The work done contributes to task 2 and task 3.3 of the Technical Annex
In Study Area "Bavarian
Alps" constructions against avalanches, lanes used for skilifts
and for downhill skiing and the increasing number of infrastructural facilities,
like roads, parking areas and hotels, along with cattle grazing and its
impact on silviculture are typical alpine issues in terms of landscape
design (see table "Concept Design Proposals").
Besides the aesthetic impact of the above mentioned issues there is a very
important interaction between tradition and culture, ecology and economy,
since most of the alpine regions depend on income from tourism.
Therefore the public attitude towards the appearance of the most popular
holiday landscapes in Germany is essential for the conservation respectively
for an adapted design of the scenery. The question of the significance
of alpine forests for recreation and the vulnerability of the landscape,
ie the way of common perception of landscape changes is of big interest
for any further design guidelines. In order to analyse the complex situation
in the light of public preferences and the common perception of the scenery
we decided to carry out a survey at the lake Spitzingsee, the touristic
center of our study area.
The goal was primarily to find some new answers or to update existing findings
and secondarily to gain some experience in interviewing the public by questionnaires.
The whole study was organised as a seminar for interested students at our
department from November 1995 to February 1996.
The study includes the design of a problem orientated questionnaire and
the selection and manipulation of adequate images with Photoshop. Paralell
to the survey a methodology was developped to inventarise and assess the
landscape by experts. This professional assessment approach critically
reflects the proposed methodology of the Technical Annex (Sub Annex I;
Art McCormack and Tomas O´Leary 1994). According to the ideas of
McCormack and O´Leary a Landscape Aesthetic
Inventory Form (see German file bewert.doc) was created and finally
used for the landscape aesthetic assessment.
The survey was carried out on a sunny winter Sunday in January 1996
at 4 selected locations of the Spitzingsee area. Every point (at the parking
area, on the frozen lake, on the lake shore and on the Taubenstein peak)
was equipped with two students. They showed the visitors a set of images
and asked the questions of the questionnaire. The weather conditions were
perfect and from 10.00am to 04.00pm 94 respondants answered the questions
of the students.
Before this field survey took place students of the Forestry Faculty were
asked by an almost identic questionnaire in the lecture hall. The field
survey image set was shown by 2 paralelly working slide projectors.
The 4 page Questionnaire (see German file fragbog.doc) consists of 15 themes and 23 questions. Besides questions to outdoor activities, visitor frequency, willingness to pay, public preferences towards forest types and the significance of forests, a set of printed images of the area were shown to the visitors. The image set includes 4 pairs of images from the Spitzingsee area, which had been....
......manipulated:
......and original:
The respondants were asked, which image they would prefer, what would
be the attraction of their favourite image and which would be the most
disturbing elements. After showing them the photo with the iron
avalanche protection construction, they were asked if they would know
the use of the construction and if they would think the construction spoils
the scenery.
The answers of 94 field questionnaires and 30 student in-house questionnaires
were processed with Access 2.0 and Excel 5.0. Already analysed results
are presented in flow charts.
Some remarkable facts so far:
