A conceptual framework of indicators for the suitability of forests for outdoor recreation

Sammanfattning

Forests' ability to provide opportunities for recreation is an important ecosystem service. This has prompted attempts to create indicators to assess forests' suitability for recreation, although hitherto with limited success. This study introduces a novel framework for indicators of potential and realised recreational values of forests, with a primary focus on Sweden and Fennoscandia. We divided forest attributes into intrinsic qualities (i.e. the structure and composition of the forest), extrinsic qualities (i.e. the location of the forest in relation to other components of the landscape), and facilitation qualities (i.e. the presence of recreational infrastructure). Using Fennoscandia as a case study, we performed a literature review to find specific indicators of recreational values, as well as evaluate the current availability of spatial data suitable to map the forest qualities on a national scale. The most important intrinsic quality we identified was tree size/age, whereas for extrinsic quality it was proximity to water. Systematic monitoring of recreational use is essential to estimate realised recreational values. The conceptual framework proved to be a valuable tool for identifying potential indicators, and applying it in other regions is likely to yield useful outcomes.

Nyckelord

Fennoscandia; Forests; Indicators; Indices; Outdoor recreation; Recreation potential

Publicerad i

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2025, volym: 54, nummer: 2, sidor: 184–197

SLU författare

• Lehto, Carl

  • Institutionen för ekologi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Hedblom, Marcus

  • Institutionen för stad och land, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

UKÄ forskningsämne

Skogsvetenskap
Landskapsarkitektur
Ekologi

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-024-02091-8

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/139814