Investigating Czech society's expectations for forest recreation
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60460709%3A41320%2F25%3A103895" target="_blank" >RIV/60460709:41320/25:103895 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/forests-and-global-change/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2025.1486532/full" target="_blank" >https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/forests-and-global-change/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2025.1486532/full</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2025.1486532" target="_blank" >10.3389/ffgc.2025.1486532</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Investigating Czech society's expectations for forest recreation
Original language description
Forests provide numerous advantages for human wellbeing, i.e., provisioning, regulation, and cultural services. As part of the cultural services, recreational functions contribute aesthetic value and opportunities for various sports and leisure activities. Our research aims to address four main objectives: exploring respondents' expectations regarding the naturalness of forest visuals and descriptions, investigating the relationship between forest visuals and public expectations of naturalness and facilities, and examining the independent predictors of high preferences in forest visuals (stand type, level of visual penetration, and occurrence of natural deadwood). Data regarding public expectations for forest recreation were collected through a representative online survey in the Czech Republic in 2022 among respondents aged 18 to 65 years. Vegetation density, derived from the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index for the forest area in 2018, was developed using CORINE Land Cover data. Societal expectations regarding naturalness in visuals, descriptions, presence of recreation facilities, and their interconnection were analyzed and presented. Binary regression analysis identified potential predictors of visual preferences. Results showed a high preference for mixed forests with a medium level of visual penetration and a moderate amount of natural deadwood. The results of the association between forest visuals and naturalness descriptions revealed societal expectations for closer-to-nature forests while still valuing the ability to explore and walk within them. Educational, visible signs and accessible paths were generally considered essential recreational facilities by the respondents, whereas sports amenities, kiosks, and parking areas were not. Frequent forest attendance and an age range from 18 to 45 years were primary indicators for visual preferences. Additionally, respondents residing in municipalities with over 20,000 inhabitants and those in Prague-Central Bohemia showed strong preferences for mixed stands and moderate natural deadwood occurrence, respectively. Understanding how socio-demographic attributes influence visual preferences can help tailor forest recreational services to specific target groups within Czech society
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
40102 - Forestry
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/QK23020008" target="_blank" >QK23020008: Payments for ecosystem services of forest and forestry</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
ISSN
2624-893X
e-ISSN
2624-893X
Volume of the periodical
8
Issue of the periodical within the volume
2025
Country of publishing house
CH - SWITZERLAND
Number of pages
19
Pages from-to
1-19
UT code for WoS article
001539001300001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
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