Which forest type do visitors find most attractive? Integrating management activities with the recreational attractiveness of forests at a landscape level

Abstract

This article presents a spatially integrated method for forest management planning and outdoor recreation in forest areas. A survey of 1402 respondents with varied socio-demographic profiles assessed the recreational attractiveness of forest areas. We classified silvicultural regimes into four categories (no management, low, medium, and high-intensity management) and mapped the potential attractiveness of forest areas by means of exploratory spatial data analysis using the Corine Land Cover and Geoportal database. The analysis involved three levels: local (1×1 km grid), district, and regional. By applying local Moran’s I, an indicator of spatial association, the study identified “hotspots and outliers” of recreational attractiveness at a landscape level. The identification of spatial association types served as the foundation for making recommendations for forest planning. The findings indicate that a specific combination of site and terrain characteristics influences perceived attractiveness as respondents showed the highest recreational preferences for old multispecies stands located on terrain with pronounced relief. Nature conservation, surface water, and cultural heritage sites substantially enhanced the recreational attractiveness of forest areas. Our model may be a valuable tool for identifying the recreational attractiveness of forest areas and guiding specific regional forest management strategies. It provides useful information for aligning silvicultural planning with the preferred recreational variant, enabling the identification of forest areas with a given type of recreational attractiveness and implementing forestry practices conducive to enhancing ecosystem services.