Forest Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Linking individualistic growth stability of trees to the complexity of understorey layers

Abstract Tree‐growth stability is crucial in upholding forest ecosystem services. Despite extensive research on the correlation between tree growth and climate, the influence of forest understorey on tree‐growth stability remains understudied. We surveyed forest plots and collected tree‐ring samples along two elevational gradients, ranging from 3600 to 4400 m a.s.l., in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. An index was developed to quantify individualistic growth stability of trees, and its linkage with the complexity of forest understorey structure was examined. We found that tree‐growth stability is more pronounced in complex forest communities. In forests with higher understorey complexity, the proportion of trees experiencing growth release increased during wet years, while those with growth suppression augmented during dry years. Interestingly, a subset of trees exhibits abnormal growth increases even during the driest years, whereas another subset shows abnormal growth reductions during the wettest years. Furthermore, forests with more complex understorey structures exhibited a higher proportion of trees showcasing these two types of ‘anti‐phase’ growth statuses. Synthesis. Our study underscores the linkage between individualistic growth stability of trees and the complexity of understorey structures. The growth stability of the overstorey layer is conveyed at the expense of individual‐level growth stability and synchrony in forests with complex understorey structures. These findings emphasize the necessity for attention to the interplay between tree growth and understorey community structures when assessing the impacts of future climate change on forest dynamics.

Forest ecosystem services of water-related filtration and regulation, a multi-source assessment and economic valuation in Mangla watershed

ABSTRACT Watershed forests offer crucial ecosystem services for hydrological systems. This study provides comprehensive insights into sediment retention within the Mangla watershed. We analyzed spatial layers from Sentinel-2 imagery, land use data, weather, soil properties, and terrain characteristics to identify soil erosion and sediment delivery hotspots. Using the Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs-sediment delivery ratio (InVEST-SDR) model, we quantified sediment exported to the downstream Mangla Dam. The InVEST-sediment retention (InVEST-SR) model estimated the sediment retention capacity of various land cover types. Our findings show that forests retained 20,300.70 tons of sediment in 2017 and 29,887.60 tons in 2021, making them the primary source of sediment retention. The economic value of this ecosystem service was approximately USD 2.59 trillion for 973,168.51 ha of forest in 2017 and USD 4.02 trillion for 1,023,927 ha in 2021. Understanding the dynamics and economic value of this forest ecosystem service at a large watershed scale provides essential insights for decision-making and conservation efforts aimed at protecting water resources and ecological integrity.

Integrating Forest Ecosystem Services into Health Strategies to Improve Human Well-Being

As the largest terrestrial ecosystem covering extensive expanses of the Earth’s surface, forests offer crucial health benefits to humans, both directly and indirectly. Presently, health services derived from forest resources have presented significant opportunities for enhancing human well-being. Nonetheless, the absence of a comprehensive understanding regarding the mechanisms by which forests impact human health jeopardizes the potential gains in health. Regrettably, there remains a dearth of scholarly work elucidating these pathways. This paper aims to furnish a thorough examination of how forests influence human health. We initiate by formulating a conceptual framework upon which we delineate the various pathways through which forests impact human health. These encompass the provisioning of resources, preventive services, and forest therapies. Concurrently, we outline the moderating influence of social, economic, and individual characteristics as mediators within this pathway. These characteristics are classified into two overarching dimensions: accessibility and behavioral choices, which notably affect marginalized demographics such as those with lower socioeconomic status, women, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and children in developing nations. Consequently, we build upon these foundational insights to propose six strategies aimed at perpetuating the positive impact of forests on human health in the foreseeable future. In the future, the development of forest management policies, the assessment of long-term health benefits, social practices, and international cooperation must be considered holistically to attain the dual objective of sustainable forest management and the advancement of human well-being.

