Evidence Synthesis towards a Holistic Landscape Decision Framework: Insight from the Landscape Decisions Programme

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This manuscript explores the drivers of landscape decisions, the methodological approaches used to generate evidence to inform landscape decisions and five principles of landscape decisions framework are deduced. This research is interesting and beneficial to the landscape management, but there are some problems in it.

1. The abstract lacks description of research results.

2.Introduction: The literature review of previous studies is insufficient to show the gap with previous studies.

3.Results and Discussions: What are the classification criteria of the drivers of decisions on sustainable and multifunctional landscape management? Please clarify.

4. The explanation of the impact of driving factors on decision-making is insufficient. It is suggested to add the specific impact of driving factors on decision-making management in detail.

5. An important content of this study is to provide a framework for landscape decision-makers, but the five principles extracted in this manuscript are broad and cannot support the construction of a framework.

6. The conclusion section is a statement of major findings and implications of the research. Please rewrite the conclusion and summarize your main findings.

English writing is generally OK.

Author Response

I have attached our response to the reviewer's comments

Author Response File: Author Response.DOC

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript describes an important field of study. The study should address two key comments:

1. Authors should compare they proposed principles to Slater et al.'s (2013) principles of integrated landscape management.

2. A systematic review follows recommended procedures for searching for literature, and inclusion and exclusion of references (see Haddaway et al., 2018). Authors should see a recently published paper by Moreau et al. 2023. Landscape Ecology, 38:1903–1918.

Other minor comments are given in the attached manuscript. This is potentially a very good paper.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

I have attached our response to the reviewer's comments

Author Response File: Author Response.DOC

Reviewer 3 Report

Title: Enhancing Landscape Decision-Making: A Comprehensive Analysis of Drivers, Methodological Approaches, and a Roadmap for a Holistic Framework

 This article presents a comprehensive analysis of drivers of landscape decisions, and methodological approaches used to inform those decisions, and proposes a roadmap for the development of a holistic landscape decision framework. The study identifies six key drivers of landscape decisions, including the recognition of undervalued landscape services, improved accounting for biodiversity and landscape services interactions, innovation in landscape services quantification, transitioning to renewable energy and net-zero pathways, inclusion and participation, and awareness of human impacts on landscape services. Furthermore, the analysis categorizes the methodological approaches into four thematic groupings: modeling using remote sensing techniques, ensemble modeling, eDNA for rapid biodiversity assessment, and participatory approaches. The article concludes with five landscape decision principles: support from appropriate methodologies, systems thinking, multidisciplinary approaches, trade-off analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

 Overall, this article provides valuable insights into landscape decision-making. However, there are several suggestions for improvement to enhance its clarity and impact:

Introduction:

Provide a concise overview of the significance and challenges associated with landscape decision-making at the beginning to engage readers and establish the context effectively. Clearly define the scope and objective of the study, specifying the geographical focus or landscape archetypes considered.

Results and Discussions:

Organize the section into subsections corresponding to each of the identified drivers of landscape decisions, with a clear introduction for each subsection. Provide more specific examples or case studies to illustrate how each driver influences landscape decisions. This will enhance the practical relevance of the findings.

Thematic Groupings of Methodological Approaches:

Introduce the thematic groupings of methodological approaches at the beginning of the section, highlighting the rationale for categorizing them in this way. Provide a concise description of each thematic grouping before discussing the specific techniques within it.

Discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of each technique separately, rather than repeating them for multiple techniques.

Conclusions:

Restructure the conclusions section to provide a concise summary of the main findings and their implications.

Emphasize the practical significance of the proposed landscape decision principles and their potential application in real-world decision-making processes.

Consider including a section on future research directions to identify specific areas where further studies or advancements are needed.

Overall:

Review the article for clarity and coherence. Ensure that the language is accessible to a wide range of readers, including those outside the specific field of landscape decision-making.

Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to improve the organization and readability of the article.

Author Response

I have attached our response to the reviewer's comments

Author Response File: Author Response.DOC

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Please refer to the attachment "land-2492005_Reviewer" for details.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Minor editing of English language required.

Author Response

We have uploaded our response to the reviewers comments

Author Response File: Author Response.doc