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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 28340

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Dr. Radu-Daniel Pintilii

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Department of Human and Economic Geography, University of Bucharest, 1, Nicolae Bălcescu, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: forests; land use and land cover; tourism; GIS
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Dear Colleagues,

Forest, as an important natural resource, is constantly threatened with extinction. Forest recreation and landscape protection are two of the main pillars of the environment, and in the last century they became important activities for people. Forest recreation focuses on forest as a main destination for public recreational activities from many points of view, and landscape protection refers to the conservation, development, and restoration of the functionality of natural beauties so that they are perfectly balanced by nature. Landscape protection also refers, to the capacity of natural resources to regenerate themselves and sustain the inner development of human settlements. Urban and peri-urban forests became a real place for recreational activities of the population living in the big cities of the world. In some countries, even the seasonal collection of berries and mushrooms, integrated as a rural life, are social activities. Nowadays, the demands for forest recreation activities have been increasing, both in their volume and diversity. Additionally, landscape protection has been imposed, in the last two or three decades, by the massive human aggression on all its components. The landscape protection is imposed too, not only for scientific ecologic reasons, but also for social and cultural ones, and that is why the driving mechanisms for managing future forests should be better understood. So, we encourage studies from all fields, to contribute to this Special Issue in order to promote knowledge and adaptation strategies for an efficient intersection of forests exploitation and conservation (forest management).

Dr. Radu-Daniel Pintilii
Guest Editor

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Keywords

forest disturbances
biodiversity
forest recreation
ecosystem services
forest regeneration
forest management
landscape conservation
landscape disturbance

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

7 pages, 2161 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection

by Radu-Daniel Pintilii

Forests 2022, 13(9), 1440; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091440 - 08 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1464

Abstract

Forests, which are viewed as an important natural resource for humanity, have been constantly threatened with degradation or even extinction since the dawn of the modern period [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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Research

Jump to: Editorial

24 pages, 2363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Getting Flow: The Place of Production Forests in the Rise of Mountain Biking

by Karen M. Bayne, Matthew B. Scott and Richard T. Yao

Forests 2022, 13(8), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13081326 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3540

Abstract

Mountain biking has increased in popularity in many countries over recent decades. Production forests provide not only an outstanding space for mountain bike riding, but also specific characteristics conducive to purpose-built track building. With recreational access to production forests, managers must balance commercial operations and industry environmental obligations with the interests and actions of riders. Production forests in New Zealand have accommodated mountain biking activities for decades. The trend from 1991 to 2022 showed overall increasing opportunities for mountain biking in production forests, particularly in smaller commercial peri-urban plantations and forest parks maintained as dedicated mountain bike parks. Over the same period, public mountain biking access to larger (>1500 ha) forests peaked in 2008. These recreational changes within forests, and the impact these changes have pressed onto forest managers, have not been well documented. This paper explores the rise in popularity of mountain biking in New Zealand’s production plantation forests, and the response of forest owners and managers to increased mountain biking activities in their commercial forest estates. The paper discusses implications for forest planning to accommodate active recreational sports such as mountain biking in production forests, suggesting policies and procedures to help protect commercial interests and forest ecology, while allowing for a contemporary mix of recreational activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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12 pages, 3338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in the Abundance of Monoterpenes from Breathable Air of a Mediterranean Conifer Forest: When Is the Best Time for a Human Healthy Leisure Activity?

by Domingo Sancho-Knapik, Eustaquio Gil-Pelegrín, Juan Pedro Ferrio, David Alonso-Forn, Rubén Martín-Sánchez, José Víctor dos Santos Silva, Junichi Imanishi, José Javier Peguero-Pina and María Ángeles Sanz

Forests 2022, 13(6), 965; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060965 - 20 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1929

Abstract

The exposure to monoterpenes emitted by plants to the air might provide human health benefits during forest-based leisure activities. However, forests, especially Mediterranean ones, lack studies to relate forest production and the emission of monoterpenes, considering potential human forest exposure. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the variation in the abundance of monoterpenes in the human breathable air under the canopy of a Mediterranean conifer forest, evaluating the influence of different factors. For this purpose, from March to November 2018, we monitored the abundance of monoterpenes in the air at nose height, leaf development, air temperature and soil water potential in a mountain Mediterranean forest of Pinus pinaster located in Sierra de Albarracín (Teruel, Spain). We detected six monoterpenes, with α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene being the three most abundant. Temperature was the main environmental factor driving the abundance of monoterpenes in air, with a maxima of abundance found during summer. Leaf development in spring decreased the abundance, while after a drought period, the abundance increased. Thus, people enjoying forest-based activities in Mediterranean conifer areas would be more exposed to air monoterpenes when the temperature increases during the period after leaf development, as long as the trees are not severely water-stressed. If that is the case, the abundance of monoterpenes in the air would increase after the drought period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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17 pages, 3828 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Forest Landscape Preferences and Emotional Features of Chinese Forest Recreationists Based on Deep Learning of Geotagged Photos

by Xitong Zeng, Yongde Zhong, Lingfan Yang, Juan Wei and Xianglong Tang

Forests 2022, 13(6), 892; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060892 - 08 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

Forest landscape preference studies have an important role and significance for forest landscape conservation, quality improvement and utilization. However, there are few studies on objective forest landscape preferences from the perspective of plants and using photos. This study relies on Deep Learning technology to select six case sites in China and uses geotagged photos of forest landscapes posted by the forest recreationists on the “2BULU” app as research objects. The preferences of eight forest landscape scenes, including look down landscape, look forward landscape, look up landscape, single-tree-composed landscape, detailed landscape, overall landscape, forest trail landscape and intra-forest landscape, were explored. It also uses Deepsentibank to perform sentiment analysis on forest landscape photos to better understand Chinese forest recreationists’ forest landscape preferences. The research results show that: (1) From the aesthetic spatial angle, people prefer the flat view, while the attention of the elevated view is relatively low. (2) From the perspective of forest scale and level, forest trail landscape has a high preference, implying that trail landscape plays an important role in forest landscape recreation. The landscape within the forest has a certain preference, while the preference of individual, detailed and overall landscape is low. (3) Although forest landscape photographs are extremely high in positive emotions and emotional states, there are also negative emotions, thus, illustrating that people’s preferences can be both positive and negative. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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18 pages, 5963 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Habitat Characteristics of Magnolia Based on Spatial Analysis: Landscape Protection to Conserve Endemic and Endangered Magnolia sulawesiana Brambach, Noot., and Culmsee

by Julianus Kinho, Diah Irawati Dwi Arini, Lutfy Abdulah, Ruliyana Susanti, Arif Irawan, Mira Yulianti, Subarudi Subarudi, Rinaldi Imanuddin, Marfuah Wardani, Denny Denny, Titi Kalima, Asef Kurniyawan Hardjana, Adi Susilo, Ika Heriansyah and Ana Tampang

Forests 2022, 13(5), 802; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13050802 - 20 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2648

Abstract

Based on habitat preferences, in this study, we investigated the spatial distribution of the Magnolia genus in the northern part of Sulawesi. Habitat characteristics, especially temperature, precipitation, and topography, were determined using spatial analysis. The temperature and precipitation datasets were obtained from WorldClim BIO Variables V1, and topographical data were obtained from the Google Earth Engine. Data collection began in 2008–2009 and was completed in 2019–2020. In total, we analyzed 786 waypoints. The genus distribution was then predicted based on the most suitable habitat characteristics and mapped spatially. This study confirmed that Magnolia spp. distribution is affected by the annual temperature range, precipitation seasonality, and elevation. We discovered endemic and endangered species, Magnolia sulawesiana Brambach, Noot., and Culmsee, that were previously distributed exclusively in the central part of Sulawesi. Five waypoints of the endemic species were found in the conservation area of the Gunung Ambang Nature Reserve and on the border of Bogani Nani Wartabone Nation Park. In general, M. sulawesiana is distributed at higher elevations than other Magnolia species. This study provides a scientific basis for forest officers to develop in-situ and ex-situ conservation strategies and landscape protection measures to maintain the sustainable use of the genus, especially the sustainability of endemic species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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20 pages, 9499 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Exploring National Park Visitors’ Judgements from Social Media: The Case Study of Plitvice Lakes National Park

by Carlotta Sergiacomi, Dijana Vuletić, Alessandro Paletto, Elena Barbierato and Claudio Fagarazzi