Where to start with climate-smart forest management? Climatic risk for forest-based mitigation

Abstract. Natural disturbances like windthrows or forest fires alter the provision of forest ecosystem services such as timber production, protection from natural hazards, and carbon sequestration. After a disturbance, forests release large amounts of carbon and therefore change their status from carbon sinks to carbon sources for some time. Climate-smart forest management may decrease forest vulnerability to disturbances and thus reduce carbon emissions as a consequence of future disturbances. But how can we prioritise the stands most in need of climate-smart management? In this study we adopted a risk mapping framework (hazard times vulnerability) to assess the risk to climate-related forest ecosystem services (carbon stock and sink) in forests prone to windthrow (in the Julian Alps, Italy) and forest fires (in the Apennines, Italy). We calculated hazard by using forest fire and windthrow simulation tools and examined the most important drivers of the respective hazards. We then assessed vulnerability by calculating current carbon stocks and sinks in each forest stand. We combined these values together with the calculated hazard to estimate “carbon risk” and prioritised high-risk stands for climate-smart management. Our findings demonstrate that combining disturbance simulation tools and forest carbon measurements may aid in risk-related decision-making in forests and in planning decisions for climate-smart forestry. This approach may be replicated in other mountain forests to enhance our understanding of their actual carbon vulnerability to forest disturbances.

Assessing the Impacts of Nature-Based Solutions on Ecosystem Services: A Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus Approach in the Nima River Sub-Basin (Colombia)

Forest ecosystem services are critical for maintaining ecological balance and supporting human well-being from different perspectives. However, rapid land use changes driven by agricultural expansion, urbanization, and industrial activities have significantly altered forest ecosystems, degrading the services they provide. We here conduct an ecosystem service assessment through biophysical and economic estimates for a multipurpose Andean water sub-basin in western Colombia. We compare a business as usual (BAU) with a forest nature-based solution (NbS) scenario focused on forest landscape restoration. The research employed participatory methods for the NbS selection and economic valuation techniques to evaluate water flow regulation, water provisioning, water purification, and food provisioning services. Results show that the NbS scenario yielded a net positive economic impact across most evaluated ecosystem services, with notable trade-offs. Specifically, the NbS scenario increased water retention by 2.9% compared to BAU. Water flow regulation demonstrated the most substantial economic benefit, increasing by EUR 11.39 million/year in the NbS scenario. On the other hand, the food provisioning service presented a reduction of EUR 3.2 million/year in the NbS scenario. These findings highlight the potential of forest-based NbS to address the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus challenges. The study’s outcomes provide valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners, supporting the development of Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes and integrating ecosystem service valuation into land use planning and decision-making processes.

Impact of Climate and Vegetation Dynamics on the Ecosystem Services of Subtropical Forests—A Case Study of Baishanzu National Park Area, China

Forest ecosystems, as the primary component of terrestrial ecosystems, provide essential ecosystem services (ESs) critical for sustainable human development. However, changes in climate and vegetation can alter these forest ESs. Understanding the complex relationships between regional climate, vegetation, and ESs is key to ensuring the sustainable management of forest ESs. Therefore, this study, using Baishanzu National Park as a case example, analyzed the impacts of regional climate and vegetation dynamics (vegetation coverage, forest type, and forest structure) on forest ESs, specifically water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), net primary productivity (NPP), and habitat quality (HQ). The results indicate that from 2000 to 2020, the forest Composite Index of Ecosystem Services (CIES) in Baishanzu National Park increased. Climate and vegetation dynamics have significant effects on forest ESs. Specifically, changes in WY and SC are primarily influenced by climate change, while changes in NPP and HQ are mainly affected by changes in forest type and structure. Complex trade-offs and synergies exist among different ESs, and the driving mechanisms of climate and vegetation changes on ES variations are also complex, involving both direct and indirect effects, with significant spatial heterogeneity. This study provides important references for the sustainable management and appropriate restoration of regional forest ESs.

Assessing the ecological complexity and uncertainty of predicting forest ecosystem services under climate change

Climate change affects Central European forest ecosystems in different ways and, consequently, these changes result in different feedbacks on the provision of forest ecosystem services. Regarding the complexity and the variability in climate-forest interactions outcome, forest decision makers necessitate reliable information about changes in the forest ecosystem services for planning and adaptation purposes. However, forest productivity predictions incorporate multiple levels of uncertainty that have to be regarded to ensure building realistic expectations in forest decision-making. Besides the chosen forest simulation model, uncertainties come from the climate change data represented by a set of representative concentration pathways (RCP), within the underlying ensemble of global circulation and regional climate models (GCM-RCM), and further in the treatment of the CO2-fertilization effect. We considered the mentioned uncertainties in a framework on simulating forest growth and water services for two forest sites, a Sessile oak and a Scots pine stand in Rhineland-Palatine, Germany. The framework revealed a high variability in future forest ecosystem services. Particularly, the variability among the selected GCM-RCM models within the same Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) was higher than the variability among different RCPs (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 representing the low and high CO2-emission scenarios, respectively). Sessile oak productivity increased under all scenarios, whereas Scots pine growth declined in the lower end of the RCP8.5 scenario. Water services remained mostly stable at both sites. Moreover, we applied a panel data model to estimate what climate indices caused changes in the forest ecosystem services. We found that Scots pine is more sensitive to a multitude of climate indices, such as temperature changes and Sessile oak showed strong response to the CO2-fertilization. We propose applying this framework to evaluate forest management options under climate change.

