Yaron
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TRANSBOUNDARY waters , *WATER transfer , *CLIMATE change , *WATER supply , *FRESHWATER ecology - Abstract
Global demand for freshwater is increasing as human population grows, climate changes and water resources are being overexploited. Consequently, many freshwater ecosystems, particularly in water-stressed regions, are severely degraded. Here we present a unique case of an Interbasin Water Transfer (IWT) project aiming at ecosystem rehabilitation and recreation enhancement of an intermittent transboundary stream (Ayun, Israel). For the past century, water diversion at the Lebanese side had led to flow secession in the Israeli Ayun Nature Reserve during the dry season (May–November). To restore flow continuum, a sum of 0.5 million cubic meters of high quality freshwaters have been allocated annually during the dry months. The aim of this study is to evaluate the IWT project by: (1) examining the correlation between water flow in the Ayun and recreational visitation, and (2) performing a cost-benefit analysis of the IWT scheme, including non-market benefits. A time-series regression (Adj. R 2 = 0.688, n = 125) shows that a 10% increase in water flow corresponds to a 2.1% increase in monthly visitors. An estimated 18.8% of the visitation rate between 2009 and 2015 can be attributed to the water reallocation project. Through a single-site travel cost model, we estimate the visitor's willingness to pay in US$ 37.8 per person per trip. When non-market benefits for recreation are included, the total benefits of the IWT project substantially exceed its costs. Our results suggest that IWT can be applied to restore water flow and enhance ecosystem services also in water-stressed regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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5. Scaling up ecosystem services values: methodology, applicability and a case study
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Brander, Luke M., Ghermandi, Andrea, Kuik, Onno, Markandya, Anil, Nunes, Paulo A. L. D., Schaafsma, Marije, and Wagtendonk, Alfred
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ddc:330 ,C81 ,Value Transfer ,Wetland Values ,Q24 ,Q57 ,Ecosystem Services ,Meta-Analysis - Abstract
The approach of using existing data on economic values of local ecosystem services for an assessment of these values at a larger geographical scale can be called 'scaling up'. In a scaling-up exercise, economic values from a particular study site are transferred to another geographical setting, for instance to the regional, national or global scale. This paper proposes a methodology for scaling up ecosystem service values to a European level, assesses the availability of data for conducting this method, and illustrates the procedure with a case study on wetland values. The proposed methodology makes use of meta-analysis to produce a value function that is subsequently applied to individual European wetland sites. Site-specific, study-specific and context-specific variables are used to define a price vector that captures differences between sites and over time. The proposed method is shown to be practicable and to produce reasonably reliable aggregate value estimates.
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- 2010
6. Recreational, cultural and aesthetic services from estuarine and coastal ecosystems
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Ghermandi, Andrea, Nunes, Paulo A. L. D., Portela, Rosimeiry, Rao, Nalini, and Teelucksingh, Sonja S.
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Q20 ,recreational fishing ,small island developing states ,Q26 ,non-market valuation ,non-use values ,Q57 ,estuarine ecosystems ,aesthetic values ,passive values ,cultural values ,spiritual and religious values ,ddc:330 ,coral reefs ,ecosystem services valuation ,ecosystem services ,coastal recreation ,marine protected areas - Abstract
The role of economic analysis in guiding the sustainable development of estuarine and coastal ecosystems is investigated based on a comprehensive review of the literature on the valuation of the recreation, cultural and aesthetic services. The implications of the findings for the sustainable management of coral reefs, Marine Protected Areas, and Small Island Developing States are discussed. Finally, the potential of meta-analytical benefit transfer and scaling up of values at various aggregation levels is demonstrated in the context of coastal tourism and recreation in Europe. The results of the study support the conclusion that the non-material values provided by coastal and estuarine ecosystems in terms of recreational, cultural and aesthetic services represent a substantial component of human well-being.
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- 2009
7. Integrating similarity analysis and ecosystem service value transfer: Results from a tropical coastal wetland in India.
