EVALUATION OF LANDSCAPE IN A WETLAND OF T HE SOUTH OF CHILE - THE CASE OF VALDIVIA RIVER (X-REGION)

The landscape is a natural resource that easily spoils and is very dif ficult to renew. Its study is of high importance in designing projects of touris explotation in a given place. The main objective of this wo rk was to make an evaluation of the landscape of Valdivia river, takin g as a basis instruments of analysis, establishing the value and the a esthetic quality of the area. The natural structure was studies throug h its components, when studies separatelly were put together to get co mprehensive interrelation among them. The ''controlled subjectivity'' from Fines (1968) was applied with an universal scale of valuation for the landscapes. The evaluators were characterized according to etaria n stratification, sex, activity, region of origin and level of knowled ge of the area under study. The evaluation was made exhibing 24 slides to the evaluators divided in three groups. With its results a ''synth etic map of the landscape'' was made, integrating the different quanti fying variables of the landscape, according to a method described by G aliano and Abello (1984). The landscape of the Valdivia river has an a verage value of 8.58 in the Fines scale, under the classification on ' 'fantastic'' (8.1-16). The level of knowledge, the age, and the activi ty of the evaluators influenced their choices. The greates evaluation to evaluators over 25, that didn't know the area and the basis of mode m tourism. In conclussion, the area has got good conditions for the de velopment of tourism, a valuable landscape, and the touristic offer sh ould be oriented to visitors over 25, who did not know the Valdivia ri ver.