Recreational Benefits Research Articles

Feeding the cities: Urban agriculture for food security and sustainability of urban areas

Abstract With the increasing migration of people to urban areas, the demand for extra, fresh, and healthy food in cities has escalated manyfold. Further, anthropogenic activities, high rise buildings, and unplanned construction in urban areas are increasing urban heat. Therefore, the objective of this study is to review the salient features and constraints of urban agriculture, in addition to illustrating traditional and modern approaches, and policies used worldwide to promote the urban agriculture (UA). Urban agriculture is a key component of sustainable urban development that plays a pivotal role in combating food security and malnutrition in peri-urban and urban areas by growing different fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, flowering and ornamental plants in urban dwellings for food and aesthetic purposes. UA often combines with other functions like urban greening, biodiversity, waste recycling, environmental disaster reduction, CO 2 absorption, urban heat island reduction, recreational benefits, contributing to the circular economy and UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). Plants in UA are grown in vacant open spaces, rooftops, balconies and containers, resulting in urban organic harvest by fostering income and health improvement. The concept of UA is being utilized efficiently in many countries. However, there is still a need to promote UA by arranging community gatherings and school students, creating awareness and capacity building through education and training. Growers need to be connected to land and open spaces, enhancing value addition in UA and formulating supportive policies to foster Agri-tourism in urban farms to making it a successful initiative. Recent innovative research ideas and new technological developments such as artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), automation and mechanization in UA are opening new avenues for quality food production in urban areas for sustainable cities.

A Study on the Relationship between Recreation Benefit Perception and Frequency of Participation in Recreation Activities

The objective of this study is to investigate university students' perceptions of the benefits of recreational activities and their frequency of participation in such activities and to explain a relationship between these two variables. A quantitative research method was employed in this study, with a preference for utilizing a questionnaire as the data collection technique. The participants in the study were undergraduate students from Harran University Osmanbey Campus. A survey was conducted with 683 participants. The study revealed significant differences in the frequency of participants' engagement in activities based on their demographic characteristics, including participants' gender, age, school of higher education or faculty, grade level, weighted grade point averages, monthly income, hometown region, permanent residence environment and place of residence. The study also demonstrated significant differences in the benefit perceived by the participants from recreation activities based on their demographic characteristics, including participants' age, school of higher education or faculty, grade level, monthly income, hometown region and place of residence. Additionally, the study found a significant positive relationship between the frequency of participation in recreational activities and all sub-dimensions of the perceived benefits of such activities.

Dog swimming and ectoparasiticide water contamination in urban conservation areas: A case study on Hampstead Heath, London

Widespread occurrence of two ectoparasiticide compounds in the aquatic environment, imidacloprid and fipronil, have prompted concerns about their potential environmental impacts. However, very little focus has been placed on water bodies in urban green spaces used for dog swimming. In this study, occurrence of both substances on Hampstead Heath, London, was compared in ponds with (n = 3) and without dog swimming activity (n = 3), as well as connecting streams above, between, and below these ponds (n = 6). Imidacloprid and fipronil were detected at main swimming points in dog swimming ponds at mean concentrations of 309 ± 104 ng/L and 32 ± 13 ng/L, respectively, indicating a high environmental risk in these samples. Measured concentrations in ponds not accessible for dog swimming were either below the limits of detection or limits of quantification for both chemicals. Across all ponds, there was a strong positive correlation between measured dog swimming activities and concentrations of imidacloprid (R2 = 0.91) and fipronil (R2 = 0.79). Some contamination was detected in connecting streams between ponds. A wider chemical analysis for the presence of urban waste water chemical residue signatures indicated minimal contamination, including in source waters. A survey of visitors who allow their dogs to swim in the sampled ponds confirmed frequent use of products containing imidacloprid and fipronil. In total, 86 % of 101 dog owners were unaware of the potential environmental impacts of products, and 94 % indicated that protecting nature would be an important consideration when selecting products. Besides the current practice of limiting dog access to ponds, information collected on product use and dog swimming practices identified additional opportunities to reduce contamination. We suggest that more cooperation between industry, regulators, veterinarians, green space managers, and the public can reduce risks to urban biodiversity while maintaining recreational benefits for dog owners and dogs.

