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Local perceptions in the definition of cultural landscapes have been on the radar of the scientific community for a long time, but very few studies have focused on integrating this information into heritage and planning practices. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate, with a practical example, how to do so through a Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) application. In this study, a landscape approach and participatory mapping framework were tailored to a case study area in the south of Italy, where an online map-based survey was shared with the public. The survey results illustrate how the application effectively brought to the fore local heritage perceptions as relevant sources for future potential spatial planning strategies.

This article explores the potential of integrating sense of place into participatory landscape planning processes. In an illustrative case study, spatial information on sense of place assessed through a participatory mapping survey from local citizens is integrated into a geodesign workshop at the Lahn river, Germany, with local stakeholders and planning administration representatives. Results show that sense of place information (1) has been considered interesting and relevant for the planning process by the majority of workshop participants, (2) revealed areas in the landscape that participants did not expect to be meaningful, and (3) spurred discussion on the potential meanings of the places and areas. We recommend planners to consider options for eliciting and integrating sense of place in future participatory landscape planning to reveal citizens’ unknown people-place relationships for the use in actual deliberation and negations.

Planning with nature-based solutions (NBS) presents a participatory approach that harnesses actions supported by nature to address societal challenges. Whilst Geodesign may facilitate participatory planning, manage boundaries between participants, and assess impacts of NBS, empirical insights remain scarce. This paper aims to develop and test a Geodesign process for planning with NBS, and to evaluate its contributions to boundary management. In a one-day Geodesign process, eleven stakeholders delineated priority areas, changed land uses, and observed resulting impacts on ecosystem services. Contributions to boundary management were evaluated regarding translation, communication and mediation functions, as well as perceived attributions of credibility, salience, and legitimacy. Results include spatial NBS scenarios and insights into contributions to boundary management: translating scenario stories into maps differed depending on the stakeholders involved; communication can be easily facilitated; yet mediation using an indicator tool led to frustration. Geodesign can indeed facilitate NBS co-design but needs to be integrated into a larger collaborative process. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01435-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Children and adolescents show high variability in brain development. Brain age—the estimated biological age of an individual brain—can be used to index developmental stage. In a longitudinal sample of adolescents (age 9–23 years), including monozygotic and dizygotic twins and their siblings, structural magnetic resonance imaging scans (N = 673) at 3 time points were acquired. Using brain morphology data of different types and at different spatial scales, brain age predictors were trained and validated. Differences in brain age between males and females were assessed and the heritability of individual variation in brain age gaps was calculated. On average, females were ahead of males by at most 1 year, but similar aging patterns were found for both sexes. The difference between brain age and chronological age was heritable, as was the change in brain age gap over time. In conclusion, females and males show similar developmental (“aging”) patterns but, on average, females pass through this development earlier. Reliable brain age predictors may be used to detect (extreme) deviations in developmental state of the brain early, possibly indicating aberrant development as a sign of risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.

We present an exploratory cross-sectional analysis of the effect of season and weather on Freesurfer-derived brain volumes from a sample of 3,279 healthy individuals collected on two MRI scanners in Hartford, CT, USA over a 15 year period. Weather and seasonal effects were analyzed using a single linear regression model with age, sex, motion, scan sequence, time-of-day, month of the year, and the deviation from average barometric pressure, air temperature, and humidity, as covariates. FDR correction for multiple comparisons was applied to groups of non-overlapping ROIs. Significant negative relationships were found between the left- and right-cerebellum cortex and pressure (t = −2.25, p = 0.049; t = −2.771, p = 0.017). Significant positive relationships were found between left- and right-cerebellum cortex and white matter between the comparisons of January/June and January/September. Significant negative relationships were found between several subcortical ROIs for the summer months compared to January. An opposing effect was observed between the supra- and infra-tentorium, with opposite effect directions in winter and summer. Cohen’s d effect sizes from monthly comparisons were similar to those reported in recent psychiatric big-data publications, raising the possibility that seasonal changes and weather may be confounds in large cohort studies. Additionally, changes in brain volume due to natural environmental variation have not been reported before and may have implications for weather-related and seasonal ailments.

