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The aim of the paper is to analyse biodiesel market acceptance in Spain. In particular, we study the intention to use biodiesel by Spanish diesel car drivers and the factors explaining this intention. To achieve this goal, we developed a model of the intention to use biodiesel based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour but extended in two ways. The first one consists of the inclusion of two new predictors of the intention to use (environmental self-identity and biodiesel knowledge) and the second, the extension of the model to take into account the two barriers in the adoption of biodiesel in the market (potential price premium and limited availability in the petrol stations). This model has been specified as an ordered probit and estimated using data from a survey conducted in Spain. Results indicated that apart from the attitudes towards biodiesel use, the most important factors explaining the intention to use biodiesel are the biodiesel knowledge and the environmental self-identity, in other words, the new predictors in the Theory of Planned Behaviour model. In addition, the effects of all the factors (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, biodiesel knowledge, environmental self-identity and socio-demographic characteristics) on the intention to use were different, depending on the price and the availability of the biodiesel in the market. Thus, we can conclude that to analyse the intention to use biodiesel, different price and availability scenarios should be taken into account. Empirical results indicated that to increase biodiesel use, the best option is to increase biodiesel knowledge and environmental self-identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in ecosystem services provided by agroecosystems has grown over the last decades with research focusing on the type of environmental, economic and social benefits delivered by agroecosystems. Researchers suggest that, besides the provisioning of food, fuel, and fiber, agroecosystems provide habitat, cultural, and regulating services. One type of agroecosystem that remains relatively unexplored from an ecosystem service perspective is home gardens. In this paper, we aim at advancing the understanding of the value of home gardens by conducting an assessment of home gardens ecosystem services. For the empirical analysis we use home gardens in Vall Fosca (Catalan Pyrenees). We identify and characterize the most important ecosystem services provided by home gardens, and conduct a valuation of the social importance of home garden ecosystem services. The methodological approach for this work included an in-depth literature review, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, a valuation questionnaire, and a scientific panel consultation. We identified and characterized 19 ecosystem functions and related services. According to our informants, home gardens provide a large set of ecosystem services, being cultural services the category most valued. We found that the most important ecosystem services provided by home gardens differ from those provided by other types of agroecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) is an indicator of the human domination of ecosystems that measures to which extent human activities alter the amount of biomass available each year in ecosystems. This paper analyses the development of aboveground HANPP (aHANPP) in Spain for the period from 1955 to 2003. During this period, Spain's agriculture underwent a transition from a largely pre-industrial to a highly intensified production system. Changes in land use patterns include a reduction of cropland area and an expansion of forest area. Results show that aHANPP declined from 67% of potential aNPP in 1955 to 61% in 2003. Biomass harvest strongly increased from 68 million tons dry matter biomass per year (Mt/yr) to 106 Mt/yr, with nearly all of this increase occurring on cropland. Productivity losses due to human-induced land conversions dropped significantly from 112 Mt/yr to 63 Mt/yr, mainly as a result of the surge in cropland productivity and the increase in forest area. Despite its decrease during the last decades, aHANPP in Spain is still at a remarkably high level in comparison with the global average or other industrialized countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]