Landscape structure influences the spatial distribution of urban bird attractiveness

ContextLandscape change affects biological diversity and the distribution of species traits related to spiritual, educational, and recreational benefits people derive from nature. These traits are associated with color, song and behavioral characteristics that influence people's perceptions of how attractive an assemblage is. However, the environmental variables that affect the spatial distribution of traits related to the attractiveness of biological diversity remain unexplored.ObjectivesWe tested how landscape structure influences patterns of perceived bird attractiveness (trait diversity associated with colorfulness, behavioral and song categories) across an urbanization gradient.MethodsWe used data from standardized surveys of birds and landscapes within 42 landscape units of 1km2 across the city of Brisbane in eastern Australia. We used structural equation modeling to test effects of landscape composition (built infrastructure, percentage of tree cover) and landscape configuration (fragmentation of tree cover) on mean bird community attractiveness. Relationships between individual traits and landscape structure were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models.ResultsOur analysis across 82 bird species shows that the relative amount of built infrastructure in a landscape interacts with fragmentation to reduce the overall attractiveness of the landscape’s bird assemblage. However, built areas can exhibit high overall bird attractiveness where there is (1) reduced fragmentation and (2) increased diversity of vegetation structure that provides key habitats for many colorful species with a high diversity of calls. Relationships between bird attractiveness and landscape structure change when they are analyzed at the guild level (insectivores vs frugivores/nectarivores). In addition, body size moderates the effects of landscape structure on song complexity, personality, and color.ConclusionsSmall bodied, colorful and melodious species are negatively affected by built infrastructure and fragmentation. By learning how habitat loss and fragmentation affect the distribution of species-rich, attractive bird assemblages, our findings can inform how urban landscapes might be structured to increase people’s connection with nature.

Quantification of Ecosystem Services of the Melghat Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India

The present study was an attempt to quantify the direct as well as indirect ecosystem services from forest ecosystems in the Melghat area, which were undervalued in economic terms as compared to other developmental projects. The valuation of growing stock in the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) was estimated to be IRs 80221 crores (equal to 9600 million US $). While the carbon sequestration potential of the system was estimated to be IRs 9291 crores, the value of non-timber forest products (NTFP), a part of the provisioning service, was IRs 3.92 crore. The Forest land itself is valued at IRs 66874 crores using the current land costs in the region for non-forest uses. Recreation benefits are estimated to be IRs 30.94 crores which is more than the user fee collections at entry points. The contribution value of biodiversity and other ecosystem services for the entire Melghat landscape was IRs 2156 crore. Timber and carbon sequestration loss due to land distributed under forest rights was IRs 447.23 crore, while gains from agricultural use of that land by farmers was merely IRs 7.07 crore. Thus, the land conversion resulted in 63 times higher loss in the total ecosystem services than the gains from the subsistence-level farming practice for provisioning service alone. The total economic value of the Melghat landscape was estimated at IRs 1,69,853 crore, equalling to IRs 57.20 lakh per ha. The Net Present Value (NPV) of IRs 7.5 lakh per ha for protected areas such as the MTR prescribed by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India is much lower than the estimated value, emphasizing the need to revise NPV using appropriate valuation methodology.

Behavioral Conflicts in Urban Greenway Recreation: A Case Study of the “Three Rivers and One Mountain” Greenway in Xi’an, China

The current greenway systems in China are relatively homogenous, whereas recreational groups and their needs are highly diverse. This discrepancy has resulted in increasingly severe behavioral conflicts during greenway recreation. However, scholarly research on behavioral conflicts in greenway recreational activities is lacking. Recreationists’ perceptions of conflict negatively impact their evaluation of the recreational experience, thereby limiting the ecological and recreational benefits of greenways. Therefore, it is crucial to categorize these conflicts, understand their formation mechanisms, and identify influencing factors, so as to put forward targeted management strategies for greenway construction. This study selected urban segments of greenways along the Wei and Feng rivers in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. Field observation, semi-structured interviews, and NVivo 12 three-level coding were used to investigate and analyze the main types of behavioral conflicts perceived by various recreational groups on urban greenways and the factors influencing these perceptions. The results indicate that the primary types of behavioral conflicts are danger perception, space occupancy, environmental damage, and noise disturbance. Younger groups, highly educated individuals, local residents, and those with exercise as their primary recreational purpose are more likely to perceive conflicts. In addition, recreationists also focus on the completeness of greenway infrastructure, the richness of green landscapes, and the adequacy of behavior management. These findings can help greenway managers and planners understand the perception of recreational conflicts, enabling the formulation of targeted design strategies and management measures to mitigate these conflicts in urban greenway recreation.

Exploring the benefits of outdoor activity participation in national parks: a case study of the Peak District National Park, England

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the role that regular outdoor activity participation in national parks plays in subjective wellbeing (SWB). It also considers the influences on SWB, including the national park environment, resilience-building, coping skills, mental health and stress alleviation. There is a wealth of research on the benefits of outdoor recreation in natural settings, yet studies which specifically examine the impacts of regular activity engagement in national parks are scarcer. Using the Peak District National Park (England) as a case study, fifteen online stakeholder interviews were conducted, probing participants about their outdoor recreation experiences both during and before the onset of the pandemic. Findings suggest that frequent outdoor activity participation in the Park positively influences coping, resilience and subjective wellbeing, and, relatedly, helps to improve mental health, and alleviate stress. These outcomes are valuable for dealing with the vicissitudes of everyday life and in facilitating long term SWB.

Economic Evaluation of Water Management Alternatives in the Upper Green River Basin of Wyoming

Water use efficiency measures are generally recommended to reduce water use. Yet, flood irrigation practices in high-elevation mountain valleys of the Colorado River Basin headwaters generate return flows, which support late-season streamflow and groundwater recharge. Return flows support the ecosystem and provide recreational benefits. This study provides a framework for quantifying how land-use changes and associated return flow patterns affect the economic value of water across uses in a hydrologically connected, shallow alluvial aquifer system. This study first investigates how return flow patterns could change under three alternatives to flood irrigation: an increased use of center pivots, increased residential development, and conversion to pasture. The brown trout was used as an indicator species to track eco-hydrology, return flow, and capacity for recreational activities under each alternative. Estimates from the non-market valuation literature coupled with predicted changes in brown trout productivity approximate associated changes to recreational angler value. Recreational angler values are highest under the flood irrigation alternative. The inclusion of recreational angler values with agricultural values alters the magnitude of returns but not the rankings. These results highlight the potential heterogeneity of conclusions to be drawn regarding water use efficiency, depending on the economic value of water in different uses and the degree of hydrologic connectivity. This study also highlights data gaps and modeling needs for conducting similar future analyses.

A national assessment of the economic and wellbeing impacts of recreational surfing in Australia

