Forests, heritage green spaces, and neighbourhood parks: citizen’s attitude and perception towards ecosystem services in Bengaluru

Abstract

Traditionally, conservation has been mainly addressed in relation to large pristine ecosystems such as forests that deliver a wide variety of ecosystem services. This perception of large green patches providing more services seems to be strongly entrenched in the minds of people. So much so, that even though cities comprise mainly of several small neighbourhood parks and a few large heritage parks, the large parks seem to attract the attention and support of naturalists, ecologists, and citizens. The large parks, undoubtedly, provide a wider range of services as compared to small ones. However, small parks also provide services that benefi t the neighbourhood society, which cannot be undervalued. Apart from recreational services, our field surveys show that these small parks are important pockets for migratory birds and other local biodiversity. This study, through social surveys with park users across the city of Bengaluru, attempts to understand people's perception towards a gradient of green spaces—‘forests, heritage parks, and neighbourhood parks’.