González Bernáldez’s methodological contributions to landscape studies in Mexico: the pairwise photographs test

Abstract

Derived from the line of Ecology and Landscape, founded by Professor González Bernáldez, we find the methodology of the photo pairs test, developed since the 1970s. It consists of the identification of landscape units from the hierarchical superposition of information layers and the application of the photo pairs test to know the preferences of the population towards the different types of landscapes. This methodology has been applied in two case studies in Mexico. The visual quality of 10 landscape units of Cozumel Island (Quintana Roo) was evaluated. The survey and the paired test were applied to 200 people, 100 from the local community and 100 visitors who were on the island. The results showed that both groups preferred coastal landscapes (sandy and rocky) followed by bodies of water and areas with archaeological remains; mangrove and rainforest are the least valued units. In Morelia (Michoacán), 7 physical-geographical landscape units were valued. Two hundred surveys were applied through an online form, mainly to the academic population of the Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, UNAM; all the groups gave similar ratings. The best rated units were those with the highest amount of healthy vegetation and/or green appearance. Knowledge of landscape preferences is relevant in planning and in the generation of public policies for land management.