How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forests

To mitigate climate change consequences, a shift to more renewable energy sources is necessary. The traditional forest management form coppice-with-standards features efficient harvesting cycles and could therefore provide a reliant biomass source. Particularly forests close to urban settlements are...

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Main Authors: Johanna Trummer, K. Tessa Hegetschweiler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-12-01
Series:Trees, Forests and People
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719323000717
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author Johanna Trummer
K. Tessa Hegetschweiler
author_facet Johanna Trummer
K. Tessa Hegetschweiler
author_sort Johanna Trummer
collection DOAJ
description To mitigate climate change consequences, a shift to more renewable energy sources is necessary. The traditional forest management form coppice-with-standards features efficient harvesting cycles and could therefore provide a reliant biomass source. Particularly forests close to urban settlements are popular destinations for outdoor recreation. Therefore, for a well-functioning interaction between recreation and forest management, forest visitors' preferences need to be considered. Even though, coppice-with-standards have been studied scientifically from various points of view, including its cultural and ecological values, little focus was put on the perceived visual attractiveness of this management form. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how forest visitors perceive different forest management forms with a focus on coppice-with-standards in the case study area in Zurich, Switzerland by performing qualitative Go-Along interviews and a quantitative forest visitor survey. The statistical analysis revealed that forest visitors have divided opinions on this management form and prefer even-aged high forest as well as continuous forest management. Therefore, in case of an increasing use of coppice-with-standards management for biomass production, implementation in recreational forests needs to be weighed against less frequently visited areas. However, addressing the visitors with well-targeted communication strategies could result in increased understanding and acceptance and could therefore support the implementation process also in recreational forests.
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spelling doaj.art-7d4941f3df3c475c937fb154fbfeb61c2023-11-30T05:11:36ZengElsevierTrees, Forests and People2666-71932023-12-0114100439How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forestsJohanna Trummer0K. Tessa Hegetschweiler1Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, SwitzerlandCorresponding author.; Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, SwitzerlandTo mitigate climate change consequences, a shift to more renewable energy sources is necessary. The traditional forest management form coppice-with-standards features efficient harvesting cycles and could therefore provide a reliant biomass source. Particularly forests close to urban settlements are popular destinations for outdoor recreation. Therefore, for a well-functioning interaction between recreation and forest management, forest visitors' preferences need to be considered. Even though, coppice-with-standards have been studied scientifically from various points of view, including its cultural and ecological values, little focus was put on the perceived visual attractiveness of this management form. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how forest visitors perceive different forest management forms with a focus on coppice-with-standards in the case study area in Zurich, Switzerland by performing qualitative Go-Along interviews and a quantitative forest visitor survey. The statistical analysis revealed that forest visitors have divided opinions on this management form and prefer even-aged high forest as well as continuous forest management. Therefore, in case of an increasing use of coppice-with-standards management for biomass production, implementation in recreational forests needs to be weighed against less frequently visited areas. However, addressing the visitors with well-targeted communication strategies could result in increased understanding and acceptance and could therefore support the implementation process also in recreational forests.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719323000717Forest management formsForest characteristicsPerceived visual forest attractivenessVisitor preferencesCoppice-with-standardsForest recreation
spellingShingle Johanna Trummer
K. Tessa Hegetschweiler
How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forests
Trees, Forests and People
Forest management forms
Forest characteristics
Perceived visual forest attractiveness
Visitor preferences
Coppice-with-standards
Forest recreation
title How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forests
title_full How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forests
title_fullStr How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forests
title_full_unstemmed How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forests
title_short How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forests
title_sort how do forest visitors perceive forest management forms public acceptance of coppice with standards in urban forests
topic Forest management forms
Forest characteristics
Perceived visual forest attractiveness
Visitor preferences
Coppice-with-standards
Forest recreation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719323000717
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