Abstract. To research attitudes to urban and suburban forests, a questionnaire was given to the random sample of 500 Warsaw residents. The most important factors identified by respondents included unlimited accessibility of urban forests as well as their proximity to urban areas.The main forest recreational activities expected by Warsaw residents were longer walks, natural silence and calm, also the absence of litter. A few respondents were receptive to the idea of managed forests as well as natural forests, if improving the quality of recreation is not taken into account.Respondents were willing to be taxed at 52 PLN/person/year in order to receive the desired level of nontimber forest functions in urban forests. Like residents of other regions of Poland, the respondents specified that the protection of air quality and protection of the natural environment are the most important non-timber forest functions. Among the most frequently visited forests located within the borders of Warsaw city are forests close to Choszczówka, Bielański forest and the forest in Koło, which receive respectively 251, 204 and 162 visitors/ ha/day. The management of recreational resources in urban forests is expected to be diverse and adapted to the preferences of visitors.

Abstract. This publication presents the results of the investigation conducted in the years 1998-2006 with the goal to study social preferences and expectations towards selected public forest services as well as to define stand and forest characteristics as desired for a place of relaxation and recreation on the base of verbal descriptions and photographs presented by respondents. Questionnaires were presented to forest visitors in four Forest Promotional Complexes (LKP) and to the residents of the Podlaskie province (agricultural region) and of the OEl¹skie province (industrial region). In £ódŸ the city residents were interviewed within the area of the largest in Europe forest complex located inside the city boundaries (£agiewnicki Forest), and in Warsaw within urban forests surrounding the capital. According to responces of respondents, the most important forest function is air protection, and the next important is the role of the forest as habitat for plants and animals. Forest recreation was recognized on the third place of the social significance of public forest functions and its management.The characteristics of the forest desirable for recreation included the following: forest should be tall, old, with the large amount of light reaching the green ground cover of the forest, with mixed species composition and rich forest ground cover. The comparison of the stand and forest model created from the verbal descriptions only in several cases was supported by pictures reflecting various stand types, which were presented during the photographic part of the survey.Key words: recreational forest function, questionnaire survey, non-timber forest and forest management functions WprowadzenieAnaliza procesów zmys³owego postrzegania przez ludzi szeroko rozumianego oerodowiska naturalnego, w tym równie¿ ekosystemów leoenych, jak równie¿ ujawniania preferencji i oczekiwañ spo³ecznych wobec lasu i gospodarki leoenej jest procesem z³o¿onym, wymagaj¹cym zaanga¿owania podstaw teoretycznych oraz aparatu pojêciowego ró¿nych dyscyplin naukowych. Niezale¿nie od tego, czy podejmujemy próbê analizy oraz wyjaoenienia spo³ecznego postrzegania lasu jako miejsca wypoczynku i rekreacji, lasu jako miejsca (oerodowiska) ¿ycia rooelin i zwierz¹t, czy lasu jako dostawcy surowca drzewnego wraz z dorobkiem nauk leoenych nale¿y uwzglêdniae dorobek psychologii spo³ecznej (teoria potrzeb cz³owieka, teoria percepcji krajobrazu), socjologii (zagadnienia oerodowiska naturalnego we wspó³czesnych teoriach socjologicznych) czy te¿ ekonomii (teoria wartooeci, w tym przede wszystkim teoria u¿ytecznooeci krañ-cowej). Mo¿na przyj¹ae tezê, i¿ obecnie trudno lub nawet jest niemo¿liwe, aby tylko na gruncie nauk leoenych poszukiwaae rozwi¹zañ problemów wspó³czesnej wielofunkcyjnej gospodarki leoenej, w której wa¿ne miejsce zajmuj¹ publiczne oewiadczenia lasu. W³¹czenie badañ spo³ecznych do badañ leoenych, to nie tylko koniecznooeae metodyczna zwiêkszaj¹ca mo¿liwooeci poznawcze analizowanych zjawisk, ale przede wszystkim wymiar praktyczny uzyskanych wyników t...

Questionnaire surveys were conducted from July 1st • to August 15th, 2012 in forests near Gołdap, Białowieża, Pisz, Kraśnik, Warsaw and Zakopane with 335 respondents - 146 residents (43.6%) and 189 tourists (56.4%). The respondents declared that they visit forests throughout the year for various purposes, most often with family or friends and most frequently for the recreational activity of walking. They typically spend about three hours in the forest during a single visit. Respondents perceived the most important functions of the forest as a place where plants and animals live, as well as a place for recreation. In their view, the state budget should be a source of co-financing the recreational management of the forest. On1y a small number of respondents (27.5%) would be willing to allocate a portion of their income for recreational forest management. According to the respondents, the most important elements needed in the forest to improve its quality for tourism are information signs and litter bins. Respondents perceive the greatest threats to the forest from tourism to be vandalism, automobiles driving into the forest and wildlife disturbance, whereas the greatest threats to tourists were reported to be biting and stinging animals (snakes, ticks and mosquitoes) and the possibility of getting lost. Respondents indicated clean air, peace and quiet, as well as the ability to harvest wild fruits, plants and mushrooms as the greatest advantages of using the forest for recreation. A large proportion of respondents admitted that they would like to use the services of professional foresters, especially for nature walks and health related purposes, as well as to educate children and youth about nature and the forest.

Every man is obliged to refrain from such initiatives or actions, which could bring harm to the natural environment, and since the whole flora plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining the balance of nature, which is indispensable for life in all dimensions, its conservation and respect becomes a particularly urgent need for people.John Paul II, Zamość, June 12, 1999 AbstrActThe subject matters of this article are mutual relationships between nature conservation and forest management, considered from the axiological and legal point, as well as the economic and social conditions of forest management.

Abstract. The results of a survey conducted in several Promotional Forest Complexes (PFC) in the Śląskie and Podlaskie regions, as well as the urban forests in Łodź and Warsaw, indicate that visitor preferences vary among forest sites. Those forests where visitors prefer to rest should be located in forests designated for recreation, and include elements of recreational infrastructure. Depending on characteristics of the forest in question (seaside, lakeside, or mountains), respondents preferred forest located near to the water's edge, whereas in mountainous areas they selected open places (roads and openings). Urban residents more commonly chose sites deep within the forest, while hikers selected forest edges. The desired recreational infrastructure, included garbage cans and hiking trails as the most important elements among city dwellers, while hikers pointed to rest areas and information boards.The respondents consistently agreed on the type of recreational activities conducted in forests as well as on type of elements which determine the attractiveness of forests for rest and recreation. Independently of site characteristics and the research location, the most common activities for respondents were hiking and riding bicycle; and attractive elements were silence and calm as well as cleanliness of the forests. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used to evaluate respondents' Willingness to Pay (WTP) for intensification of selected public forest functions and forest management, including recreational functions. The number of respondents who declared a hypothetical monetary amount or WTP>0 depended on the place where research was conducted (forest or respondent's home); forest area covered by financing (forests in general or local forests where respondents reside); the type of question used to obtain the information on WTP; as well as the scope of financing (all public forest functions or just a recreational function). The average WTP declared per household per year varied from 41 PLN (Gołos, Janeczko 2002) to 150 PLN (Gołos, Kaliszewski 2006) for selected forest areas. The average overall state statistics for WTP was 52 PLN (non-timber forest functions in municipality) and 41 PLN (recreational management of forests in municipality).The respondents also underlined that the goods and services provided should be co-financed from both state and local budgets, and that such financing should go directly to the organizations conducting forest management.