Background Progress in precision psychiatry is predicated on identifying reliable individual-level diagnostic biomarkers. For psychosis, measures of structural and functional connectivity could be promising biomarkers given consistent reports of dysconnectivity across psychotic disorders using magnetic resonance imaging. Methods We leveraged data from four independent cohorts of patients with psychosis and control subjects with observations from approximately 800 individuals. We used group-level analyses and two supervised machine learning algorithms (support vector machines and ridge regression) to test within-, between-, and across-sample classification performance of white matter and resting-state connectivity metrics. Results Although we replicated group-level differences in brain connectivity, individual-level classification was suboptimal. Classification performance within samples was variable across folds (highest area under the curve [AUC] range = 0.30) and across datasets (average support vector machine AUC range = 0.50; average ridge regression AUC range = 0.18). Classification performance between samples was similarly variable or resulted in AUC values of approximately 0.65, indicating a lack of model generalizability. Furthermore, collapsing across samples (resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, N = 888; diffusion tensor imaging, N = 860) did not improve model performance (maximal AUC = 0.67). Ridge regression models generally outperformed support vector machine models, although classification performance was still suboptimal in terms of clinical relevance. Adjusting for demographic covariates did not greatly affect results. Conclusions Connectivity measures were not suitable as diagnostic biomarkers for psychosis as assessed in this study. Our results do not negate that other approaches may be more successful, although it is clear that a systematic approach to individual-level classification with large independent validation samples is necessary to properly vet neuroimaging features as diagnostic biomarkers.

There is substantial variability in percent total weight loss (%TWL) following bariatric surgery. Functional brain imaging may explain more variance in post-surgical weight loss than psychological or metabolic information. Here we examined the neuronal responses during anticipatory cues and receipt of drops of milkshake in 52 pre-bariatric surgery men and women with severe obesity (OW, BMI = 35–60 kg/m2) (23 sleeve gastrectomy (SG), 24 Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), 3 laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), 2 did not undergo surgery) and 21 healthy-weight (HW) controls (BMI = 19–27 kg/m2). One-year post-surgery weight loss ranged from 3.1 to 44.0 TWL%. Compared to HW, OW had a stronger response to milkshake cues (compared to water) in frontal and motor, somatosensory, occipital, and cerebellar regions. Responses to milkshake taste receipt (compared to water) differed from HW in frontal, motor, and supramarginal regions where OW showed more similar response to water. One year post-surgery, responses to high-fat milkshake cues normalized in frontal, motor, and somatosensory regions. This change in brain response was related to scores on a composite health index. We found no correlation between baseline response to milkshake cues or tastes and%TWL at 1-yr post-surgery. In RYGB participants only, a stronger response to low-fat milkshake and water cues (compared to high-fat) in supramarginal and cuneal regions respectively was associated with more weight loss. A stronger cerebellar response to high-fat vs low-fat milkshake receipt was also associated with more weight loss. We confirm differential responses to anticipatory milkshake cues in participants with severe obesity and HW in the largest adult cohort to date. Our brain wide results emphasizes the need to look beyond reward and cognitive control regions. Despite the lack of a correlation with post-surgical weight loss in the entire surgical group, participants who underwent RYGB showed predictive power in several regions and contrasts. Our findings may help in understanding the neuronal mechanisms associated with obesity.

Planning with nature-based solutions (NBS) presents a participatory approach that harnesses actions supported by nature to address societal challenges. Whilst Geodesign may facilitate participatory planning, manage boundaries between participants, and assess impacts of NBS, empirical insights remain scarce. This paper aims to develop and test a Geodesign process for planning with NBS, and to evaluate its contributions to boundary management. In a one-day Geodesign process, eleven stakeholders delineated priority areas, changed land uses, and observed resulting impacts on ecosystem services. Contributions to boundary management were evaluated regarding translation, communication and mediation functions, as well as perceived attributions of credibility, salience, and legitimacy. Results include spatial NBS scenarios and insights into contributions to boundary management: translating scenario stories into maps differed depending on the stakeholders involved; communication can be easily facilitated; yet mediation using an indicator tool led to frustration. Geodesign can indeed facilitate NBS co-design but needs to be integrated into a larger collaborative process.

