We find also interesting similarities between Real et al. (2000) and the present paper. The former,
in its first study, defines four main aspects to classify landscapes: the presence/absence of water, the
artificiality of the scene, its roughness and the human presence. These four characteristics are included
in the current model; this is, amount of water, degree of wilderness, horizon and the presence of
positive and negative antropic elements, respectively. In the same paper, the second study presents
different regression models that confirm the positive (negative) relationship between the beauty of
landscape and the amount of water (amount of humanized elements).
4. Conclusions
We have implemented a straightforward method for assessing the visual quality of rural landscapes.
The same methodology can be applied to other areas in order to rank and explain the scenic beauty of
landscapes. The information supplied by the model can enrich the decision-making process that has to
evaluate competing sites for the location of recreational facilities that will suit a given target
population.
According to the results, the degree of wilderness and positively evaluated man-made features play a
key role in determining the visual quality of the rural scene. These are followed by the area of water
and the colour contrast. Given that man-made features are among the most important elements of the
perceived visual quality of the landscape, planning the modernization of rural areas should include the
impact of such features on the landscape and the possibility of using such features as a rural
development tool. The other two elements that can be altered by landscape planners are the percentage
of vegetation and the colour contrast. Thus, the multi-crop land allocation plus the use of natural cover
between olive trees lead to a higher visual quality of the agricultural landscapes of Andalusia.
6
Finally, in considering the impact of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy on the landscape, we find
two negative effects. The first is the reduction of crop diversity, since, as the results suggest, the
greater the homogeneity of our agricultural landscape, the lower its perceived visual beauty, due
mainly to the lack of colour contrast. Second, the maintenance in production of land of poor
agricultural quality, as an alternative to forestry, decreases the perception of wilderness in the
landscape, and thus its beauty.