Recreation as an ecosystem service in open landscapes in the Mediterranean region in Israel: Public preferences

Abstract

In recent years awareness has increased of the importance of open landscapes (natural and semi-natural) for human use, including provision of life-supporting ecological benefits and services. In addition there has been an increase in awareness and demand for recreational activities in nature: cultural, social, sport, and spiritual activities outside of the urban setting. A partial list of all of the environmental benefits or services could add up to dozens of economical, biological, and social benefits. Social benefits such as recreation are just one component of the spectrum of benefits and services that can be derived from natural systems.In this research we assessed the ecosystem service of recreation in a natural setting in the Mediterranean region in Israel. We focused on two specific benefits: picnics and hikes. We assessed recreationers' preferences using questionnaire-based surveys that were carried out directly at the research site, Ramat Hanadiv Park (RH park), while people were conducting the particular activity (picnic or hike). The research aim was to estimate the preferences of hikers and picnickers for different types of natural vegetation formations. We found that visitors preferred to hike in the open garrigue compared to either the dense scrub or the pine forest, whereas for picnics both the open garrigue and the planted pine forest were preferred over the dense scrub. We tested the attractiveness of each component of the landscape (e.g., trees, flowers, animals, archaeology) for hikers and picnickers. Surveys showed that scenery was highly and unanimously ranked. Flowering plants, birds, native trees, and to some extent gazelles, deer, and butterflies were ranked high, while reptiles, beetles, and cattle received a much lower attractiveness rank. The ranking of archeological sites and pine forest was more variable, and intermediate to the two main groups above. We analyzed these preferences according to different age and population distributions of visitors to the park and found only slight effects of the level of education.The answers from this research can facilitate land managers and decision-makers in providing the ecosystem service of recreation, and to guide management for obtaining the desired vegetation formations for this aim, according to the preferences of hikers and picnickers.

Poučne staze za samostalni obilazak u zaštićenim područjima i njihov značaj za ekološko obrazovanje posjetitelja

“…Familiarity with environmental issues among visitors with a higher level of prior (in) formal education (in this case, measured by interest in history and ecology) supports previously reported results (Madin and Fenton, 2004). Traditional hiking again proves to be one of the most important predictors of environmental awareness related to visits to protected areas (Fredman and Sandell, 2009;Hughes, 2013;Koniak, Sheff er and Noy-Meir, 2011). Th e proposed model has identifi ed one more statistically signifi cant variable: the group of visitors.…”

Is an Environment with High Biodiversity the Most Attractive for Human Recreation? A Case Study in Baoji, China

“…Comparing to Habitat 6 with the highest species richness but a jumble of plants, Habitat 4, which was located around the lake with an open view, and Habitat 5, which contained an open lawn, were more popular places for recreation. This is perhaps because people preferred green spaces with open lawns and shrubbery than the jungle [33][34][35]. People often have different understandings of nature and their picturesque notion of nature (i.e., 'natural') as a landscape that looks tended, demand a certain level of visible care and order rather than wild, but truly ecologically rich environments are often considered 'messy' [13].…”

Comparison of the Economic Value of Urban Trees through Surveys with Photographs in Two Seasons

“…On this occasion, the sample is balanced between both. Differences in educational level affect the respondents' preferences, as can be concluded from other works [35,36], and can even be seen between university students with different educational levels [37].…”