The use of check-dams in mountain environments to regulate fluxes of water and sediments is widely applied across Mediterranean mountains. Besides the use of “grey infrastructures” such as check-dams, other restoration and hydrological control measures rely more on the use of “green infrastructures” or “nature-based solutions” (e.g. reforestation, buffer lines) or a combination of both types of measures. It is widely accepted that both are complementary, and that prioritization should be based on economic, ecological and cultural criteria. This paper brings together all the knowledge generated during more than one decade concerning the impact of land use changes, reforestation, and hydrological control works on several ecosystem services in a representative Mediterranean catchment. The work evaluates different management scenarios aiming to optimize provision of ecosystem services in the area. The study area is a medium-sized catchment (∼300 km2) in Southeast Spain, representative of Mediterranean mountains that experienced agricultural land abandonment, greening up, and restoration works in the second half of the twentieth century. The methods combined: (i) previous research results for the area that were organized in an ecosystem services framework, providing data for three representative scenarios of catchment management; (ii) the use of value content analysis of the existing management plans for the area to understand the view of the managers; and (iii) a multicriteria analysis of the management scenarios to determine the most sustainable scenario to optimize different ecosystem services. The results of the evaluation were later validated with the stakeholders (technicians and managers involved in the management plans) through interviews. Our results show that solutions that respect landscape and ecological dynamics are more sustainable and cheaper in the medium and long term than scenarios based on “grey infrastructures”, although the latter could have more desirable short-term impacts. The value analysis reflects how there are some concepts, such as ecosystem services, that could easily be further incorporated into several management plans. When choosing a management scenario, this needs to be adapted to the local environmental conditions and to the specific objectives of the restoration works. Tailor-made management scenarios taking into account two factors (local conditions and specific management objectives) can optimize resources and achieve medium to long-term sustainability.

The generation of offshore energy is a rapidly growing sector, competing for space in an already busy seascape. This book brings together the ecological, economic, and social implications of the spatial conflict this growth entails. Covering all energy-generation types (wind, wave, tidal, oil, and gas), it explores the direct and indirect impacts the growth of offshore energy generation has on both the marine environment and the existing uses of marine space. Chapters explore main issues associated with offshore energy, such as the displacement of existing activities and the negative impacts it can have on marine species and ecosystems. Chapters also discuss how the growth of offshore energy generation presents new opportunities for collaboration and co-location with other sectors, for example, the co-location of wild-capture fisheries and wind farms. The book integrates these issues and opportunities, and demonstrates the importance of holistic marine spatial planning for optimising the location of offshore energy-generation sites. It highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement in these planning processes and the role of integrated governance, with illustrative case studies from the United States, United Kingdom, northern Europe, and the Mediterranean. It also discusses trade-off analysis and decision theory and provides a range of tools and best practices to inform future planning processes.

In 2010, Jack Dangermond, president of Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) spoke to the TED.com conference about ‘GeoDesign’, a concept based on a book written in the 1960s by landscape architect Ian McHarg. In this book, ‘Design with Nature’, McHarg pioneered the concept of ecological planning, showing how scientific information, maps, and more could be combined and integrated with the design process to make harmonious and responsible plans. The book inspired Jack Dangermond and it was this idea that led to the creation of the organisation Esri—the world’s most successful spatial analysis company that builds, and enables software users to build, geographic information systems (GIS). Yet, the president of Esri did not believe this was enough. He suggested that we need to be able to harness everything we can measure—from ecology and biology to geology, hydrology, meteorology and other scientific data—and use them to design a better world, a world that considers the character of the environment and integrates it into what we design. While the name is new, the concept is ancient. The role of cartography and planning in human development has been immense (Harley and Woodward, 1987), the overall aim of which is to infuse design with science-based and value-based information to enable planners and stakeholders to facilitate holistic planning decisions. Geodesign is ‘design in geographic space’ that provides the framework for exploring issues from an interdisciplinary point of view by combining science- and value-based designs. It is a set of technological ideas that combine geography with design. It does this by providing tools, such as simulation models, multi-criteria analysis, visualisation, spatial optimisation and real-time feedback. Using a case study, we describe the use of geodesign tools to facilitate collaborative marine planning based around a prospective tidal energy extraction site on the west coast of Scotland.

