Understanding the process from perception to cultural ecosystem services assessment by comparing valuation methods

There is a close-knit link between people and cultural ecosystem services (CESs). Many methods have been verified as being able to value CESs. However, different methods have focused on specific aspects of CESs and have different highlights and challenges, which makes it difficult to select an appropriate method for specific research. To solve this problem, it is important to understand comprehensively and deeply the various CES valuation methods that exist. This study selects four representative methods, i.e., document analysis, social media photograph analysis, structured interviews and visitor-employed photography (VEP), and combines them with a participatory mapping method based on the Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) tool to compare their performance in assessing most facets of CESs. We find that the major differences among these four valuation methods are in the process from perception to CES assessment, and we list the advantages and limitations of each method for distinct aspects. Structured interviews are the most practical method because they can be applied to most situations, with few limitations and high accuracy and efficiency. Social media photograph analysis and VEP make a considerable difference in gaining perception for separate valuation purposes. The accuracy and efficiency of document analysis are low; thus, this method is better as a supplement than as an independent assessment.