Collaborative Governance of Stakeholders in the Payment for Forest Ecosystem Services: An SA-SNA-EGA Approach

Forests provide goods and services while maintaining ecological security. However, the market does not adequately reflect their economic benefits, posing a significant challenge to the Payments for Forest Ecosystem Services (PFES). The involvement of multiple stakeholders with varying responsibilities and interests complicates collaboration and hinders effective governance. This study proposes an integrated approach using stakeholder analysis, social network analysis, and evolutionary game analysis to explore the collaborative governance of stakeholders in PFES. Through field surveys, the study empirically investigates PFES in China, demonstrating the effectiveness of this integrated approach. The results indicate the following: (i) Stakeholders are classified into three categories; the key stakeholders include the central and local governments, forest managers, and paying users. (ii) Stakeholders still need to strengthen collaboration. Local governments, forest managers, their employees, and communities exert widespread influence; paying users and research institutions have high efficiency in resource sharing. (iii) Five evolutionarily stable strategies are observed at different stages. Government intervention is crucial for changing the stagnant state. Benefits and government incentives have a positive impact on stakeholder collaborative governance. The research findings offer theoretical insights to enhance stakeholder collaboration and promote the development of the PFES. Key strategies include addressing key stakeholders’ needs, diversifying incentives, and establishing an accessible information platform.

Integrating basic human values with forest ecosystem services: pathways to sustainable forest management.

The article explores the intricate relationship between basic human values and forest ecosystem services (FES). The study highlights the critical role that forests play in providing essential services for biodiversity, forest products, climate stabilization and human well-being, and emphasizes the need to understand and integrate human values into forest management and planning. Through a novel approach, this study explores how the concept of "forest" can elicit considerations of fundamental human values that diverge from conventional classifications and measurements of forest values. The study uses a comprehensive methodology, including surveys and content analysis, to uncover the hierarchical structure of human values associated with forests. This approach enables the identification of fundamental values that remain constant despite situational variations. The main results reveal a hierarchical structure of values, with Apollonian values being more prevalent than Dionysian ones. The study shows significant differences in the importance attributed to different FES, reflecting underlying value differences between residents. The study makes a novel contribution by systematically examining the links between human values and FES and proposing a profound and sustainable approach to forest management that takes into account the psychological dimensions of human-forest interactions. The study suggests that recognizing and incorporating the intrinsic human values into forest ecosystem service frameworks can improve sustainable forest management practices and ultimately foster a deeper connection between people and the forest environment.

Research progress on urban forest ecosystem services and multifunctionality

Research progress on urban forest ecosystem services and multifunctionality

Tradeoffs between Stand Volume and Understory Vegetation Diversity in Quercus wutaishanica Forests under Climate Change

Natural forests play a crucial role in providing various ecosystem services, including timber production and biodiversity conservation. However, climate change and anthropogenic factors pose a severe threat to competing forest ecosystem services functions. Therefore, to optimize and sustainably utilize competing forest services, tradeoffs are often necessary. This study was conducted in Northwest China to explore tradeoffs aimed at improving the quality of Quercus wutaishanica Mayr natural forests under climate change conditions, focusing on stand volume, timber production, and understory vegetation diversity conservation. Data from 77 field surveys were used to construct a coupled model for stand growth, stand structure, and site conditions. Changes in understory vegetation species number (UVSN) with crown cover were quantified. These models and relationships can be used as tools to estimate tradeoffs. As stand density increased, single-tree volume decreased, whereas timber volume increased. UVSN increased and then decreased with increasing crown cover and was able to maintain a relative maximum at 0.5–0.65. Under the current climatic conditions, the optimum stand densities corresponding to 30, 40, 50, and 60 years were 1390, 1153, 1042, and 871 trees/ha, respectively, to maintain a high UVSN and adequate stand volume. When mean annual temperature rose, stand densities could be reduced to maintain high-quality timber. Although only two major services were considered, the tradeoffs presented in this study can inform future research to improve the quality of natural forests.

Anthropogenic effects and ecosystem services of tropical highland forests in Ethiopia

Despite the significant direct and indirect benefits that forests, particularly tropical highland forests, provide to local communities, they are facing severe degradation primarily due to population growth and rapid land-use changes. This has made it difficult for policymakers to effectively manage these forests due to a lack of comprehensive current forest research data. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to examine the anthropogenic impacts on forest ecosystems and the ecosystem services (11ecosystem services,ESs) they provide, as well as to understand local perspectives on management of natural forests. For collecting disturbance indicators and other environmental data, 12 transect lines by 150 meter interval between each of the two consecutive parallel transects and 40 quadrats (20 m x 20 m size each) by 100 m interval were laid out in 145 ha total forest land size of the five study sites of three districts. However, for questionnaire-based data, 266 respondents were participated. As revealed in the results, the majority of households (about 78 %) relied on mixed farming and had ≤ 1 ha of land with 5.6 average family size. Besides, 74.3 % of the households used forest products for cooking food and getting energy to their homes due to little or no electricity, or other energy sources in rural communities. Nearly 85 % of the households also obtained timber from natural forests. Tree cutting, grazing, cultivation, and fires were the major anthropogenic factors leading to deforestation and loss of ecosystem services and biodiversity of the studied forest ecosystems. Disturbance assessment indicated that almost all forest patches, excluding one in the eastern subregion of the study area, were severely impacted. This suggests a widespread degradation of Ethiopia's forests. However, various ESs, mainly regulating and habitat services, followed by provisioning ones, were delivered from these sites. Hence, soil erosion controlling, flood protecting, and soil fertility regulating services were some of the most services provided by the forests. Likewise, being shelter and nursery sites for biota were the other most important habitat service. The raw materials including grass for fodder, medicinal plants, timber, fuel wood, and water for livestock watering and domestic uses were the major provisioning services provided. Thus, more than 93 % of the households had a great interest for the protection and continuity of the present forest patches in the future. Briefly, despite being heavily degraded due to anthropogenic factors, these natural forests still provided various ecological, social, and economic services to the local people; thereby the people were interested in protecting and conserving them. Thus, for restoring degraded forest areas of the zone, community-based participatory conservation strategies were recommended.

Urban forest cover and ecosystem service response to fire varies across California communities

Urban fires that result from wildfires are an emerging, extreme event affecting communities and urban forests globally. However, much of the fire effects on urban ecosystems literature is primarily focused on Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas, correlates of building loss, risk mitigation, and wildland vegetation and fuels. Three recent urban fires in California USA provided an opportunity to explore these effects on urban forests: the 2017 Tubbs (Santa Rosa) and Thomas (Ventura) and the 2018 Camp fire that burned Paradise. Accordingly, we analyzed pre- and post-fire neighborhood level urban tree cover (nUTC) change over 5 years using Sentinel and LiDAR data (10m resolution). Then, we explored the effects of fire severity on changes in several regulating ecosystem services (e.g., carbon, air pollution, stormwater). Findings from the Rapid Assessment of Vegetation Condition after Wildfire severity processes and other geospatial datasets show that fire effects were patchy with fire severity within neighborhoods ranging from unburned to extreme. We found that ~5 years after the fires, and relative to adjacent non-fire affected neighborhoods, Ventura and Santa Rosa’s nUTC is recovering to pre-fire levels while Paradise’s nUTC is being consistently lost over time. Ventura and Santa Rosa had 20-25% of their fire affected area outside established WUI boundaries. However, local-scale urban tree cover and ecosystem service supply are lagged, and recovery time depends on the surrounding biome and socio-ecological context. In inland, higher elevation communities – like Paradise – the recovery of nUTC and the associated ecosystem services might materialize over a much longer timeframe. Our study provides a roadmap to assess the response of urban wildfire-affected tree cover and ecosystem services across space and time. It is also one of the first assessments of fire effects on urban ecosystems and communities outside of WUI boundaries that are now experiencing increased threat from wildfires globally.

Forest Restoration through Village Common Forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh: The Role of NGO Interventions

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are widely recognized for their support of biodiversity conservation and forest restoration in tropical developing countries. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh, ethnic forest-dependent communities have long maintained the Village Common Forest (VCF), an ancestral forest managed for community well-being. In recent years, some VCFs in the CHT have received support from local and international NGOs due to their perceived role in supporting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and improving local livelihoods. Although such support remains limited, its impacts on forest restoration and vegetation are not yet fully investigated. In the present study, we used remote sensing techniques and field surveys to measure vegetation cover changes and tree diversity in selected VCFs in the area. Our findings indicate that vegetation condition and tree diversity were better in NGO-supported VCFs compared with those without NGO intervention. Based on our study, we recommend increasing NGO involvement in VCF management with a more holistic and ecosystem-based approach, fostering institutional cooperation addressing land ownership issues, developing a market for forest ecosystem services, and improving local capacity for science-based forest management and ecosystem restoration in the CHT.

Tree species diversity impacts on ecosystem services of temperate forests

Tree species diversity is crucial for forest ecosystem services as it relates to ecosystem functions. However, it remains unclear how spatially continuous tree species diversity affects multiple ecosystem services in temperate forests that undergo various management practices. We mapped the spatial pattern of tree species diversity represented by the Shannon diversity index, H’ in the temperate forests of Northeast China using 1,028 in situ observations and 846 Sentinel-2 images. We further analysed the relationships between tree species diversity and ecosystem services including carbon storage, water yield, and soil retention, while controlling for the covarying effects of multiple forest attributes including tree height, leaf area index (LAI), and stand age. Our results showed distinct spatial variations in tree species diversity across different forest management practices, with natural forests exhibiting a higher diversity compared to managed natural forests and planted forests. Tree species diversity was found to be positively associated with improved ecosystem services, particularly water yield and soil retention, while the effects plateaued above diversity of 1.0 (Shannon index values). We also showed that LAI was the most important factor influencing carbon storage, while tree species diversity and stand age were crucial for water yield and soil retention. These results highlight the importance of maintaining diverse tree species to improve ecosystem services in temperate forests, providing a robust framework for effectively monitoring and managing forest ecosystems with regards to sustainable forest functioning.

High monetary valuation of regulating forest ecosystem services in Japan: integrating the best-worst scaling and contingent valuation methods

ABSTRACT Effective forest management requires an understanding of socially prioritized forest ecosystem services and their integration into forest management design. Approximately 70% of Japan, our study area, is covered by forests. Therefore, prioritization-based resource allocation play a fundamental role in forest management in Japan. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding which forest ecosystem services the public evaluate the most. Thus, this study evaluates the social priority of 13 forest ecosystem services based on public preferences by employing the best-worst scaling (BWS) technique. Our study also assesses the value of such services by integrating a contingent valuation method with BWS. The survey was conducted using an online questionnaire for Japanese citizens enrolled in a survey company as representatives of the Japanese public in January 2017; 720 responses were analyzed. The BWS results revealed that the freshwater stock was the most valued forest ecosystem service, followed by carbon storage. However, citizens considered cultural ecosystem services to be of lower importance. The mean willingness to pay (WTP) for freshwater stock was approximately USD 23.77, while the mean WTP for inspiration for culture and art was lower at USD 1.13. Our findings indicate that the values of cultural and provisioning services are lower than Japanese taxes for forest management and suggest that forest management should prioritize regulating ecosystem services.

The Total Economic Value of Lands with Civic Uses as a Tool for Their Protection and Enhancement: A Case Study in Tuscany

This study aims to quantify the economic value of environmental externalities by proposing an approach tailored to areas designated for “civic uses”. These areas fall within the broader category of “collective goods” on which the legislator places particular emphasis, especially in regard to their protection and enhancement. The technique applied in this study is the total economic value (TEV), quantified through a spatialization and modeling of socioeconomic and environmental variables on Geographic Information Systems. The methodology was used for a specific case study area, the forests of Land Association “Bosco dei Bardi” in the Tuscany region of central Italy. This area exhibits the same characteristics and fulfills the same functions as those designated for civic uses. The results demonstrate the importance of providing public decision-makers with appropriate tools to protect and enhance these areas. The results also underscore the economic significance of forest ecosystem services compared to average regional values. The study finally confirms that Land Associations present a promising avenue for revitalizing abandoned territories, consistent with civic use objectives.

