Abstract
The study considers forest therapy as a tool for diversification of forest management. An up-to-date integrated approach for assessing and mapping potential of forest areas which could provide conditions for forest therapy services is developed and tested. It is based on combining data from the traditional forest inventory in Bulgaria and other open databases with methods for integrated assessment and mapping of ecosystem services: 7 criteria groups and 22 indicators are proposed, rated on a 5-point scale. Overlay analysis is applied to generate a composite assessment for each forest unit. Using spatial statistics tools, territorial hot spots with potential for forest therapy are identified. The methodology was successfully tested in a pilot case-study region, Smolyan Municipality, but it is applicable at broader scale, regardless of the type and ownership of forests. This approach could be transferred to other countries as well after adapting to their geographical, geoecological and socio-cultural specifics and database available. It is a cost-effective and informative tool to support forest owners and managers to diversify forest welfare services focusing on insufficiently used forest recreation potential.
Highlights
Forests provide a wide range of economic, ecological, and social benefits to humankind by contributing to the overall economy through employment, processing and trade of forest products and energy, providing services and investments in the forest sector [1]
The economic benefits are usually measured in monetary terms [1], but while the intangible benefits of forests for human health and wellbeing are often proven their monetary measurement is difficult. These intangible benefits can vary considerably among countries depending on their level of development and traditions and bearing in mind that these specifics are often measured in terms of area or proportion of forests used to provide various social services
It is a clear indication of medium potential of the case-study region for supply of forest therapy services
Summary
Forests provide a wide range of economic, ecological, and social benefits to humankind by contributing to the overall economy through employment, processing and trade of forest products and energy, providing services and investments in the forest sector [1] They include hosting and protection of sites and landscapes of high cultural, spiritual, or recreational value [1]. The economic, social, and ecological role of forests is of significant importance to the sustainable development of society and for improving the quality of life, especially in rural and remote areas These functions are unique in a national and in a global context. This emphasizes the need for forest resources to be professionally managed in a stable forest sector with broad public support and mutual respect and integration of the interests of all stakeholders
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