Until recently land use and its associated value has been viewed, by policymakers and public alike, in a single function context - an area rich in biodiversity is valued and conserved for its biodiversity alone; an agricultural area is valued for its farming services; a heritage site is valued for its history and heritage and so on.
However, in recent years, there has been a substantial shift towards recognising that any area of land can provide many different environmental, recreational and health services at the same time and so therefore be considered ‘multifunctional’. Table 1 contains a summary of the key environmental and health services produced by the land, many of which have gone unrecognized in the past, have not had a cost or value assigned, and so have tended to receive little attention.
Table 1. Key environmental and health services produced by the land
Service type
Services
1. Farming services
Food, fibre, oil and other primary produce from farms and from other land management (e.g. forestry)
2. Biodiversity
Wildlife in fields, on farms and in non-farmed habitats and ecosystems
3. Historic and heritage
Presence of scheduled monuments (sites and buildings of archaeological and historic importance)
4. Water services
i. Flood protection through rain water absorption and coastal management of sea.
ii. Water retention by land into rivers and aquifers
5. Mitigating climate change
i. Carbon sequestered into organic matter in soils or above ground biomass.
ii. Carbon saved by reductions in fossil fuel use
iii. Carbon saved by biomass-based renewable energy production to avoid carbon emissions
iv. Effects of vegetation in reducing air pollution
v. Effects of greenspaces on microclimate
6. Landscape character
The unique natural and man-made features of a particular regional landscape, e.g. stone walls, sunken lanes, hedgerows, water meadows, farm buildings etc.
7. Leisure and recreation services
Activities undertaken by the public in rural areas, such as walking, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding
8. Health services
The mental and physical health benefits to individuals arising from exposure to green places and engaging in physical activity.
We have investigated the multifunctionality of five iconic National Trust sites in the East of England:
Blakeney Point, Norfolk
Dunwich Heath, Suffolk
Flatford Mill, Suffolk
Hatfield Forest, Essex
Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire
Part of the assessment of multifunctionality involved assessing the role the sites play in enhancing visitors’ physical health and psychological well-being, in addition to their primary role in helping to preserve and conserve our natural environment and heritage. Engaging in green exercise activities at the sites increased self-esteem and significantly reduced feelings of anger, depression and tension in a survey of 159 visitors.