This article shows how experiences with geodesign in data rich environments such as the Netherlands and the UK can be used to support interactive workshops in the data scarce Lower Zambezi valley, Mozambique. A pictorial geodesign tool was developed that relied on a combination of drawing, use of icons and visualization. The tool required no calculations. The tool was used to support stakeholder workshops as part of an ongoing planning process in the lower Zambezi. Objectives of these workshops were to identify matching and conflicting sectoral claims and to prioritize these claims. The workshops produced maps for each region representing the groups’ assessment of the sectoral claims in combination with a written report of all comments made. Despite the simple design, the tool served its purpose well. It was interesting to observe that it was possible to use the principles of more sophisticated tools in an approach that was simpler but much more graphical as a means of promoting discussion and understanding.

Spatial planners around the world need to make climate change adaptation plans. Climate adaptation planning requires combining spatial information with stakeholder values. This study demonstrates the potential of geodesign tools as a mean to integrate spatial analysis with stakeholder participation in adaptation planning. The tools are interactive and provide dynamic feedback on stakeholder objectives in response to the application of spatial measures. Different rationalities formed by underlying internalized values influence the reasoning of decision-making. Four tools were developed, each tailored to different rationalities varying between a collective or individual viewpoint and analytical or political arguments. The tools were evaluated in an experiment with four groups of participants that were set around an interactive mapping device: the touch table. To study how local decision-making on adaptation can be supported, this study focuses on a specific case study in the Netherlands. In this case study, multiple different stakeholders need to make spatial decisions on land use and water management planning in response to climate change. The collaborative use of four geodesign tools was evaluated in an interactive experiment. The results show that the geodesign tools were able to integrate the engagement of stakeholders and assessment of measures. The experiment showed that decision-making on adaptation to climate change can benefit from the use of geodesign tools as long as the tool is carefully matched to the rationality that applies to the adaptation issue. Although the tools were tested to support the design of adaptation plans in a Dutch setting, the tools could be used for regional adaptation planning in other countries such as the development of regional adaptation strategies (RAS) as required by the European Union or on a national scale to support developing national adaptation plans of action (NAPAs) as initiated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for least developed countries.

Rapana venosa is a non-indigenous invasive predator on bivalves in the Black Sea. A Rapana fishery has developed in the Black Sea since the 1980s, primarily in Turkey and Bulgaria. The Rapana fishery provides a complex management problem with three groups of objectives: 1. Good economic status; 2. Good environmental status and 3. Cost of implementation. To address the various conflicting objectives of this management problem an ecosystem approach was taken to analyze the problem. Stakeholder workshops were set up in Varna (Bulgaria) and Samsun (Turkey) to discuss and evaluate management alternatives based on environmental (MSFD), economic and implementation objectives. Workshops were attended by fishers, factory owners, nature conservation NGOs, biologists and government representatives. In these workshops multi-criteria analysis was used to communicate information on trade-offs between objectives to generate feedback from the stakeholders. This proved useful as a means to retrieve information from the stakeholders and to identify areas of consensus and conflict. Although the process differed substantially between the Bulgarian and Turkish case studies both workshops showed limited conflict between environmental status and socio-economic status. Analysis showed that the real-trade-off was between these two objectives and the cost of implementation both in terms of monetary expense as in terms of resistance from stakeholders. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Background Schizophrenia and related disorders have heterogeneous outcomes. Predicting long-term psychosis outcome may be helpful in improving treatment decision making. The aim of our study was to develop and validate a long-term outcome prediction model of psychosis in individual patients. Many studies have shown that outcome is related to symptoms, demographic, clinical, cognitive, genetic and environmental data – at the level of correlations. We hypothesized that, using machine learning (ML), it is possible to predict individual long-term outcome based on patterns that are present in these data at baseline. Second, we test if variables that were recently found to be predictive of short-term outcome (European First Episode Schizophrenia Trial (EUFEST), Koutsouleris et al, 2016) can yield accurate long-term outcome predictions in our sample. Methods This study included 523 patients (mean (SD) age = 27.6 (7.4) year) from the Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis study. The study extensively assessed patients at baseline, 3- and 6-year follow-up. Outcome was defined in two ways: 1) Symptomatic: being in remission (good outcome) or not in remission (poor outcome), according to the Remission Tool (i.e. a consensus definition which defines remission as maintaining core DSM symptoms, based on Positive and Negative Symptom Scale [PANSS] on a low level during ≥6 months); and 2) Functional, using Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, divided into good (GAF≥65) and poor (GAF

