Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Understanding citizen perceptions of the Eastern Hills of Bogota: a participatory place-based ecosystem service assessment

  • Published:
Urban Ecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Integrated assessment of natural and human systems is regarded as a way to facilitate effective governance of complex environmental issues, and engagement of stakeholders is recognised as a key requirement of such an assessment. Place-based ecosystem service analysis is one framework for integrative research on understanding citizen values. By using the lens of place, participants can articulate values and perceptions. Advantages of this framework are particularly relevant in the urban setting, given that the population and functioning of cities create especially high pressure on ecosystems and biodiversity of the surrounding areas. This study reports on a place-based ecosystem service analysis study in Bogota, Colombia. It aimed to identify how urban citizens conceptualise the socio-ecological value of a nearby protected natural area, the Eastern Hills Protected Forest Area. The objective was to generate an integrated understanding of the services the Hills provide to Bogota. The study found that the services of fresh water and habitat provision, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, erosion control and climate and air quality were highly prioritised ecosystem services due to their fundamental importance for the maintenance of human life. The Hills also hold cultural value for Bogotans, such as a sense of belonging and identity, being the natural symbol of Bogota and inspiration for escapism. There is enthusiasm for greater stewardship and conservation of the Hills, and demand for a greater role in decision making. The place-based ecosystem service approach can be developed as a tool for developing an integrated understanding of citizen values for landscape management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. See http://www.cerrosdebogota.org/ for more information

  2. Economic strata refers to the official measurement used by the Bogotan City Administration. Economic stratification is determined by the National Department of Statistics and used by the District Secretary for Planning in order to understand the needs of people and affects the rate at which city services and rates are charged. There are six (6) strata, 1 being the lowest (poorest) and 6 being the highest (richest).

  3. For expanded data analysis of ecosystem service rankings across groups in separate variables, please contact the corresponding author.

References

  • Alberti M, Marzluff JM, Shulenberger E, Bradley G, Ryan C, Zumbrunnen C (2003) Integrating humans into ecology: opportunities and challenges for studying urban ecosystems. Bioscience 53(12):1169–1179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alessa L, Kliskey A, Brown G (2008) Social–ecological hotspots mapping: a spatial approach for identifying coupled social–ecological space. Landsc Urban Plan 85(1):27–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avolio M, Pataki DE, Gillespie T, Jenerette GD, McCarthy HR, Pincetl S, Weller-Clarke L (2015) Tree diversity in southern California's urban forest: the interacting roles of social and environmental variables. Front Ecol Evol 3:73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá (2007) Pasado, presente y futuro de la localidad de Usme. http://www.institutodeestudiosurbanos.info/dmdocuments/cendocieu/coleccion_digital/Localidades/Usme/Pasado_Presente_Futuro_Usme-CCB.pdf. Accessed 10 Jul 2016

  • Centro de Investigaciones da la Facultad de Arquitectura (1999) Los Cerros: Paisaje e Identidad Cultural. Identificación y valoración del patrimonio ambiental y cultural de los cerros orientales en Santa Fe de Bogotá. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke LW, Jenerette GD (2015) Biodiversity and direct ecosystem service regulation in the community gardens of Los Angeles, CA. Landsc Ecol 30(4):637–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daily GC, Alexander S, Ehrlich PR, Goulder L, Lubchenco J, Matson PA, Mooney HA, Postel S, Schneider SH, Tilman D (1997) Ecosystem services: benefits supplied to human societies by natural ecosystems, vol 2. Ecological Society of America, Washington (DC)

    Google Scholar 

  • El Tiempo (2015) Se agudiza la batalla por los Cerros Orientales. http://www.eltiempo.com/bogota/debate-por-cerros-orientales/15283035. Accessed 13 April 2016

  • De Groot RS, Wilson MA, Boumans RM (2002) A typology for the classification, description and valuation of ecosystem functions, goods and services. Ecol Econ 41(3):393–408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El Espectador (2016) Será demolida lujosa construcción que invadió los cerros orientales de Bogotá. https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/bogota/sera-demolida-lujosa-construccion-invadio-los-cerros-or-articulo-672201

  • Funtowicz SO, Ravetz JR (1991) A new scientific methodology for global environmental issues. In: Costanza R (ed) Ecological economics: The science and management of sustainability, vol 10. pp 137-152

  • García-Llorente M, Martín-López B, Iniesta-Arandia I, López-Santiago CA, Aguilera PA, Montes C (2012) The role of multi-functionality in social preferences toward semi-arid rural landscapes: an ecosystem service approach. Environ Sci Pol 19:136–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Nieto AP, Quintas-Soriano C, García-Llorente M, Palomo I, Montes C, Martín-López B (2015) Collaborative mapping of ecosystem services: the role of stakeholders′ profiles. Ecosyst Serv 13:141–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez Lee ID (2009) Conflictos entre los derechos a la propiedad y el medio ambiente en los Cerro Orientales de Bogota y la inseguridad juridica. Revista Digital de Derecho Administrativo 2:223–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Hauck J, Görg C, Varjopuro R, Ratamäki O, Jax K (2013) Benefits and limitations of the ecosystem services concept in environmental policy and decision making: some stakeholder perspectives. Environ Sci Pol 25:13–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2012.08.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiménez Ramos LM (2011) Unas montañas al servicio de Bogotá: Imaginarios de naturaleza en la reforestación de los Cerros 1899–1924. Universidad de los Andes, Bogota

