The Dynamo Group develops research comprising a wide variety of disciplines and methodologies:
a) the landscape and its transformations,
b) multifunctionality at landscape level ,
c) impact of public policies,
d) management at landscape level
e) social investigation for better understanding of local identity
f ) support to decision-making
g) landscape indicators
Interrelations Between the Different Projects and Areas:
Interrelations Between the Different Projects and Areas:
- Research projects:
Ongoing Projects
MURAL project (2007-2008 ) -Multifunctionality at farm and landscape level facing rural and agricultural marginalization .
- Research project applied to the municipality of Castelo de Vide, in Southeast Portugal, where the land use is dominated by extensive silvo-pastoral systems, in large properties, and olive groves combined with grazing in small properties around the main town, both systems showing extensification trends. At the same time, in this municipality, due to a combination of factors related with the quality of the landscape and the particular character of the urban areas, the demand for non-commodity functions such as hunting, eco-tourism and second housing or fixation of new rural inhabitants, is already important. The aim of the project is to understand what are the expectations of the users related with these non-commodity functions, in relation to the rural landscape, and what are the land cover patterns they prefer for their activity, or those they will not use. And through this preference survey, to assess what is the role of farming for the performance of these functions, and what may be synergies and conflicts for the future.pinto-correia-et-al/SPER-final
SEAMLESS (2005-2009) – Systems for Environment and Agricultural modelling; Linking European Science and Society.
Development of SEAMLESS-IF, the new Framework for Integrated assessment of Agricultural systems – modeling the impacts on Agriculture and Environment. The SEAMLESS integrated project aims at developing a computerized, integrated and working framework (SEAMLESS-IF) to assess and compare, ex-ante, alternative agricultural and environmental policy options, allowing:
Analysis at the full range of scales (farm to EU and global), whilst focusing on the most important issues emerging at each scale;
Analysis of the environmental, economic and social contributions of a multifunctional agriculture towards sustainable rural development and rural viability;
Analysis of a broad range of issues and agents of change, such as climate change, environmental policies, rural development options, effects of an enlarging EU, international competition and effects on developing countries. http://www.seamless-ip.org/
Projecto ROSA – Contributos para a identificação da procura social das paisagens do Alentejo (Outubro 2008). Contributions for the identification of the social search for the Alentejo landscapes (October 2008).
- Tendo em conta o paradigma actual da multifuncionalidade do espaço rural, a avaliação do tipo de paisagem que melhor suporta cada uma das funções que correspondem a uma procura social concreta, torna-se necessária como informação de base para as políticas e acções públicas com impacto nesse espaço. Assim os objectivos deste projecto são avaliar a procura social da paisagem rural na região do Alentejo, para as várias funções produtivas e não produtivas, e portanto por vários grupos de utilizadores: que paisagens, específicas e pelo seu padrão, melhor suportam cada uma das funções ou combinações de várias funções.ROSA Project/Rosa Research Project
Recent Projects
VISTA (01.11.02 – 31.10.03) – VulnerabIlity of Ecosystem Services to Land Use Change in Traditional Agricultural Landscapes.
- VISTA aims to compile an integrated assessment of the vulnerability of European traditional agro-pastoral landscapes to land use change that will assist land managers and regional policy makers towards sustainable development. VISTA has developed an innovative conceptual framework for the quantification of the vulnerability to land use change of ecosystem services provided by multi-functional agricultural landscapes. The methods have been established for implementing this framework, experimentally, with models, and sociological surveys.VISTA-2003-report
ELCAI:European Landscape Character Assessment Initiative.
- The main goal is to demonstrate the use of landscape character assessment as a tool for linking regional/national bottom-up approaches with European top-down processes in support of future policy implementation. The objectives are as follows: 1. Identification of landscape indicators as tools for policy implementation; 2. Drafting of a European landscape typology and map; and 3. Development of an early participatory decision-making techniques. ELCAI is supposed to provide the operational tools and reference basis for international policy implementation that is specifically targeted at the assessment and management of landscapes under pressure from driving forces such as land use change. ELCAI will have a specific impact on the accountability of landscapes as socio-environmental entities contributing to the quality of human life, biodiversity conservation and economic property.ELCAI-report-2004/ELCAI-B/ELCAI-C
Estudo sobre o Abandono em Portugal Continental (2004-2006) – Análise das dinâmicas da Ocupação do Solo, do Sector Agrícola e da Comunidade. Rural Study about the Abandonment in Portugal (2004-2006) – Analysis of the dynamics of the Land Occupation of the Agricultural Sector and Rural Community.
