Comparison of Methodological Approaches for the Evaluation of Ecosystem Services for Options to Develop Sustainable Tourism Forms (Ecotourism) (Example: Bratislava IV)

Abstract

Ecosystem services are the benefits provided to human society by natural ecosystems, which are generally understood as the ecosystem processes that sustain human life. In particular, an ecosystem’s cultural services include intangible benefits derived from aesthetic and other experiences, recreation, cognition and spiritual enrichment, and the ability to discern values. The study focuses on the comparison of two methodological approaches to the evaluation of landscape and the benefits of ecosystems for the development of ecological forms of tourism, using Bratislava IV as an example. The basis for database information is the processing of secondary landscape structure. The first methodological approach is based on a detailed mapping of land cover classes (Land Cover) in accordance with the legend of the Technical Guide CORINE Land Cover – supplement at the fourth and fifth levels of mapping in 2014‒2018 and determining the degree of landscape-ecological significance. The second approach is based on creating a set of relevant indicators and their evaluation using the scaling and weighting method. We reached the conclusion that the first methodological approach is more suitable for smaller territories at the cadastral level, while the second is better suited for regional-level territories.

Keywords

• ecological forms of tourism
• ecosystem benefits and services
• landscape-ecological significance
• landscape structure
• indicators of landscape-ecological significance
• suggestion for tourism development