    Google Scholar 

  • Leon M, Catalina D (2013) Análisis e Interpretación de la Prospectiva Comunitaria y su Contribución en la Planificación del Territorio Cerros Orientales. Universidad de Manizales, Manizales

    Google Scholar 

  • Martínez C (1976) Bogotá: Sinoposis sobre su evolución urbana. Ediciones Escala, Bogotá

    Google Scholar 

  • Martín-López B, Iniesta-Arandia I, García-Llorente M, Palomo I, Casado-Arzuaga I, Del Amo DG, Gómez-Baggethun E, Oteros-Rozas E, Palacios-Agundez I, Willaarts B (2012) Uncovering ecosystem service bundles through social preferences. PLoS One 7(6):e38970

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McPhearson T, Parnell S, Simon D, Gaffney O, Elmqvist T, Bai X, Roberts D, Revi A (2016) Scientists must have a say in the future of cities. Nature 538(7624):165–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mejía Pavony GR (2000) Los años del cambio: historia urbana de Bogotá, 1820–1910. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesa Ambiental de los Cerros Orientales (2008) Territorios Populares, Ambiente y Hábitat. Propuestas de Política Pública desde los Cerros Orientales de Bogotá. https://mesacerros.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/cerros.pdf. Accessed 23 Apr 2017

  • Meza CA (2008) Urbanización, conservación y ruralidad en los Cerros Orientales de Bogota. Revista Colombiana de Antropologia 44(2):439–480

    Google Scholar 

  • Norgaard RB (2010) Ecosystem services: From eye-opening metaphor to complexity binder. Ecol Econ 69(6):1219–1227

  • Pascual U, Balvanera P, Díaz S, Pataki G, Roth E, Stenseke M, Watson RT, Dessane EB, Islar M, Kelemen E (2017) Valuing nature’s contributions to people: the IPBES approach. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 26:7–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramírez Hernández A (2009) Análisis de los conflictos ambientales en interfases urbano-rurales. Revista Nodo 6(3):71–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramírez JC, Parra-Peña RI (2013) Metrópolis de Colombia: Aglomeraciones y Desarrollo. Estudios y Perspectivas. CEPAL, Bogotá

  • Raymond CM, Bryan BA, MacDonald DH, Cast A, Strathearn S, Grandgirard A, Kalivas T (2009) Mapping community values for natural capital and ecosystem services. Ecol Econ 68(5):1301–1315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.12.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond CM, Fazey I, Reed MS, Stringer LC, Robinson GM, Evely AC (2010) Integrating local and scientific knowledge for environmental management. J Environ Manag 91(8):1766–1777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reed MS, Graves A, Dandy N, Posthumus H, Hubacek K, Morris J, Prell C, Quinn CH, Stringer LC (2009) Who's in and why? A typology of stakeholder analysis methods for natural resource management. J Environ Manag 90(5):1933–1949

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozo-Barajas V (2011) Valores Locales y Problemas Ambientales: Asentamientos de Origen Informal. Paper presented at the N-AERUS XII Conference, Madrid, 20-22 October 2011

  • Satterfield T (2001) In search of value literacy: suggestions for the elicitation of environmental values. Environ Values 10(3):331–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaich H, Bieling C, Plieninger T (2010) Linking ecosystem services with cultural landscape research. Gaia-Ecol Perspect Sci Soc 19(4):269–277

    Google Scholar 

  • Secretaría de Planeación (2016) Proyecciones de población 2016–2020

  • Secretaría de Planeación, Secretaría Distrital de Hábitat, Fondo Patrimonio Natural (2015) ¡Asi viven los cerros! Experiencias de habitabilidad. Secretaría Distrital de Planeación, Bogotá

  • Secretaría Distrital de Planeación (2009) Conociendo las Localidades de Bogotá: Resumen de los principales aspectos físicos, demográficos y socioeconómicos. http://www.sdp.gov.co/portal/page/portal/PortalSDP/InformacionTomaDecisiones/Estadisticas/Bogot%E1CiudaddeEstad%EDsticas/2009/DICE092-CartillaConociendoLocalidades-2009.pdf. Accessed 20 Mar 2016

  • Secretaría Distrital de Planeación (2013) POT: Una Ciudad Bien Pensada. http://www.sdp.gov.co/portal/page/portal/PortalSDP/POT_2020/Cartilla-POT-DIGITAL-02042013.pdf

  • Secretaría Distrital de Planeación (2014) Encuesta Multiproposito 2014: Principales Resultados. http://www.culturarecreacionydeporte.gov.co/sites/default/files/cartilla-multiproposito1.pdf. Accessed 4 Aug 2017

  • The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (2016) Ecosystem Services. http://www.teebweb.org/resources/ecosystem-services/

  • United Nations (2014) World urbanization prospects: the 2014 revision, Highlights

  • Van Riper CJ, Kyle GT (2014) Capturing multiple values of ecosystem services shaped by environmental worldviews: a spatial analysis. J Environ Manag 145:374–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villamagna AM, Angermeier PL, Bennett EM (2013) Capacity, pressure, demand, and flow: a conceptual framework for analyzing ecosystem service provision and delivery. Ecol Complex 15:114–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Eleanor Robson & Lorrae van Kerkhoff

  2. The Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Steven Cork

Authors
  1. Eleanor Robson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lorrae van Kerkhoff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Steven Cork
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eleanor Robson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Robson, E., van Kerkhoff, L. & Cork, S. Understanding citizen perceptions of the Eastern Hills of Bogota: a participatory place-based ecosystem service assessment. Urban Ecosyst 22, 19–35 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-018-0739-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-018-0739-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation