Exploring Age-Specific Determinants of Satisfaction among Urban Forest Visitors and Analyzing Their Effects on Local Environment Perceptions and Policy Support

Recreational use of urban and suburban forests affects plant diversity in a Western Siberian city

Urban forests, as a form of green infrastructure, play a vital role in enhancing urban resilience, environmental health, and quality of life. However, users perceive and utilize these spaces in diverse ways. This study aims to identify latent perception types among urban forest visitors and analyze their behavioral, demographic, and policy-related characteristics in Incheon Metropolitan City (Republic of Korea). Using latent class analysis, four distinct visitor types were identified: multipurpose recreationists, balanced relaxation seekers, casual forest users, and passive forest visitors. Multipurpose recreationists preferred active physical use and sports facilities, while balanced relaxation seekers emphasized emotional well-being and cultural experiences. Casual users engaged lightly with forest settings, and passive forest visitors exhibited minimal recreational interest. Satisfaction with forest elements such as vegetation, facilities, and management conditions varied across visitor types and age groups, especially among older adults. These findings highlight the need for perception-based green infrastructure planning. Policy recommendations include expanding accessible neighborhood green spaces for aging populations, promoting community-oriented events, and offering participatory forest programs for youth engagement. By integrating user segmentation into urban forest planning and governance, this study contributes to more inclusive, adaptive, and sustainable management of urban green infrastructure.

In environment-nature discourse, determinants of environmental perceptions and attitudes vary significantly making it difficult to draw generalisations on their significance for particular locales. In this paper, we explore the key socio-demographic factors affecting environmental perceptions and attitudes for a socio-economically diverse area of Gauteng province, South Africa, using a generalised ordered logit model (gologit) approach. Personal level variables like gender, education level, employment status, age, population group, migration status and external variables such as dwelling type and electricity availability, obtained through a questionnaire, were assessed as determinants of environmental perceptions and attitudes. Statistical results indicated that dwelling type, gender, education level, place of birth and employment status were strong determinants of environmental attitudes. Population group (Coloured and White), dwelling type, electricity availability, employment status and education level (from primary only up to matric) were found to be significant predictors of environmental perceptions. Education level, dwelling type and employment status were therefore the common explanatory variables from the analysis, giving prominence to material values that people attach to environmental attitudes and perceptions. Age had no influence on both environmental perceptions and attitudes. The results from this article can provide a foundation for segmentation of anthropocentric factors for environmental planning and strategy formulation within the province.

Carbon (C) sequestration and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation in urban forest green spaces are significant for global climate regulation and alleviating nutrient pollution. However, the effects of management and conservation practices across different urban forest vegetation types on soil C, N, and P contents and stoichiometric ratios remain largely unexplored. We selected forest soils from Guangzhou, a major Metropolis in China, as our study area. Soil samples were collected from two urban secondary forests that naturally regenerated after disturbance (108 samples) and six urban forest parks primarily composed of artificially planted woody plant communities (72 samples). We employed mixed linear models and variance partitioning to analyze and compare soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry and its main driving factors beneath suburban forests and urban park vegetation. These results exhibited that soil pH and bulk density in urban parks were higher than those in suburban forests, whereas soil water content, maximum storage capacity, and capillary porosity were higher in urban forests than in urban parks. Soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry (except for N:P ratio) were significantly higher in suburban forests than in urban parks. Multiple analyzes showed that soil pH had the most pronounced negative influence on soil C, N, C:N, C:P, and N:P, but the strongest positive influence on soil P in urban parks. Soil water content had the strongest positive effect on soil C, N, P, C:N, and C:P, while soil N:P was primarily influenced by the positive effect of soil non-capillary porosity in suburban forests. Overall, our study emphasizes that suburban forests outperform urban parks in terms of carbon and nutrient accumulation, and urban green space management should focus particularly on the impact of soil pH and moisture content on soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry.

ABSTRACTUrban trees and urban forests play important roles in the ecology of human habitats and the wider environment. However, these roles may be undermined by the community and resulting decline in urban forest cover over time. This study analyses the value of trees and forests in improving the urban environment and assesses the awareness level of communities of the value of trees and forests in Hawassa City, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey design was applied and data were obtained from a structured questionnaire survey of 200 respondents and from twenty-two interviews with key stakeholders. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and multiple linear regression models. Educational level and an annual income of the residents had strongly significant (p = 0.000) association with the awareness level of residents of the value of urban trees and forest. About 99% of the respondents noted that trees and forest have shading and cooling effects, 93% perceived trees as for recreational value, and 88% of them stated that trees and forests are important for city beautification. The chi-square test showed that there is a significant difference between forest-related services users and non-users. Multiple regression models indicated that sex, age, annual income and education level were found statistically significant (p = 0.000) and positively affect respondents’ level of understanding about the value of urban trees and forest in improving the urban environment. Urban trees and forests have also played crucial roles, around reducing Urban Heat Island effect, improving shading and cooling services and reducing soil erosion, and this was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Lack of awareness on the use of urban trees and forest, limited public support for urban green infrastructure, poor policy and strategic guidance were found to be influential factors affecting the management of urban trees and forest. Rapid city-expansion has also contributed to lesser understanding and poor management practices of urban trees and forest. This implies that comprehensive inventories of urban trees and forest resources across the city should be conducted using geospatial technologies. Thus, systematic and integrated stakeholder involvement is crucial to address those issues at local, regional and national levels.

Urban forests are an instrument of urban ecosystems, their existence is very important in the midst of declining environmental quality in urban areas, besides that urban forests also have various environmental service functions such as being able to absorb CO2 content, as an oxygen supply, then urban forests also have economic value. The policy on urban forest management is important so that its sustainability is maintained. Therefore, this study aims to analyze urban forest policies in forest management. This research was conducted in Serang City. This research approach uses the ANP (Analysis Network Process) approach, involving respondents from the Government (Regional Government Development Agency and Environmental services), forestry academics, forest researchers, KLHK employees in the forestry sector, practitioners engaged in forestry and environmental non-governmental organizations. The results of this study that from the three levels analyzed are factors, actors, and alternatives. The results from the level factor (policy support, quality improvement, evaluation and monitoring) show that policy support is the most priority thing. Meanwhile, from the level of actors (Government, Community, Private, government and private, NGOs) shows that the most influential actor in urban forest management is a combination of government and private sector. Then at the alternative level (evaluation of regulations, selection of tree species, expansion of urban forests, incentives, and sanctions) shows that the expansion of urban forests is the most important thing to implement.

The role of eco-attraction in the intention to conduct low-carbon actions: a study of visitor behavior in urban forests

Environmental problems are very concerning, particularly in many cities of developing countries, because they obstruct the creation of a sustainable urban environment. Dhaka, Bangladesh was chosen as the research area of this study, as Bangladesh is a developing country with pollution; moreover, the level of residents’ environmental perception was assessed, and their environmental attitudes and awareness were examined in relation to their demographic characteristics. A face-to-face questionnaire survey involving 400 respondents was conducted across various zones of the study area. The mean score, standard deviation, and p value of each respondent’s answer were calculated separately using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Then, a grand mean, average standard deviation, and combined p values for environmental perception and attitude themes were computed theme-wise. Descriptive statistics were produced to illustrate the respondents’ level of environmental awareness. The study results revealed that the respondents had a moderate to high level of perceived knowledge about the causes and effects of environmental pollution. They also had an intention to reduce the environmental pollution in their surroundings. The score differences (p < .05) across the age groups, education levels, occupation types, and income groups were nearly all significant, except for those pertaining to the gender of the respondents. Surprisingly, only 18% of the respondents were aware of their home’s and neighborhood’s garbage management procedures. It is urgent to influence citizens’ environmental behaviors to ensure the city’s long-term sustainability. This study’s findings can be used in decision-making processes regarding sustainable urban environments worldwide.

