Demand and supply of cultural ecosystem services: Use of geotagged photos to map the aesthetic value of landscapes in Hokkaido

Abstract

We proposed a mapping method for landscape aesthetic demand and potential supply area based on viewsheds, which is a direct method that provides robust results. Moreover, we mapped the aesthetic value of Hokkaido as a case study in Asia. The Aichi Biodiversity Target refers to the importance of ecosystem service (ES) mapping methodologies. However, ES mapping in policy and practice has rarely been reported. Robust, reliable indicators are required. Recently, studies estimating aesthetic value have used geotagged photos on social networking services instead of survey results of user preferences. The methods used in these studies were cost effective and provided spatially explicit results. However, these methods used the photography positions. Using the photographed sites is a more direct method to estimate the aesthetic demand. Therefore, we used geotagged photos on Flickr and viewsheds from each photography position to identify the photographed sites. The demand area was estimated using the viewshed. The potential supply area was estimated using MaxEnt. The demand and potential supply areas were concentrated in natural parks. Comparing the demand and potential supply areas indicates areas with potential supply despite their low demand in forest, farmland, and natural parks. This method will contribute to CES research and decision-making.