Regional adaptation strategies are plans that consist of feasible measures to shift a region towards a system that is flexible and robust for future climate changes. They apply to regional impacts of climate change and are imbedded in broader planning. Multiple adaptation frameworks and guidelines exist that describe the development stages of regional adaptation strategies. Spatial information plays a key role in the design of adaptation measures as both the effects of climate change as well as many adaptation measures have spatial impacts. Interactive spatial support tools such as drawing, simulation and evaluation tools can assist the development process. This paper presents how to connect tasks derived from the actual development stages to spatial support tools in an interactive multi-stakeholder context. This link helps to decide what spatial tools are suited to support which stages in the development process of regional adaptation strategies. The practical implication of the link is illustrated for three case study workshops in the Netherlands. The regional planning workshops combine expertise from both scientists and stakeholders with an interactive mapping device. This approach triggered participants to share their expertise and stimulated integration of knowledge. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

This article describes a series of collaborative land use planning workshops for a peat-meadow polder in the Netherlands. Three interconnected planning workshops were conducted with stakeholders: a design, analysis and negotiation workshop. Stakeholders were invited to work together and carry out planning tasks using spatial decision support tools implemented in an interactive instrument (the 'Touch table'). Goals, participants, tasks and tools were different for each workshop. The series began with a design workshop, in which stakeholders used drawing tools on the Touch table in order to transfer and process local knowledge. Next, in an analysis workshop, stakeholders used spatial multicriteria tools to combine different types of expert knowledge and generate feedback for quantitatively evaluating land use scenarios for the polder. The series ended with a negotiation workshop, where stakeholders used interactive land use allocation tools collectively on the Touch table to reach a consensus land use plan for the polder. Results from surveys conducted at the end of each workshop indicated that participants found the tools appropriate for a workshop setting. It is concluded that digital maps can be used effectively to support three different types of collaborative planning workshops that are a part of an ongoing land use planning process. Important aspects in the design of the workshops included the selection of participants, level of detail and complexity of spatial information provided and a balanced formulation of workshop assignments. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Slaapstoornissen komen veel voor in de populatie en hebben vaak grote impact op het dagelijks functioneren. Insomnie is de meest voorkomende slaapstoornis, gevolgd door slaapgerelateerde ademhalingsstoornissen en restless legs syndroom (RLS). Daarnaast zullen veel van uw patienten last hebben van snurken, parasomnieen en slaap-waakstoornissen. Voor het stellen van de juiste diagnose zijn naast de (hetero)anamnese vaak gestandaardiseerde vragenlijsten, een slaap-waakkalender en een poly(somno)grafie nodig. In de tweede lijn worden patienten met slaapstoornissen bij voorkeur multidisciplinair behandeld door KNO-artsen, longartsen, neurologen en psychologen, waardoor verwijzing naar een slaapcentrum de voorkeur heeft.

