Abstract
Urban forests offer multiple functions: they can balance negative effects from the environment and provide the public with a place for leisure and recreation. Hence, urban forests are crucial to urban ecology and have been widely studied. In addition, relevant study results were applied for policymaking in urban development and forest park management. This study evaluated the ecological value of the Sinhua Forest Park and examined whether the socioeconomic background of participants influences their willingness to pay (WTP) for ecological conservation. Questionnaires were distributed to visitors in the Sinhua Forest Park in Tainan, Taiwan, and the payment card format of the contingent valuation method was employed to evaluate the ecological value. The results showed that the visitors had an annual WTP of $22.01 per person. However, when samples with protest responses were excluded, the WTP rose to $24.58. By considering the total number of visitors of a year, the total ecological value was $1,426,964.14/year and reached $1,593,257.31/year after excluding the protest samples. This study also analyzed participants’ within-variable socioeconomic background (e.g., gender and education) and discovered that male participants who are aged 60 years or older, with an education level of senior/vocational high school, and those who visited green spaces two to three times per week presented a high WTP score on average. A Tobit regression model was employed for examination, and the results indicated that participants’ education and frequency of visiting green spaces significantly influenced their WTP for the ecological conservation of the Sinhua Forest Park.
Highlights
IntroductionUrban green spaces have been critical green elements in the metropolitan areas [1,2,3]and have been widely studied to allow the public to understand their functions and services.Lin and Lee [4] defined urban forests as suburban forests, urban parks, green spaces, and street trees in urban districts
Urban green spaces have been critical green elements in the metropolitan areas [1,2,3]and have been widely studied to allow the public to understand their functions and services.Lin and Lee [4] defined urban forests as suburban forests, urban parks, green spaces, and street trees in urban districts
Kabisch et al [13] extensively studied the ecological importance of urban forests, but the relationship between urban residents and green spaces remains unclear and requires further studies
Summary
Urban green spaces have been critical green elements in the metropolitan areas [1,2,3]and have been widely studied to allow the public to understand their functions and services.Lin and Lee [4] defined urban forests as suburban forests, urban parks, green spaces, and street trees in urban districts. Studies have assessed the benefits of urban forests, including reducing air pollution, purifying water, and providing landscape facilities and leisure areas [8,9,10]. Urban forests can be considered an essential environmental resource for improving the living environment, enabling residents to engage in outdoor recreation and connect with others [11,12]. Kabisch et al [13] extensively studied the ecological importance of urban forests, but the relationship between urban residents and green spaces remains unclear and requires further studies. Biodiversity is the most influential factor in urban forest recreation choices for South Korean urban residents [14]. In Fuzhou, China, urban residents’ satisfaction with the facilities and services of urban forests significantly influences their willingness to visit [15]
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