Forests 2022, 13(5), 717; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13050717 - 03 May 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2549

Abstract

This study aims to conduct a survey of visitor reviews of the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia to detect strengths and weaknesses of the park. In total, 15,673 reviews written in the period between 2007 and 2021 were scraped from the social media platform TripAdvisor. The research applies a comprehensive combination of multidimensional scaling, sentiment analysis, and natural language processing approaches to a sample area of international naturalistic interest. Analyzing the opinions of visitors, the authors identify: the main topics of interest related to the management of the park; and the strengths and weaknesses on the basis of definitely positive and decidedly negative reviews, respectively. The tested methodology is easily applicable for the analysis of different naturalistic contexts and protected areas, even in different countries, thanks to the use of translated reviews. The results obtained show that visitors to protected natural areas are not only interested in naturalistic and landscape aspects but also in issues such as accessibility and management of routes and visits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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12 pages, 4049 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Trees in Winter Air Purification on Children’s Routes to School

by Adrian Hoppa, Daria Sikorska, Arkadiusz Przybysz, Marta Melon and Piotr Sikorski

Forests 2022, 13(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13010040 - 01 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2012

Abstract

Air pollution is now considered to be the world’s largest environmental health threat, accounting for millions of deaths globally each year. The social group that is particularly exposed to the harmful effects of air pollution is children. Their vulnerability results from higher breathing frequency and being subject to concentration peaks just above the ground. The negative effects of ambient particulate matter also depend on the time of exposure. A daily route to school can constitute an important component of children’s physical activity, but air pollution can pose a threat to their health. Numerous studies have proved that high loads of PM can be effectively reduced by vegetation. Little is known, however, on whether vegetation can also reduce PM during leaf dormancy. In this study we investigated the role of trees in air purification during the leafless period in children’s routes to selected schools located in Warsaw during winter. The results obtained show a weak impact of the tree canopy in winter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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17 pages, 8505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differences in Airborne Particulate Matter Concentration in Urban Green Spaces with Different Spatial Structures in Xi’an, China

by Bo Jiang, Chang Sun, Sen Mu, Zixin Zhao, Yingyuan Chen, Yiwei Lin, Ling Qiu and Tian Gao

Forests 2022, 13(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13010014 - 22 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3048

Abstract

With the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization, air pollution is becoming one of the most serious problems in cities. Urban green spaces, as “green infrastructure”, are an important part of urban ecosystems for air purification. Therefore, 10 typical green spaces of urban parks in the city of Xi’an, China, were selected as study areas according to vegetation structure and species composition. Considering meteorological factors and time changes, the effects of the selected green spaces with different vegetation structures of different heights on the reduction in airborne particulate matter concentration were explored. The results showed that the following: (1) Temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and air pressure had significant correlation with the concentration of airborne particulate matter at the different heights, and the correlations were the same at 1.5 m and 5 m. (2) After heating in winter, the concentration of airborne particulate matter with different particle sizes increased significantly. The concentration of airborne particulate matter showed different trends throughout the day, and the small particles (PM₁ and PM_2.5) had a trend of “lower in the morning and evening, and higher at noon”, while the large particles (PM₁₀ and TSP) gradually decreased over time. (3) In the selected green spaces with different vegetation structure types, the concentration of airborne particulate matter below the canopy (1.5 m) was generally higher than that in the middle of the canopy (5 m), but the effects of reducing the concentration of airborne particulate matter were consistent at the different heights. (4) The adsorption capacity of PM₁ and PM_2.5 concentration was strong in the partially closed broad-leaved one-layered forest (PBO), and poor in the partially closed broad-leaved multi-layered forest (PBM). Partially closed broad-leaved multi-layered forest (PBM) and partially closed coniferous and broad-leaved mixed multi-layered forest (PMM) also had strong dust-retention effect on PM₁₀ and TSP, while closed broad-leaved one-layered forest (CBO) had a poor dust-retention effect. The results showed that the reduction effects of urban green spaces with different spatial structures on air particles were different, and were restricted by various environmental factors, which could provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of urban green space structure and the improvement of urban air quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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17 pages, 1119 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Outdoor Recreational Behavior and New Environmental Paradigm among Urban Forest Visitors in Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia

by Doyeon Kim, Ricky Avenzora and Ju-hyoung Lee

Forests 2021, 12(12), 1651; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121651 - 28 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2054