Aims/hypothesisLifestyle interventions are the first-line treatment option for body weight and cardiometabolic health management. However, whether age groups or women and men respond differently to lifestyle interventions is under debate. We aimed to examine age- and sex-specific effects of a low-energy diet (LED) followed by a long-term lifestyle intervention on body weight, body composition and cardiometabolic health markers in adults with prediabetes (i.e. impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance).MethodsThis observational study used longitudinal data from 2223 overweight participants with prediabetes in the multicentre diabetes prevention study PREVIEW. The participants underwent a LED-induced rapid weight loss (WL) period followed by a 3 year lifestyle-based weight maintenance (WM) intervention. Changes in outcomes of interest in prespecified age (younger: 25–45 years; middle-aged: 46–54 years; older: 55–70 years) or sex (women and men) groups were compared.ResultsIn total, 783 younger, 319 middle-aged and 1121 older adults and 1503 women and 720 men were included in the analysis. In the available case and complete case analyses, multivariable-adjusted linear mixed models showed that younger and older adults had similar weight loss after the LED, whereas older adults had greater sustained weight loss after the WM intervention (adjusted difference for older vs younger adults −1.25% [95% CI −1.92, −0.58], p<0.001). After the WM intervention, older adults lost more fat-free mass and bone mass and had smaller improvements in 2 h plasma glucose (adjusted difference for older vs younger adults 0.65 mmol/l [95% CI 0.50, 0.80], p<0.001) and systolic blood pressure (adjusted difference for older vs younger adults 2.57 mmHg [95% CI 1.37, 3.77], p<0.001) than younger adults. Older adults had smaller decreases in fasting and 2 h glucose, HbA1c and systolic blood pressure after the WM intervention than middle-aged adults. In the complete case analysis, the above-mentioned differences between middle-aged and older adults disappeared, but the direction of the effect size did not change. After the WL period, compared with men, women had less weight loss (adjusted difference for women vs men 1.78% [95% CI 1.12, 2.43], p<0.001) with greater fat-free mass and bone mass loss and smaller improvements in HbA1c, LDL-cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure. After the WM intervention, women had greater fat-free mass and bone mass loss and smaller improvements in HbA1c and LDL-cholesterol, while they had greater improvements in fasting glucose, triacylglycerol (adjusted difference for women vs men −0.08 mmol/l [−0.11, −0.04], p<0.001) and HDL-cholesterol.Conclusions/interpretationOlder adults benefited less from a lifestyle intervention in relation to body composition and cardiometabolic health markers than younger adults, despite greater sustained weight loss. Women benefited less from a LED followed by a lifestyle intervention in relation to body weight and body composition than men. Future interventions targeting older adults or women should take prevention of fat-free mass and bone mass loss into consideration.Clinical trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov NCT01777893.Graphical abstract

A simple algorithm to predict disability in community-dwelling older Japanese adults

