Social perceptions of the present and future of pond landscapes from inhabitants and stakeholders: results and perspectives in Europe, Türkiye and Uruguay

Abstract

Despite the crucial importance of pond landscapes for biodiversity conservation, they are less studied, especially in terms of their impacts on people and society. This paper presents the results of a survey carried out on the perceptions of inhabitants and stakeholders across 17 pond landscapes in six countries in Europe, as well as Turkiye and Uruguay. We collected 117 and 590 answers from stakeholders and local inhabitants, respectively, through questionnaires, including questions about their perceptions and preferences. Our results show that pondscapes are widely valued for their benefit to the quality of life and biodiversity. Three Nature’s Contributions to People are considered important by both groups: ‘creation and maintenance of habitats’, ‘physical and psychological experiences’ and ‘maintenance of options’ (i.e. potential opportunities offered by nature to ensure resilience). Similar perceived threats related to ‘climate change’ and ‘pollution’ have been identified by stakeholders and inhabitants in all countries and have a direct impact on the maintenance of the most important contributions. The perceptions of potential solutions to identify threats are quite similar for most pondscapes, with conservation and maintenance actions being the most important for enhancing ecosystems and societal resilience to climate change and other societal challenges.