This article focuses on the use of map-based multicriteria analysis to develop a negotiation support tool for land use allocation. Spatial multicriteria analysis is used to make explicit trade-offs between objectives and to provide guidance and feedback on the land use changes negotiated by the participants. Digital maps are the means of communication among workshop participants, and an interactive mapping device (the 'Touch table') is used as the interface. Participants are informed about the relevant trade-offs on the map and use this information to change the land use maps. The approach is tested during a negotiation session as part of the land use planning process of the Bodegraven polder, a peat meadow area in the Netherlands. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

There is no abstract for this paper.

1. Nature conservation and restoration traditionally focus on protecting individual sites. In parts of the world where the natural landscape has been severely altered for agricultural or urban use, individual patches are too small and isolated to ensure effective nature protection. Spatial processes, such as metapopulation dynamics, are disrupted and natural linkages in the landscape, such as water flows, are severed by modifications in the landscape and hydrology. 2. We propose the identification of Operational Landscape Units (OLUs), which are defined as combinations of landscape patches with their hydrogeological and biotic connections, as a tool to facilitate wetland restoration in catchments with a high degree of fragmentation and strongly altered hydrology. The combined consideration of biotic (i.e. dispersal, transports of organisms) and hydrological connections (flooding events, groundwater flowpaths) is a new approach. 3. We developed criteria for the delineation of OLUs in regional wetland restoration initiatives. The key elements for delineation are definition of the restoration objectives, identification of spatial landscape mechanisms and information on historic and present land uses and hydrologic management. 4. As a case study, we delineated an OLU by applying these criteria in a restoration initiative for a large agricultural area that used to be a floodplain until the early 1950s in N.E. Twente, The Netherlands. The OLU encompassed not only the floodplain area to be restored but also a relatively remote nature reserve upstream as well as the stream connecting both areas. By restoring the historic water regime, flooding events would become a regular feature in the two areas and organisms including seeds would flow from the nature reserve to the restored floodplain. 5. Synthesis and applications. Discussions of the proposed Operational Landscape Units with stakeholders (water authorities, nature conservation agencies, farmers) resulted in shared insights which will lead to modifications of the original management plan for the area. We believe the OLU approach will make natural resource managers aware of the importance of spatial processes and connectivity in landscapes and, if properly applied, will lead to more natural and more successful restoration projects. © 2008 The Authors.

The overall objective of this paper is to show how a formal decision support method can be used effectively to support a land-use planning problem. Central to our approach is a heuristic algorithm based on a goal-programming/reference-point approach. The algorithm is tested on a small region in the Netherlands. To demonstrate the potential use of the algorithm, a planning problem is defined for this region. An interactive session with a land-use planner is then simulated, to show how feedback from the planner is used to generate a plan in a number of rounds. It is concluded that the approach has potential for the support of land-use problems especially in the first rounds of policy design as long as maps are used to interface between planner and algorithm. It is also shown that computational problems still hinder the achievement of realistic detail in the representation of the plan area.

