Relaxing in nature: A discrete choice experiment for forest restorative trails

IF 2.9 Q1 FORESTRY

Trees, Forests and People Pub Date : 2025-09-14 DOI:10.1016/j.tfp.2025.101011

Sandra Notaro , Gianluca Grilli , Alessandro Paletto , Cristian Pavaleanu

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Abstract

Recently, forest recreation has been spreading worldwide to improve citizens' physical and mental well-being with an active and stressful lifestyle. However, research to date has yet to determine suitable forest stand characteristics for restoration, and the socio-economic benefits of these forest-based initiatives at a local level. This study investigates people’s preferences towards some key characteristics of forest restorative trails (sensory experiences and meditation, site and stand features). To this end, the study was conducted through an online survey with a convenience sample of 505 potential forest bathers in Italy, using the Discrete Choice Experiments method, which allowed us to identify people’s willingness to pay for the different characteristics, considering respondents’ trade-offs among changes in the characteristics. The results highlight two potential groups of users: the first one is composed of people who are more likely to participate with a certified guide, while the second one is composed of independent users. The results show the highest willingness to pay for stand features such as European beech forests (€ 5.9) and the presence of water elements (€ 4.3). While results are primarily case specific and difficult to generalise, they provided by this study can support decision-makers in identifying and modeling sites suitable for restorative activities.

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在大自然中放松：森林恢复小径的离散选择实验

最近，森林娱乐已经在世界范围内传播，以改善公民的身心健康与积极和紧张的生活方式。然而，迄今为止的研究尚未确定适合恢复的林分特征，以及这些以森林为基础的行动在地方一级的社会经济效益。本研究调查了人们对森林恢复步道的一些关键特征（感官体验和冥想、场地和立地特征）的偏好。为此，本研究通过在线调查的方式进行，选取了意大利505名潜在的森林浴者作为方便样本，使用离散选择实验（Discrete Choice Experiments）方法，考虑到受访者在特征变化之间的权衡，我们可以确定人们对不同特征的支付意愿。研究结果突出了两个潜在的用户群体：第一个群体是由更有可能与经过认证的导游一起参与的人组成的，而第二个群体是由独立用户组成的。结果显示，人们最愿意为欧洲山毛榉林（5.9欧元）和水元素（4.3欧元）等林分特征买单。虽然结果主要针对具体案例，难以概括，但本研究提供的结果可以支持决策者识别和建模适合恢复活动的地点。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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