Use and Assessment of the ‘New’ Rural Functions by Land Users and Landowners of the Montado in Southern Portugal

Abstract

The objective of the study discussed in this paper was to produce knowledge about how the Montado, an agrosilvopastoral system dominant in southern Portugal, supports and can better support ‘new’ rural functions associated with leisure and recreation. The Montado is recognized as a multifunctional landscape, although future management conditions are still to be defined. A qualitative survey was carried out through personal interviews with land users and landowners of this specific system. Results regarding visitor profiles, current activities in the Montado, perceived limitations and improvements suggested by land users, as well as landowners' attitudes towards ‘new’ functions, are presented and discussed.

Keywords

multifunctional land use land users landowners property rights Montado

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brunori

Rossi

(2007), ‘Differentiating countryside: Social representations and governance patterns in rural areas with high social density: The case of Chianti, Italy’, Journal of Rural Studies, Vol 23, No 2, pp 183–205.

European Landscape Convention (2000), Florence.

Fonseca

(2004), O Montado no Alentejo (Séc. XV a XVIII), Edições Colibri, Portugal.

Gomez-Limon

Fernandez

L. J. V.

(1999), ‘Changes in use and landscape preferences on the agricultural–livestock landscapes of the central Iberian peninsula (Madrid, Spain)’, Landscape and Urban Planning, Vol 44, No 4, pp 165–175.

Konijnendijk

C. C.

(2000), ‘Adapting forestry to urban demands – role of communication in urban forestry in Europe’, Landscape and Urban Planning, Vol 52, No 2–3, pp 89–100.

Merlo

Croitoru

, eds (2005), Valuing Mediterranean Forests, Towards Total Economic Value, CAB International, Wallingford.

Patton

M. Q.

(2002), Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods, 3 ed, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Pinto-Correia

(1993), ‘Threatened landscape in Alentejo, Portugal: The “Montado” and other “agro-silvo-pastoral” systems’, Landscape and Urban Planning, Vol 24, No 1–4, pp 43–48.

Pinto-Correia

Mascarenhas

(1999), ‘Contribution for the extensification/intensification debate: What is happening to the Portuguese Montado?’ Landscape and Urban Planning, Vol 46, No 1–3, pp 125–131.

10.

Pinto-Correia

Vos

(2004), ‘Multifunctionality in Mediterranean landscapes – past and future’, in Jongman

R. H. G.

, ed, The New Dimensions of the European Landscape, Wageningen UR Frontis Series, Springer, Dordrecht, pp 135–164.

11.

Plieninger

Modolell y Mainou

Konold

(2004), ‘Land manager attitude toward management, regeneration and conservation of Spanish holm oak savannas (dehesas)’, Landscape and Urban Planning, Vol 66, No 3, pp 185–198.

12.

Surová

Pinto-Correia

(2008), ‘Landscape preferences in the cork oak Montado in the region of Alentejo, southern Portugal: Searching for valuable landscape characteristics for different user groups’, Landscape Research, Vol 33, No 3, pp 311–330.