A new fishing rights allocation system was introduced in South Africa in 2001. The system, its application and the complaints by fishers were assessed. In response to the weaknesses in the 2001 system, a participatory multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA)-based approach was proposed as a new system for evaluating applicants. To test the approach, workshops were held with fishers and the authority responsible for allocating rights. The MCDA system allowed the concerns (criteria) of different stakeholders to be integrated into a coherent framework and for their priorities to be reflected in scores and weights. Simple MCDA approaches, accessible to fishers and the authority, were used to elicit scores and weights, thus providing a record of the process and a theoretically justifiable basis for the use of a weighted sum of scores. Although the perception was that the authority and fishers' priorities were very different, they proved to be similar and could be accommodated in an integrated system. © 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Decision support systems can be helpful tools in wetland planning and management. Decision support systems can contribute to efficient exchange of information between experts, stakeholders, decision makers and laypeople. However, the achievements of decision support systems are repeatedly being reported as modest. The objective of this article is to specify the roles and requirements of decision support tools in wetland planning. Why do such tools often fail and how can they be improved? Too often, systems are developed from a technological developers' push (supply-driven) rather than through a demand-driven process where the need for certain technologies to effectively support decision processes is being specified. It is questioned whether (often technocratic) tools are still equipped to support the complex planning and management process where different stakeholders interact. Two tools are described, which have been developed to facilitate negotiations in wetland planning and both tend to be less data-driven and more directed to play a role in participatory processes. From experiences with the development of the two decision support efforts we derive suggestions for improvement. The first tool uses spatial multi-criteria analysis techniques, to enable a structured analysis of the diversity of the water management issues. The second tool focuses on interactive design and spatial negotiation. It is concluded that application of this category of tools can be promising in early phases of decision-making. Their main contribution is to help to overcome unnecessary conflicts, to stimulate collaborative planning, to structure the problem and to provide insight in values and preferences of stakeholders involved. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This study examines the use of spatial optimization techniques for multi-site land-use allocation problems (MLUA). 'Multi-site' refers to the problem of allocating more than one land-use type in an area, which are difficult problems as they involve multiple stakeholders with conflicting goals and objectives. Spatial optimization methods consist of (1) an optimization model and (2) an algorithm to solve the model. This study demonstrates a goal-programming model to solve the MLUA problem. The model is solved using both simulated annealing and genetic algorithms. Special attention has been given to introduce a spatial compactness objective in the model. It is shown that the compactness objectives in the optimization model generate compact patches of the same land use for using both the simulated annealing procedure and the genetic algorithm. In addition, it appears that using the proper settings of the compactness objectives, connectivity between patches of land use is promoted. The method is tested for a fictive study and then demonstrated for a real case study, both measuring 20 × 20 cells. The genetic algorithm generally performs better than simulated annealing in terms of solution time and achieving compactness.

Wetlands perform functions that support the generation of ecologically, socially and economically important values. European legislation has increasingly recognised the importance of preserving wetland ecosystems. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) embodies many of the existing directives that have implications for wetlands. The EU funded EVALUWET project (European valuation and assessment tool supporting wetland ecosystem legislation) aims to develop and implement an operational wetland evaluation decision support system to support European policy objectives. A multidisciplinary approach is adopted combining expertise from natural and social scientists. The region of Noord-Hollands Midden is selected as the Dutch case study within EVALUWET. This region north of Amsterdam is a typical Dutch landscape with drained peat meadows in polders below sea level. Important stakeholders are: agricultural organisations, recreation, nature conservation organisations, and provincial/regional authorities. Water levels are controlled in the area. Changes in water regimes are proposed (National Policies, WFD) which will have an impact on the performance of functions such as agriculture, nature and residential and recreation opportunities. In this case study, three alternatives will be compared: (1) modern peat pasture (current), (2) historical peat pasture and (3) dynamic mire. Impacts of these alternatives on a number of criteria relevant to EU policy are assessed. Spatial evaluation techniques in combination with multicriteria methods are used to support evaluation. This provides a better insight into the consequences of alternative water regimes on the performance of the wetland functions and is used to support stakeholders participating in the decision process. The system is based on the following software components: impact assessment is performed by a rule-based knowledge base implemented in NetWeaver. Spatial evaluation and map presentation are handled in ArcView and ArcMap. Multicriteria analysis is performed using the software package DEFINITE. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial decision support systems generate a diversity of information presented in tables, graphs, text and maps. Which form is used is dictated partially by the nature of the information but also by those who prepare information to be used in a decision-making process. The users of the information do not necessarily have the same preference for the way the information is presented. A survey has been conducted amongst stakeholders in a decision-making process to see what their preferences are. The purpose of the survey was to gain insight into the ability of stakeholders to use information presented at different levels of detail when comparing alternatives. This paper reports on the survey's results. Possible relations between level of detail, the ease of use of information, confidence in correctness and value of the information are presented. The results show that maps and graphs are preferred above tables and text. A high preference for maps is, however, not a measure of the ability to use maps. In addition, the results show that even though the ability to use the information increased with decreasing level of detail, detailed information is found more valuable. 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spacial decision support systems (SDSS) are popular tools in decision-making processes. Despite their popularity there are many systema that are never or hardly used. The present study searches for explanations or reasons for success or failure of such tools by comparing five representative examples of SDSS for coastal zone and water management. The findings of the comparison show, amongst others, that SDSS only provide limited or no support for analysing and evaluating the output generated by SDSS. Also, no or poor support for spatial evaluation is offered which might be one of the reasons why some SDSS are not used. © 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) is a popular tool in Dutch environmental impact assessment (EIA). This paper provides an overview of the type and complexity of decision problems supported, and the MCA approach selected to analyse these problems. Furthermore, the role of MCA in the decision process is analysed, and a special case where the MCA results were challenged in court is presented. The paper concludes with some lessons learned from the use of MCA in the Netherlands. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mangrove ecosystems are rapidly declining in many parts of the world. This has resulted in the loss of important environmental and economic products and services including forest products, flood mitigation and nursery grounds for fish. The aquaculture industry was the single biggest threat to mangroves in the Philippines until 1981 when conversion of the remaining mangrove stands was prohibited by law. However, the decreasing yield from capture fisheries is putting pressure for the re-examination of this policy. To understand the importance of mangroves, insight is needed into the value of products and services provided is needed. This article compares the costs and benefits of mangrove preservation with those generated by alternative uses such as aquaculture and forestry. Equity and sustainability objectives are taken into account, in addition to economic efficiency and analyzed according to the perspectives of the different types of decision makers involved.

