Public preferences for ecosystem-enhancing elements in agricultural landscapes in the Swiss lowlands

As the world's population increases, settled areas expand, agricultural areas become more intensively managed, and ecosystems become increasingly fragmented as habitat elements are removed to make way for agricultural production. Reversal of fragmentation by enhancing ecosystem connectivity is a key step in halting biodiversity loss in agricultural areas. One way to decrease fragmentation is by maintaining habitat areas on farms and compensating farmers for the loss of the income that could have been earned if these areas were used for agricultural production. The implementation of ecological compensation schemes requires public funds, and governing bodies will only be willing to carry out this task if it is in accordance with the wishes of the public. This study sought to assess the attitudes of the public in Switzerland to ecosystem connectivity measures in rural areas, known as ecological compensation areas, and to measure whether attitudes could be influenced by the provision of ecological information...