Surfing is a cultural ecosystem service, providing recreational benefits to over 50 million people worldwide and fostering economic activity through retail and tourism industries. Despite its growing popularity and threats to natural environments, surfing’s economic and social impacts remain sparsely documented. This study provides a nationwide assessment of surfing’s impact on Australia’s economy and participants’ wellbeing, using an online survey of Australian surfers (n=569). Domestic surf-related expenditure was estimated at A$3719 per surfer per year, including retail (A$1858) and travel (A$1861). Heterogeneity analyses reveal differences in expenditure patterns across regions, age groups and modalities of engagement in the sport. Aggregating across a population of 727,328 Australian adult surfers, the direct input into the market economy is estimated at A$2.71 billion per year. Standardized wellbeing measures indicate that over 80 % of participants experience positive effects from surfing, particularly in community connectedness, physical, and mental health. However, major concerns exist regarding the sustainability of surfing environments due to erosion and overcrowding pressures. Following the SEEA EA’s ‘logic chain’ framework, this study provides a set of baseline results that may be inputted into accounting processes considering recreational ecosystems services. Further, the systematic approach used in this study could be replicated by comparative analyses across time and other prominent surf regions. As coastal areas worldwide urgently respond to climate threats and the need to support the ‘blue economy’, a better understanding the socio-economic values derived from ocean-based recreation can help inform coastal polices aimed at fostering more resilient environments.

Testing the moderated mediation effect of recreation safety climate on the interrelationship of serious leisure, recreation involvement, and flow experience

Recreational safety is critical to the growth of outdoor recreation and adventure tourism. Using a signaling-theory framework, this study investigates the possible moderated mediation effect of recreation safety climate (RSC) on the interrelationship of serious leisure, recreation involvement, and flow experience. The results of a survey of 353 recreational scuba divers at a popular diving site in Kenting, southern Taiwan showed that recreation involvement mediated the relationship between serious leisure and flow experience. We further found that RSC significantly and positively moderated a serious leisure - > recreation involvement - > flow experience model: i.e., that recreation involvement played a strong role as a mediator between serious leisure and flow experience because RSC was high. As well as highlighting the importance of RSC, this study contributes to the body of knowledge on recreational safety, and provides recreation operators with guidelines for RSC implementation. Management implicationsSpecifically, low recreation safety climate signals tend to reduce the power of recreation involvement as a mediator. Accordingly, operations and management units should actively seek to establish safe climate signals and culture, and promote the safety certification of recreational areas, to facilitate serious recreationists’ identification of safe sites and thereby enhance their recreational benefits.

Rekreasyonel Fayda Algısı ve Başarma İhtiyacı Teorisi: Eylemli Turist Rehberleri Üzerine Bir Uygulama

Turist rehberleri, turist ile bire bir etkileşim içerisinde olmaları ve ülke tanıtımına, imajına doğrudan etkide bulunmaları nedeniyle turizm sektörünün en önemli çalışanlarından biridir. Turist rehberlerinin mesleklerini en iyi şekilde yerine getirebilmeleri için yüksek motivasyonla çalışmaları şarttır. Dolayısıyla onları motive eden ihtiyaçların tespit edilmesi ve söz konusu ihtiyaçlara etki eden unsurların belirlenmesi önem arz etmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, eylemli turist rehberlerinin boş zamanlarında katıldıkları rekreatif etkinliklerden elde ettikleri rekreasyonel faydanın tespit edilmesi ve elde edilen rekreasyonel fayda algılarının, iş yaşamlarında motivasyonlarına etki eden unsurlardan olan başarma ihtiyacı düzeylerine etkisinin belirlenmesidir. Yararlanılan araştırma verileri, Türkiye’deki 554 eylemli turist rehberinden anket yöntemi vasıtasıyla toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda eylemli turist rehberlerinin rekreasyonel fayda algılarının başarma ihtiyacı düzeylerine pozitif yönlü anlamlı bir etkisi olduğu belirlenmiştir.

The value of improving freshwater ecosystem services: South Carolina residents’ willingness to pay for improved water quality