– Estudo realizado ao abrigo do Protocolo de Colaboração assinado em Novembro de 2004 entre o Ministério da Agricultura, Desenvolvimento Rural e Pescas e a Universidade de Évora, relativo à “elaboração de um estudo preparatório com vista ao desenvolvimento de acções de combate ao abandono do espaço rural e de terras agrícolas”.Relatorio-abandono-versao-final
ALEX: Cooperação transfronteiriça e desenvolvimento local no espaço rural do Alentejo / Extremadura (2004-2005) Transboundary Cooperation and local development in the rural region of Alentejo / Extremadura (2004-2005)
– Valorização da multifuncionalidade e dinâmicas do sector agrícola – Marvão e Valência de Alcântara. A paisagem rural e o desafio da sua gestão para a multifuncionalidade, através da agricultura ou de outras formas inovadoras.ALEX-relatorio
BioHAb (December 2004-November 2005): A framework for the co-ordination of Biodiversity and Habitats.
- The purpose of this Concerted Action is thus to address the urgent need to develop a methodology appropriate for coordinating the existing information on habitats and how it may be linked to other projects involving measurements of biodiversity. It builds on existing information and utilise the experience of the Consortium to develop the innovative approach that is required to solve a problem that has long been recognised.Final-report-biohab
EUROLAN (2003-2006). Strengthening the Multifunctional Use of European Land: Coping with Marginalisation.
- The approach of the EUROLAN study was that marginalisation is considered being a process and is caused by a complex of several driving forces and situations. These can be of ecological, socio-economic, political and/or of cultural origin. The consortium of the EUROLAN project consisted therefore of a group researchers from different scientific disciplines e.g. rural sociology, agricultural and natural resource economics, landscape ecology, forestry, land use and soil science. Furthermore it was suggested that the process of marginalisation and coping with marginalisation had similarities and dissimilarities among countries in Europe. Several countries from different parts of Europe were involved in the project. The main objectives of the EUROLAN project therefore are: 1 )To study vulnerability to marginalisation and coping with marginalisation across rural areas in Europe. 2) To identify regions, and particularly land use types, that might be most vulnerable to marginalisation. 3)To explore the role of CAP and other areas of action for coping with the process of marginalisation. 4) To explore the tools applicable to ascertain appropriate land use, particularly by stakeholders. 5) To develop strategies for appropriate land use based on multifunctionality given the vulnerability for marginalisation. EUROLAN-final-report
GEM-CON-BIO (2007). Governance and Ecosystems Management for the Conservation of Biodiversity Use Nationally of Wild Resources across Europe (UNWIRE).
- UNWIRE is the only EU-wide case study in GEM-CON-BIO. It concentrates on provisioning and cultural ecosystem services from wild resources (e.g. food, recreation). It investigates how governance, economics and other social factors associate with trends in abundance of (a) wildlife resources, (b) the biotopes in which these resources occur (ecological sustainability) and (c) resource users (socio-economic sustainability). UNWIRE is based on a questionnaire survey administered by ESUSG through 27 expert country coordinators. The six resource uses surveyed were: (i) hunting birds, (ii) hunting ungulates, (iii) angling, (iv) collecting fungi, (v) collecting wild plant products and (vi) bird-watching. UNWIRE questionnaires were designed during February-April 2007. Data and opinions on the 6 topics were collected during May-July 2007 from national NGOs representing resource users and in June-July 2007 from government administrators (for hunting and angling only). In a few cases data were added by country coordinators. Trends in resources, biotopes and users were assessed for the last decade.unwire-report
Proposed Projects
PAMELA - IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS INFLUENCING PUBLIC PREFERENCES IN MEDITERRANEAN RURAL LANDSCAPES: progressing towards a multi-scale methodological approach
CONSULTANTS: Marc Antrop, Wenche Dramstad, Livia Madureira and Isabel Loupa Ramos
REFERENCES:
03 ELC, 2000, The European Landscape Convention, Council of Europe, Strasbourg.
15 Pinto-Correia T., Truchet S., Machado C., Barroso F., Picchi P., Michelin Y., Turpin N., Bousset J.P. ,How do policy options modify landscape amenities? An assessment approach based on public expressed preferences. Environmental Science and Policy (submitted)
20 Paracchini, M. L., Pinto Correia, T., Ramos, I., Turpin, N., Capitani, C., 2010, Indicators to assess rural landscape valuation: how and what is measured at different levels of governance, in: Living Landscapes Conference (IALE, ed.), Florence.