- Author
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Ghermandi, Andrea, Sheela, Albert Moses, and Justus, Joseph
- Abstract
Policy demand for ecosystem service values in developing countries results in a growing use of value transfer techniques, even in the absence of primary valuations from highly comparable study sites. Current techniques provide limited guidance on how to quantitatively assess the similarity between study and policy sites and control for the effect thereof on transfer accuracy. This paper proposes a methodology for the estimation of a study-policy site similarity index and explores its application to the Akkulam-Veli wetland in Kerala, India. The use of empirical similarity weights in a meta-analytical transfer yields a narrower prediction interval for the policy site value estimate. Estimating the meta-regression model parameters on a subset of primary valuation studies with greater similarity to the policy site application is found to increase value transfer accuracy. The need for further systematic testing and potential implications of the proposed approach for value transfer practitioners are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2016
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8. Cultural ecosystem services of multifunctional constructed treatment wetlands and waste stabilization ponds: Time to enter the mainstream?
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Ghermandi, Andrea and Fichtman, Edna
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SEWAGE lagoons , *COST analysis , *WETLANDS , *VALUATION , *SCHOOL facilities , *MONETARY policy - Abstract
Natural water treatment systems have long been recognized as sources of ancillary benefits in the form of cultural ecosystem services. To date, there is a lack of quantitative understanding of the extent and welfare impact of such benefits. This paper investigates 166 natural treatment systems worldwide and provides the first quantitative assessment of their recreational and educational benefits. The public use is highly influenced by the type of recreational activities, presence of recreational and educational facilities, and accessibility of the systems. Using value transfer techniques, we estimate the mean and median monetary values of recreational benefits in 8397 and 530 €/ha/year, respectively. We compare such value flows with operation and management costs and other ecosystem services provided by these systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2015
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9. Estimating the value of carbon sequestration ecosystem services in the Mediterranean Sea: An ecological economics approach.
- Author
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Melaku Canu, Donata, Ghermandi, Andrea, Nunes, Paulo A.L.D., Lazzari, Paolo, Cossarini, Gianpiero, and Solidoro, Cosimo
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CARBON sequestration ,ECOSYSTEM services ,ECOLOGICAL economics ,MARINE ecology ,BIOGEOCHEMISTRY - Abstract
Ocean and marine ecosystems provide a range of valuable services to humans, including benefits such as carbon sequestration, whose economic value are as yet poorly understood. This paper presents a novel contribution to the valuation of carbon sequestration services in marine ecosystems with an application to the Mediterranean Sea. We combine a state-of-the-art biogeochemical model with various estimates of the social cost of carbon emissions to provide a spatially explicit characterization of the current flow of values that are attributable to the various sequestration processes, including the biological component. Using conservative estimates of the social cost of carbon, we evaluate the carbon sequestration value flows over the entire basin to range between 127 and 1722 million €/year. Values per unit area range from −135 to 1000 €/km 2 year, with the exclusive economic zone of some countries acting as net carbon sources. Whereas the contribution of physical processes can be either positive or negative, also depending on the properties of incoming Atlantic water, the contribution of biological processes to the marine “blue carbon” sequestration is always positive, and found to range between 100 to 1500 million €/year for the whole basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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10. Effects of Land Use Changes on the Ecosystem Service Values of Coastal Wetlands.
- Author
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Camacho-Valdez, Vera, Ruiz-Luna, Arturo, Ghermandi, Andrea, Berlanga-Robles, César, and Nunes, Paulo
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COASTAL wetlands ,ECOSYSTEM services ,REMOTE sensing ,LAND cover ,LAND use ,ENVIRONMENTAL policy - Abstract
Changes in the coastal landscape of Southern Sinaloa (Mexico), between 2000 and 2010, were analyzed to relate spatial variations in wetlands extent with the provision and economic value of the ecosystem services (ES). Remote sensing techniques applied to Landsat TM imagery were used to evaluate land use/land cover changes while the value transfer method was used to assess the value of ES by land cover category. Five wetland types and other four land covers were found as representative of the coastal landscape. Findings reveal a 14 % decrease in the saltmarsh/forested mangrove area and a 12 % increase in the area of shrimp pond aquaculture (artificial wetland) during the study period. ES valuation shows that the total value flow increased by 9 % from $215 to $233 million (2007 USD) during the 10-year period. This increase is explained as result of the high value worldwide assigned to saltmarsh. We recognize limitations in the transfer-based approach in quantifying and mapping ES values in the region, but this method provides with value estimates spatially defined, and also provides some guidance in the preliminary screening of policies and projected development in the context of data-scarce regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2014
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11. The social dimension of biodiversity policy in the European Union: Valuing the benefits to vulnerable communities.