Riverine ecosystems play a crucial role in providing essential services such as drinking water, food, recreation, and other aquatic resources. Yet, their capacity to deliver ecosystem services is threatened by rapid land use which modifies their ecological functions. While freshwater monitoring and restoration programs became more robust with technological advancement, the technical ecosystem indicators monitored by experts do not typically resonate with the public. Since public sentiments and preferences are crucial in conservation planning, we quantified households' mean willingness to pay (WTP) for riverine ecosystem services in South Carolina (SC) using a payment card approach. This technique in conducting a contingent valuation method allowed us to estimate mean WTP for five aquatic indicators. Findings revealed that households’ monthly mean WTP is higher for indicators that can enhance recreational benefits, such as fish catch ($5.89- $6.58), species richness ($6.28- $6.72) and access ($6.75) compared to IBI ($5.74- $6.26) and instream flow quality ($5.34–6.06). When extrapolated to entire SC, the improvement of each indicator would translate to total benefits ranging between $131 to $165 million annually. The values computed from this study could serve as inputs for the computation of benefit-cost ratios of proposed freshwater programs. By incorporating households' WTP in the policy analysis, decision makers can prioritize programs that offer the greatest public benefit, while enhancing freshwater quality across the state.

Understanding the behaviour of medical tourists: implications for strategy development

ABSTRACT Strategy and policy development for medical tourism largely depends on knowledge and understanding of the behavioral intentions of patients for cross-border travel to seek healthcare services. This study utilizes the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) and decision tree models to explore the behavioral intentions of medical tourists and identify key factors for predicting medical tourism adoption decisions by patients. Safety expectancy and waiting time are found to be the most influential features for the prediction of behavioral intention and adoption behavior. Though social influence and price-value are found to be very important in predicting behavioral intentions, these features become redundant in predicting medical tourism adoption behavior. This study also reveals that medical tourists rarely consider recreational benefits as a supplementary service besides health services; rather, they decide to pursue medical services based on the primary healthcare service itself. This finding can provide deep knowledge to develop policies and strategies for medical tourism. Highlights An expanded conceptual framework is proposed to explore medical tourism. Six major factors emerged as determinants of tourists’ behavioral intentions. Impact of effort expectancy on behavioral intention is insignificant. Safety expectancy and waiting time are dominant predictors of behavioral intention. No significant impact of hedonic urge on medical tourism adoption behaviour.

Expectations of i-Tree Eco as a tool for urban tree management in Nordic cities

While urban forests are recognized as imperative toward climate adaptation in cities and provide health and recreational benefits to citizens, municipal tree officers often struggle to find successful governance arrangements and budget support toward long-lasting investment and implementation in new planting schemes and protection of existing trees. Since its release in 2006, i-Tree Eco has helped urban tree officers worldwide to find tangible leverage in the means of quantitative mapping, numeric measures, and economic values of ecosystem services. This may in turn help ease gridlocks and potentially support constructive dialogues across sectors, with decision-makers and public engagement. With the release of i-Tree Eco v. 6 in Europe 2018, 13 Nordic cities were engaged in a larger research project with ambitions to use i-Tree Eco for the purpose of retrieving numeric and monetary data of the biophysical structures and ecosystem services of the urban forest. Based on questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, we present the results from the Nordic i-Tree project with a focus on expectations, opportunities, and potential barriers experienced in using i-Tree Eco in urban forest management. The most prominent expectation and foreseeing opportunities were recognized toward using numeric information on trees to change policies and support cross-sectoral collaboration while reaching politicians and the public. Identified barriers involved how limited resources are spent on public outreach and how information about the project to relevant stakeholders were not distributed from the beginning which may have implications on the dissemination of results. As some important ecosystem services, e.g., cultural services, are not captured by i-Tree Eco, presenting the partial value of urban trees may pose also potential risks to cross-sectoral collaboration. Other findings conclude that although numeric information on ecosystem services is seen as beneficial in terms of communicating with different stakeholders, a deeper understanding toward the criteria used in the valuation process and the potential risks of numeric approaches may provide more context-specific applications.

