Preferences for nature conservation in the agricultural landscape - Ananalysis of the aims of municipal decision-makers with the aid of budgetchoice games [German]

摘要

The discussion about future land-use-concepts in Germany focusses on the introduction of local budgets for countryside stewardship to minimize conflicts between agriculture and nature conservation. The present articel examines the outcomes of an introduction of environmental components into the allocation of revenues between central and local authorities in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Budget choice games and other methods for an integrated evaluation of the environment were carried out in 15 rural communities. In general, the introduction of stewardship budgets is seen in a positive way. Nevertheless the asthetical evaluation of landscape shows distinct differences between farmers, who stress land-use-aspects, and non-farmers, who prefer to argue from the conservation point of view. The willingness to pay for nature conservation depends on the sociodemographic structure of the communities. Urban influences enhance the willingness, rural structures have opposite effects. Priorities are set on investive measures, such as the acquisition of land, and visible measures like the construction of small woods and waters. Fewer amounts, are spent on permanent extensivation. A strategy of "segregative conservation" resulting out of this behaviour could lead to a neglection of public resources and would require efforts for better information or a public frameset. In spite of this, the institutionalisation of a local market for nature conservation goods leads to negotiations about the best solution and helps to minimize conflicts in this way.