What forest is in the light of people's perceptions and values: socio-cultural forest monitoring in Switzerland
<p>Forest is an important element of Swiss landscape, with about 30 % of the country covered by it, forming a finely structured patchwork together with water bodies, agricultural land and settlements. It is highly valued by residents as part of their everyday living and recreati...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Geographica Helvetica |
| Online Access: | https://www.geogr-helv.net/73/335/2018/gh-73-335-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Forest is an important element of Swiss landscape, with
about 30 % of the country covered by it, forming a finely structured
patchwork together with water bodies, agricultural land and settlements. It
is highly valued by residents as part of their everyday living and
recreational environment. The aim of this paper is to provide knowledge
about how residents perceive and value forests and what their dominant
preferences are. The data were collected through the Socio-cultural Forest
Monitoring (WaMos). In this survey, 3022 persons responded by telephone
interview or online survey. Respondents were well informed about forest
issues, especially about recreation, animals and protection from natural
hazards. Nevertheless, functions such as wood production, air quality and
biodiversity were rated as even more important than recreational
functions. Mixed forests and multisensory experiences were preferred,
whereas wilderness was only moderately approved of. Respondents did not much
appreciate sports and fun infrastructure, but valued infrastructure for
contemplative and social activities and for education about forest issues.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 0016-7312 2194-8798 |