Fisheries resources are vulnerable to over-exploitation, in large part because of their open-access nature. For long-term ecological and socio-economic sustainability, fisheries therefore need to be regulated by limiting Total Allowable Catches (TAC) and/or Total Allowable Effort (TAE). It can be argued that to maximize the efficiency of the fisheries sector tradable fishing rights is the way to go. This is the solution implemented successfully in countries such as Iceland and New Zealand (Scott, 2000; Arnason, 2005). In many developing countries, however, protection of traditional fishing communities and their subsistence fisheries is added. Objectives of fishing rights allocation can then include poverty reduction and preservation of traditional culture. Fishing quota systems have been seen as a solution to the problem of over- capitalization, of ever-increasing effort, of the derby effect (where fishers rush to harvest as much as possible of the season’s quota where it is not individually allocated), and a way, thus, to reduce over-fishing. Along with deciding on the duration of the right, its divisibility and transferability, implementation of a quota approach for any fishery faces the questions of who should get the initial and possible subsequent quotas, how large the quotas should be and what they should cost (Scott, 2000). In most countries where quotas have been introduced the primary concern has been with reducing effort, over-capitalization and overfishing. South Africa has had company quotas since 1979 for hake (Merluccius spp.) and the early 1980s for west coast rock lobster (Jasus lalandii, H. MilneEdwards). From the late 1990s until now the South African government has been extending the quota system to most fisheries. A long-term sustainable yield from fish stocks is a necessary pre-condition for the survival of the artisanal fishing communities of the Western Cape. The fishing rights allocation system described in this study aims to secure the livelihoods of these communities by securing the important ecosystem services that sustainable fish stocks provide. Success of the allocation process is to a large extent dependent on its creating suitable conditions for commercial and artisanal fishermen alike to derive sustainable benefits from the ecosystem service ‘production of fish’. A regulatory approach is used to create these conditions.

Information on ecological qualities can play an important role in land-use planning. This information is not always in a form that is suitable to support planning and negotiation among stakeholders. In this paper we describe an approach that uses ecological information based on expert knowledge in combination with spatial multicriteria analysis. Important elements of this approach are selection of evaluation criteria, assessment of scores, standardization, weighting, and aggregation. The approach was tested as part of the land-use planning process of the Bodegraven polder, a peat meadow area in the Netherlands. An interactive mapping device (the ‘touch table’) was used to support a series of interactive workshops with the various stakeholders to generate, assess, and discuss land-use plans for the Bodegraven polder. This paper shows the use of ecological information to support decision making and negotiation. Keywords: ecological qualities, spatial ecological evaluation, multicriteria analysis, interactive decision support