The suitability and carrying capacity analysis of the mangrove ecosystem to support ecotourism in the Paljaya mangrove restoration and learning center, Bekasi Regency, Indonesia

One of the ecosystem services provided by the mangrove ecosystem is cultural service, which provides the benefits of recreation, aesthetics, and spirituality. The utilization of mangrove ecosystems, which can preserve and maintain the ecosystem, is through scientific research, education, and ecotourism. Ecotourism is a tourist activity that can Support the sustainability of using natural resources because it prioritizes natural resources over tourist facilities. This research aims to determine mangrove ecosystems’ suitability and carrying capacity for developing mangrove ecotourism. It was conducted from August until September 2022 at the Paljaya Mangrove Restoration and Learning Centre (MRLC), Segarajaya Village, Bekasi Regency. Data analysis was performed using the Tourism Suitability Index (TSI) and an assessment of the Carrying Capacity of the Region (CCR) to ensure the maximum capacity of the MRLC area in accommodating visitors at a particular time. The TSI value obtained from this study is 2.09 and is included in the Suitable category for ecotourism development. The length of the bridge for the mangrove tracking area is 230 m, with the area’s carrying capacity being 37 people/day. Therefore, recommendations that can be made in policy making are to increase mangrove planting activities and maintain mangrove sustainability.

Complementary Approaches to Planning a Restored Coastal Wetland and Assessing the Role of Agriculture and Biodiversity: An Applied Case Study in Southern Italy

The European Parliament has recently passed the “Nature Recovery” law to restore degraded ecosystems and prevent natural disasters as part of its “Biodiversity Strategy 2030” and “Green Deal”. In this respect, wetlands can provide a wide range of ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation, hydrological land protection, provision of products, cultural and recreational benefits, and many others. However, they are still threatened by the expansion of agricultural land, overexploitation of water resources, water pollution, climate change, etc. Wetland conservation, however, is essential and requires coordinated action by managers, policymakers, stakeholders, and scientists. A systemic planning and design process is required to address these complex challenges. This research aims to outline an integrated, comprehensive, and well-structured planning framework for wetland systems that can be applied to different wetland types, in line with institutional wetland policy, governance, and management. The methodological approach developed in this study aims to integrate a longer-term strategy plan with a shorter-term action plan by combining the Yeomans scale of permanence and the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response model. This innovative approach was applied to a specific case study and may guide further wetland planning in the future. The Nominal Group Technique was used, a consensus method aimed at achieving a general agreement and convergence of opinion. An expert group of seven members with different technical backgrounds was engaged and expert consultation was found to be a simple and rapid technique for carrying out wetland planning. The expert judgements were sound, consistent, and did not overlap (i.e., were not redundant). “Pressures” and “Impacts” were identified by the experts and clustered according to corresponding “States” and “Drivers”. Expert scoring allowed the resulting “Responses” to be ranked in terms of their relevance and influence on the development of the wetland strategy and action plan, while a priority order for their implementation was assessed according to the Yeomans scale of permanence. Agriculture was the highest rated ‘Driver’; similarly, Biodiversity (habitats and species) was the ‘State’ with the highest score. Therefore, their combination (agriculture and biodiversity) should be considered as the strategic cornerstone of the whole planning framework. This means designing and implementing a system in which agriculture and nature (in our case a wetland) are allied ecological systems in mutual compensation, according to the way natural elements are embedded in the agricultural system. A collection of factsheets containing the full list of responses considered in the Wetlands Action Plan, with detailed operational actions, is provided in the Appendixes.

Users’ Perceptions on The Role of Recreational Parks in Societal Development: A Public Administration Study of Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.

Our cities gain from recreational parks' fundamental environmental, aesthetic, and recreational benefits. They also bring great economic benefits to any country. The purpose of this research is to assess Citizens' views on the state of three recreational parks and landscaping in Akure, Ondo State. The study aims to evaluate three recreational parks and landscaping in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, their properties, their impact on users, and the contribution of recreational landscapes to societal development and revenue generation. This paper also suggests better ways to maintain these recreational parks. Gardens with a broad assortment of trees and other plants are a significant recreational feature in developing countries like Nigeria. Urban and recreational facilities have been seen as a tool to improve living conditions in Ondo State. One of the most difficult aspects of maintaining recreational parks is balancing the needs of different user groups, such as those seeking solitude and those seeking raucous play and picnicking. Parks and recreation are typically the "engine" of local tourism. In a simplified tourism model, people leave their homes and travel to attractions supported by services such as hotels/motels, restaurants, and commerce.