The Gunung Kembang Sarolangun City Forest is located in the Sarolangun Regency Government Office Complex. The urban forest was originally a biodiversity park and is included in the green open space area which has an area of 9.8 hectares and is based on the Decree of the Regent of Sarolangun No. 238 of 2022. To maintain the preservation of areas in urban forests, it is necessary to have strategies and policies in urban forests that can function and benefit urban human life in a sustainable manner. Currently, there is no previous research related to the development planning of the Sarolangun City Forest. The purpose of this study is to analyze the development strategy of the Sarolangun Mountain Kembang Urban Forest in Sarolangun Regency. The research was carried out in May 2023 in the Gunung Kembang Sarolangun City Forest and data analysis was carried out at the Forestry Department Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jambi. The data was analyzed descriptively and qualitatively by the SWOT method. The results of the study show that the Gunung Kembang City Forest has been used for various activities such as leisurely walks and selfies. Internal strength factors are the condition of well-maintained urban forests, being a place for the community to gather, good and strategic accessibility, and policy support in urban forest development. Internal weaknesses are minimal budget, lack of research, lack of promotion and low public awareness. External opportunity factors are regional income opportunities, ecosystem-based tourism potential, recreational and camping sites, and support for multi-stakeholder cooperation for urban forest development. External challenge factors are the potential impact of environmental pollution and damage as well as the potential impact of global climate change. The SWOT diagram shows the strategic position that requires internal improvement and the utilization of existing opportunities so that the Gunung Kembang urban forest can be managed properly. Keywords: development strategy, SWOT, urban forest ABSTRAK Hutan Kota Gunung Kembang Sarolangun berada di Komplek Perkantoran Pemerintah Kabupaten Sarolangun. Hutan kota awalnya sebagai taman keanekaragaman hayati dan termasuk dalam kawasan ruang terbuka hijau yang memiliki kawasan seluas 9,8 Ha dan berdasarkan SK Bupati Sarolangun No. 238 Tahun 2022. untuk mempertahankan pelestarian kawasan di hutan kota perlu adanya strategi dan kebijakan pada hutan kota yang dapat berfungsi dan bermanfaat bagi kehidupan manusia perkotaan secara berkelanjutan. Saat ini belum ada penelitian terdahulu terkait perencanaan pengembangan Hutan Kota Sarolangun. Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini adalah menganalisis strategi pengembangan Hutan Kota Gunung Kembang Sarolangun di Kabupaten Sarolangun. Penelitian dilaksananakn pada bulai Mei 2023 di Hutan Kota Gunung Kembang Sarolangun dan analisis data dilakukan di Laboratorium Juruan Kehutanan Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Jambi. Data dianalisis secara deskriptif dan kualitatif dengan metode SWOT. Hasil Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Hutan Kota Gunung Kembang telah dimanfaatkan untuk berbagai aktifitas seperti jalan-jalan santai dan swafoto. Faktor kekuatan internal yaitu kondisi hutan kota yang terawat, menjadi tempat masyarakat berkumpul, aksesibilitas yang baik dan strategis, dukungan kebijakan dalam pengembangan hutan kota. Faktor kelemahan internal yaitu anggaran yang minim, kurangnya penelitian, kurangnya promosi dan rendahnya kesadaran masyarakat. Faktor peluang eksternal yaitu peluang pemasukan daerah, potensi wisata berbasis ekosistem, tempat rekreasi dan perkemahan serta dukungan Kerjasama multipihak untuk pengembangan hutan kota. Faktor tantangan eksternal yaitu potensi dampak pencemaran lingkungan dan kerusakan serta potensi dampak perubahan iklim global. Diagram SWOT menunjukkan posisi strategi (turn around) hang menghendaki perbaikan internal dan pemanfaatan peluang yang ada agar hutan kota gunung kembang bisa terkelolan dengan baik. Kata kunci: hutan kota, strategi pengembangan, SWOT

Decision letter: SARS-CoV-2 shedding dynamics across the respiratory tract, sex, and disease severity for adult and pediatric COVID-19

Predictors of health anxiety among older and young adults.

The urban forests in every city are very important to creating comfortable urban conditions for the community. The existence of urban forests, such as city parks, urban forests, and fields, can provide a sense of comfort to the community both thermally and visually. In addition, urban forests also act as microclimate ameliorators and noise reducers. The importance of this research is that it is expected to provide additional information and reference materials to identify the factors that contribute to thermal comfort in green open spaces in Makassar City. This study aims to analyze the thermal comfort of some green open spaces in Makassar City. The methodology of this research involves a field survey that measures climate factors such as temperature, humidity, sunlight intensity, noise, and wind speed. Thus, it can be concluded that if increasing the urban forest area in urban areas will have a positive impact on comfort, improve air quality, water, soil, and biodiversity, as well as enhance public health and welfare. Enhancing urban forests requires an approach that involves good urban planning, supportive policies, community participation, and the adoption of green technologies across the board, particularly in Makassar City.

The residential sector is the main energy consumer in the Australian building sector and has significant impact on greenhouse gases emission in this country. The sector confronts a number of non-technological barriers, e.g., diversity of products and stakeholders, which detract from the leverage of mitigation plans in this area of building industry. This paper aims at explaining the application of occupants' pro-environmental behaviour in overcoming such barriers in the Australian housing industry. Accordingly, the main objectives are to explain the housing characteristics, and then to find out to what extent pro-environmental behaviour is capable of moderating the barriers. Looking at the housing characteristics is a proper source for explaining the housing preferences, which are indicators of end-users' environmental perceptions and attitudes. Conducting graphical analyses on secondary data compiled from a number of online sources by Excel software resulted in drawing graphical profiles from the Australian housing, explaining the occupants' preferences. The results showed that the occupants' preferences are strictly responsible for the current direction of housing development; hence, their environmental attitudes and perceptions should gain centrality in future planning.