- Author
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Ghermandi, Andrea, Ding, Helen, and Nunes, Paulo A.L.D.
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ECOSYSTEM services ,BIODIVERSITY conservation ,RURAL geography ,FRESHWATER ecology ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors - Abstract
Highlights: [•] We investigate the links between biodiversity, ecosystem service values, and socio-economic vulnerability. [•] We use GIS to map biodiversity benefits and rural vulnerable groups over European regions. [•] We explore income-related vulnerability and link to biodiversity in European countries. [•] We investigate the dependency on biodiversity of rural agricultural and remote mountainous regions. [•] The findings provide insights for EU policymakers in designing biodiversity policy instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
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12. Valuation of ecosystem services provided by coastal wetlands in northwest Mexico.
- Author
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Camacho-Valdez, Vera, Ruiz-Luna, Arturo, Ghermandi, Andrea, and Nunes, Paulo A.L.D.
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ECOSYSTEM services ,WETLANDS ,COASTS ,PUBLIC health ,CONSERVATION biology ,HABITATS ,EXTERNALITIES ,CURRENT distribution - Abstract
Abstract: Coastal wetlands are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, supporting diverse natural functions and providing important services to human societies. In this context, strategies have recently been developed to maintain these coastal wetlands in a sustainable way, however, wetlands are under pressure, particularly due to land use changes, because they have traditionally been treated as areas of low economic value or even as risky areas for human health. As a result, wetlands have suffered some loss and substantial habitat alteration, which are associated with high social costs. Thus, inventories are required to identify these environments and define and value their services to obtain appropriate information relevant to conservation strategies. This research introduces a spatial component for classifying wetland types and further evaluation of their ecosystem services (ES), assessing their current distribution and extent using standardized remote sensing techniques for wetland mapping. A value transfer approach was performed to generate baseline estimates of the ecosystem services provided by wetlands, validating it through a meta-analysis of a database of wetland estimates, with northwest Mexico wetlands as case study. We found that saltmarshes were the most important wetland in terms of covered area and also that socio-economic variables, such as income, are important in explaining wetland values. The results show that in 2003, a value of 1 billion USD per year was delivered to the local citizens by the surrounding wetlands provided as services and benefits. In a spatially explicit manner, this approach highlights the contribution made by wetlands to the well-being of communities. We argue that in the future design of management plans, the conservation of these environments should be a priority, regarding both, ecologically and economically views. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
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- 2013
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13. Socio-economic impacts of ocean acidification in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Rodrigues, Luís C., van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M., and Ghermandi, Andrea
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SOCIOECONOMICS ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,OCEAN acidification ,EMISSIONS (Air pollution) ,CARBON dioxide in seawater ,AQUACULTURE - Abstract
Abstract: Ocean acidification appears as another environmental pressure associated with anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide. This paper aims to assess the likely magnitude of this phenomenon in the Mediterranean region. This involves translating expected changes in ocean chemistry into impacts, first on marine and coastal ecosystems and then, through effects on services provided by these to humans, into socio-economic costs. Economic market and non-market valuation techniques are needed for this purpose. Important sectors affected are tourism and recreation, red coral extraction, and fisheries (both capture and aquaculture production). In addition, the costs associated with the disruption of ecosystem regulating services, notably carbon sequestration and non-use values will be considered. Finally, indirect impacts on other economic sectors will have to be estimated. The paper discusses the framework and methods to accomplish all of this, and offers a preliminary, qualitative overall assessment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
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- 2013
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14. A global map of coastal recreation values: Results from a spatially explicit meta-analysis
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Ghermandi, Andrea and Nunes, Paulo A.L.D.
