The conceptual scope of landscape services: A framework for assessing services related to the environment at the landscape scale
Abstract
In the literature, there is generally no clear definition of landscape services, which are often confused with ecosystem services. The landscape, however, constitutes a scale at which other types of ecological and socio-cultural processes occur and interact closely, making it particularly relevant to planning decisions and sustainability assessments. Although various approaches to landscape, such as the Integrated Landscape Approach and Landscape Multifunctionality, have recently highlighted the richness of this concept, the challenge remains to develop a framework capable of creating the necessary conditions for defining concrete landscape services that can be adapted to a wide variety of situations. This article proposes an innovative framework for defining landscape services. It is based primarily on three principles aimed at establishing a specific landscape-based rationale, taking into account 1) the reciprocal nature of landscape services between nature and humans, 2) the complementarity of ecosystems, and 3) the functioning of local communities, as a fundamental element of the socio-ecological system that the landscape represents. A classification of landscape services inspired by that of ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating/supporting, cultural) but specific to the landscape scale is proposed as the second stage of the analysis for each principle. Finally, several examples of concrete indicators are proposed for each type of landscape service. This framework is examined with a focus on the contribution of the landscape services approach to landscape sustainability challenges in generally complex socio-cultural contexts. Emphasis is also placed on the contribution of landscape services in comparison with that of ecosystem services.
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BibTeX
@misc{razafindrabe2026conceptual,
title = {{The conceptual scope of landscape services: A framework for assessing services related to the environment at the landscape scale}},
author = {Alexandra Razafindrabe and Micheline Andrianasolomanana and Anne-Elisabeth Laques and Mandroso Rakotoarivony and Ny Aina Razafitrimo and Anjaratiana Rojo Rasamoelina and Stéphanie Carrière and Rina Ramahandrisoa and Herizo Randriambanona and Maholitiana Ravololonirina and Samuel Razanaka and Didier Genin},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
url = {https://ird.hal.science/ird-05755934v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The conceptual scope of landscape services: A framework for assessing services related to the environment at the landscape scale
AU - Alexandra Razafindrabe
AU - Micheline Andrianasolomanana
AU - Anne-Elisabeth Laques
AU - Mandroso Rakotoarivony
AU - Ny Aina Razafitrimo
AU - Anjaratiana Rojo Rasamoelina
AU - Stéphanie Carrière
AU - Rina Ramahandrisoa
AU - Herizo Randriambanona
AU - Maholitiana Ravololonirina
AU - Samuel Razanaka
AU - Didier Genin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/20
PB - HAL
UR - https://ird.hal.science/ird-05755934v1
AB - In the literature, there is generally no clear definition of landscape services, which are often confused with ecosystem services. The landscape, however, constitutes a scale at which other types of ecological and socio-cultural processes occur and interact closely, making it particularly relevant to planning decisions and sustainability assessments. Although various approaches to landscape, such as the Integrated Landscape Approach and Landscape Multifunctionality, have recently highlighted the richness of this concept, the challenge remains to develop a framework capable of creating the necessary conditions for defining concrete landscape services that can be adapted to a wide variety of situations. This article proposes an innovative framework for defining landscape services. It is based primarily on three principles aimed at establishing a specific landscape-based rationale, taking into account 1) the reciprocal nature of landscape services between nature and humans, 2) the complementarity of ecosystems, and 3) the functioning of local communities, as a fundamental element of the socio-ecological system that the landscape represents. A classification of landscape services inspired by that of ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating/supporting, cultural) but specific to the landscape scale is proposed as the second stage of the analysis for each principle. Finally, several examples of concrete indicators are proposed for each type of landscape service. This framework is examined with a focus on the contribution of the landscape services approach to landscape sustainability challenges in generally complex socio-cultural contexts. Emphasis is also placed on the contribution of landscape services in comparison with that of ecosystem services.
ER -