The Recreational Value of the Baltic Sea Coast: A Spatially Explicit Site Choice Model Accounting for Environmental Conditions

The coast plays a significant recreational role in the nine countries around the Baltic Sea. More than 70% of the population of these countries visit the coast, representing some 80 million recreational visits annually. Understanding the values associated with coastal recreation, and the potential welfare changes resulting from improvements in the state of environmental and infrastructure conditions of the Baltic Sea coast is important for marine environment management in the region. We estimate a spatially explicit travel cost model for Baltic coast recreation to assess the welfare of accessing individual sites, identify recreational hot spots and simulate the welfare changes resulting from improvements in environmental and infrastructure conditions. The total benefits associated with Baltic Sea coast-based recreation amount to 27.5 billion EUR per year with significant variation across sites. Improving water quality and infrastructure boost the recreational value by nearly 6.2 billion EUR, an increase of about a fifth of the existing recreational benefits.

Differential response of three large mammal species to human recreation in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA

Outdoor recreation benefits local economies, environmental education, and public health and wellbeing, but it can also adversely affect local ecosystems. Human presence in natural areas alters feeding and reproductive behaviors, physiology, and population structure in many wildlife species, often resulting in cascading effects through entire ecological communities. As outdoor recreation gains popularity, existing trails are becoming overcrowded and new trails are being built to accommodate increasing use. Many recreation impact studies have investigated effects of the presence or absence of humans while few have investigated recreation effects on wildlife using a gradient of disturbance intensity. We used camera traps to quantify trail use by humans and mid- to large-sized mammals in an area of intense outdoor recreation–the Upper East River Valley, Colorado, USA. We selected five trails with different types and intensities of human use and deployed six cameras on each trail for five weeks during a COVID-enhanced 2020 summer tourism season. We used occupancy models to estimate detectability and habitat use of the three most common mammal species in the study area and determined which human activities affect the habitat use patterns of each species. Human activities affected each species differently. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) tended to use areas with more vehicles, more predators, and greater distances from the trailhead, and they were more likely to be detected where there were more bikers. Coyotes (Canis latrans) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were most likely to use areas where their prey species occurred, and foxes were more likely to be detected where the vegetation was shorter. Humans and their recreational activities differentially influence different species. More generally, these results reinforce that it is unlikely that a single management policy is suitable for all species and management should thus be tailored for each target species.

Valuation and mapping of the recreational diving ecosystem service of the Aegean Sea

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) provide a range of aesthetic and recreational benefits. However, they have not been extensively assessed due to methodological challenges, despite their use and non-use values for local and wider communities. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the economic importance and spatial distribution of recreational diving, a major non-extractive use of marine biodiversity, in the Aegean Sea. A comprehensive evaluation of diving value was conducted based on ecological features and divers' preferences and habits. The value of recreational diving as an ecosystem service in the Aegean Sea was estimated at €154.3 million annually, with €4.3 million (95 % CI, €1.4–8.4 million) as the willingness to pay (WTP) for biodiversity conservation, €135 million (95 % CI, €99-174 million) for divers' expenditures, and €15 million (95 % CI, €11-20 million) for diving centers' revenues. These values were determined through questionnaires distributed to divers and clubs to estimate the diving industry’s value. The value distribution across the Aegean was determined by divers' criteria for selecting dive sites, such as habitats, species-attractions, and distance to dive centers. The highest local value was €1.1 million km−2 yr−1 annually, and the lowest was €127 km−2 yr−1. Recreational diving is a crucial blue growth activity for the Aegean coastal communities and should be integrated into conservation strategies and marine spatial planning.