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META-analysis , *COASTS -- Recreational use , *ECOLOGICAL economics , *ECOSYSTEM services , *BUILT environment , *SOCIOECONOMICS , *COASTAL zone management - Abstract
This paper examines the welfare dimension of the recreational services of coastal ecosystems. First, we construct a global database of primary valuation studies that focus on recreational benefits of coastal ecosystems. Second, the profile of each of the 253 individual observations is enriched with characteristics of the built coastal environment (accessibility, anthropogenic pressure, human development level), natural coastal environment (presence of protected area, ecosystem type, marine biodiversity), geo-climatic factors (temperature, precipitation), and sociopolitical context. We then propose a meta-analytical framework that is built upon a Geographic Information System (GIS) and allow for the exploration of the spatial dimension of the valued ecosystems, including the role of spatial heterogeneity of the selected meta-regression variables as well as the spatial profile of the transferred values. The empirical outcome results in the first global map of the values of coastal recreation, which may play a crucial role in identifying and ranking coastal area conservation priorities from a socio-economic perspective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
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- 2013
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15. Global estimates of the value of ecosystems and their services in monetary units.
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de Groot, Rudolf, Brander, Luke, van der Ploeg, Sander, Costanza, Robert, Bernard, Florence, Braat, Leon, Christie, Mike, Crossman, Neville, Ghermandi, Andrea, Hein, Lars, Hussain, Salman, Kumar, Pushpam, McVittie, Alistair, Portela, Rosimeiry, Rodriguez, Luis C., ten Brink, Patrick, and van Beukering, Pieter
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MONETARY unions ,ECOSYSTEM services ,EXTERNALITIES ,DECISION making ,BIODIVERSITY conservation ,ECOSYSTEM management ,DATABASES - Abstract
Abstract: This paper gives an overview of the value of ecosystem services of 10 main biomes expressed in monetary units. In total, over 320 publications were screened covering over 300 case study locations. Approximately 1350 value estimates were coded and stored in a searchable Ecosystem Service Value Database (ESVD). A selection of 665 value estimates was used for the analysis. Acknowledging the uncertainties and contextual nature of any valuation, the analysis shows that the total value of ecosystem services is considerable and ranges between 490 int$/year for the total bundle of ecosystem services that can potentially be provided by an ‘average’ hectare of open oceans to almost 350,000 int$/year for the potential services of an ‘average’ hectare of coral reefs. More importantly, our results show that most of this value is outside the market and best considered as non-tradable public benefits. The continued over-exploitation of ecosystems thus comes at the expense of the livelihood of the poor and future generations. Given that many of the positive externalities of ecosystems are lost or strongly reduced after land use conversion better accounting for the public goods and services provided by ecosystems is crucial to improve decision making and institutions for biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2012
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16. Social media-based analysis of cultural ecosystem services and heritage tourism in a coastal region of Mexico.
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Ghermandi, Andrea, Camacho-Valdez, Vera, and Trejo-Espinosa, Hector
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HERITAGE tourism ,ECOSYSTEM services ,LAND cover ,INTERNATIONAL visitors ,CULTURAL pluralism - Abstract
Understanding spatial patterns of visitation and benefits accrued to different types of natural and cultural heritage tourists may have important implications for the sustainable management of their destinations. We investigate cultural services accrued to local, domestic and international visitors to the Usumacinta floodplain, a coastal region with one of the highest biological and cultural diversities in Mexico. We combine analysis of social media photographs and high-resolution land cover mapping to identify different cultural services and their association with specific ecosystem and land cover types. Hotspots for international tourists are spatially restricted to well-known and accessible sites. Locals are 2.2–2.5 times more likely than international visitors to be associated with aesthetic appreciation and birdwatching. Locals upload more photographs of coastal lagoons, mangroves, beach and sea. Results are analyzed in light of land cover changes in the region and provide valuable information to decision makers for improved tourism management and conservation strategies. • We investigate benefits of visitors to the Usumacinta floodplain with high-res land cover maps and geotagged photographs. • Hotspots for international tourists are spatially restricted to well--known and accessible sites. • Locals are more likely than international visitors to be associated with aesthetic appreciation and birdwatching. • Coastal lagoons and riverine wetlands being more highly photographed by locals than by international tourists. • Local residents may be more substantially affected by recent land cover changes than international tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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