Abstract

This is international comparative research on the perception of local residents toward the natural environment in South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Through the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) investigation, perceptions of natural environmental conservation and utilization of 664 urban forest visitors were analyzed, and the relationship between recreational behavior, NEP scores, and demographic characteristics was investigated. The three countries, with different histories, cultures, and economic development, showed statistically significant differences in all items. In terms of the NEP response score, Taiwan showed the most positive results with an average of 4.08. Frequent visits by the elderly and family were common significant factors of high NEP score for all survey locations. In the confirmatory factor analysis of latent variables for NEP, ‘limits to growth’ were significant in South Korea while ‘ecological crisis’ was more significant in Taiwan and Indonesia. Forest experience frequency was a common factor affecting NEP, indicating that frequent forest visits during leisure time are a major factor in improving the ecological paradigm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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14 pages, 4317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Single-Track Bike Trails in the Moravian Karst as Part of Forest Recreation

by Petr Hrůza, Petr Pelikán and Lucie Olišarová

Forests 2021, 12(11), 1601; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12111601 - 19 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1909

Abstract

Recently, cycling has become a popular recreation activity, and mountain biking provides an experience that is sought by an increasing number of people. Bike trails constructed for mountain bikers in access areas lead mostly through the forest and provide not only an extraordinary riding experience but the opportunity to admire the surrounding nature. The reason for constructing such trails from a landowner’s point of view is to help keep bikers’ movements within a defined access area and to ensure adjacent areas are left free for other forest functions. It also helps distribute groups of visitors with other interests to other parts of the forest. This is what we call “controlled recreation”. In this example, it means that if cyclists come to the locality to use the bike trails, they should ride only along the designated trails; however, they may leave these trails and ride on the surrounding land. This article studied the movements of bikers in an accessible area of the Moravian Karst and the regulation of their movements by controlled recreation. Attendance in the area was measured using automatic counters. These were placed at the entry points to the accessible area and just behind the routes where the trails branch off. The results showed that bikers mostly stayed on the formal routes and that the trails were effective, i.e., there was no uncontrolled movement of bikers into the surrounding forest stands. We also noted the time of day that cyclists were active. These results can be used to better plan work in the forest, for example, harvesting and logging. To further the suitable development of accessible areas of the forest, we also compared the usual size of trail areas in two other European countries and the increasing width of bike trails due to the transverse slope of the terrain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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20 pages, 5011 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tree Cover Loss in the Mediterranean Region—An Increasingly Serious Environmental Issue

by Ana-Maria Ciobotaru, Nilanchal Patel and Radu-Daniel Pintilii

Forests 2021, 12(10), 1341; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12101341 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2117

Abstract

The Mediterranean Region currently faces major environmental issues that require constant analysis and monitoring. This study presents a thorough approach based on the application of Landsat imagery from Global Forest Change during 2001–2019. Spatial distribution mapping was one of the objectives of the study. We approached the analysis of tree cover loss areas by analyzing the cumulative tree cover loss and Tree Cover Loss Rate. This indicator offers information about the trend of tree cover loss in each Mediterranean country. A total of 581 Mha of deforested area was mapped during the analyzed period. Analysis was further supplemented by some statistical operations (distributions shown via histograms, validation via Shapiro–Wilk normality test, and testing via one-sample t-test). Agricultural expansion, intense forest fires, illegal logging, overgrazing (especially in the northern part of Africa), and extensive livestock farming have influenced the Mediterranean forest ecosystem’s stability. The continuation of these activities could cause extreme climatic events, severe degradation, and desertification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Recreation and Landscape Protection)

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