Optimising forest rehabilitation and restoration through remote sensing and machine learning: Mapping natural forests in the eThekwini Municipality

Forests are crucial in delivering ecosystem services that underpin human well-being and biodiversity conservation. However, these vital ecosystems are threatened by forest degradation and rapid urbanisation. This study addresses this challenge by proposing a comprehensive framework for mapping natural forests at the municipal scale. The framework integrates remote sensing techniques with machine learning algorithms to provide valuable insights into the extent of natural forests within the eThekwini Municipality. The study utilised Landsat 7, Landsat 8, and Landsat 9 satellite imagery to analyse and map the historical and current distribution of natural forests. Five spectral indices, namely, Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI), Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI), Chlorophyll Index Green (CIG), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and Enhanced Vegetation Index-2 (EVI-2), which were calculated from Landsat bands, were employed in the analysis. Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine learning algorithms were used to model forest distribution. Accuracy was assessed through confusion matrices, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curves, area under the ROC curve (AUC), and the F1 scores. LightGBM achieved the highest overall accuracy (90.76%), followed by CatBoost (89.56%) and XGBoost (84.34%). LightGBM also obtained the best F1 score (90.76%). These findings highlight LightGBM's effectiveness in classifying natural forests, making it the preferred model for mapping the historical extent of natural forests in the eThekwini Municipality. However, classifications based on Landsat 7 significantly underestimated the extent of natural forests within the study area, whereas Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 data revealed an increase in natural forests from 2015 to 2023. These findings will guide effective and targeted forest rehabilitation and restoration efforts, ensuring the preservation and enhancement of forest ecosystem services.

Determining the payment for ecosystem services of mangrove forests: The approach combining ecosystem services and social-economic level and application in Shankou National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China

Mangrove wetlands are among the ecosystems with the highest value of ecosystem services worldwide. Determining the standards of payment for ecosystem services based on the value of ecosystem services is a crucial aspect of the socio-ecological feedback linked to ecosystem services. The gap between the current standards of payment for ecosystem services and those based on the value of ecosystem services may result in inadequate sustainability and effectiveness of ecosystem conservation and management. In view of this, this study aims to determine the standard of payment for mangrove ecosystem services based on the value of mangrove ecosystem services, and subsequently identify the gap in the current payment. This study assessed the value of mangrove ecosystem services in the Guangxi Shankou Mangrove Ecological National Nature Reserve based on the distinction of use value and the non-use value, and then calculated the standard of payment for mangrove ecosystem services by combining social-economic level. The results indicate that the establishment of the nature reserve has effectively increased the value of mangrove ecosystem services. However, the local residents' lack of awareness of the value of mangrove ecosystem services and the current standard of payment for mangrove ecosystem services is substantially low, which has resulted in a low willingness to participate in mangrove conservation.

Assessment of ecosystem services of recreational and health-improving forests in Ivano-Frankivsk Region

Optimising the interaction between society and the environment is one of the fundamental directions of recreational forest management. To improve the efficiency of using ecosystem services of recreational and health-improving forests, there is a need to develop new approaches and tools for management decision-making, a key component of which is the assessment of these beneficial goods. The aim of the study is to analyse public opinion regarding the expressed and identified preferences for the characteristics of recreational forests and recreational facilities, as well as to assess the willingness to pay for preferred forest characteristics and the maintenance of recreational facilities in proper condition. The study was conducted from June to August 2022 using a direct and anonymous online survey. It was found that respondents are willing to pay an average of 1-100 UAH/year to create and maintain the preferred characteristics of the forest and 101-500 UAH/year to create and maintain recreational facilities. As for the respondents’ perception of forest characteristics that affect the choice of a place to relax, preference is given to mixed forests (74.8%), in which three tree species grow (57.9%), and forests up to 20 meters high (40.2%). On the other hand, only 15.9% of respondents preferred forests taller than 20 meters. The presence of deadwood in the forest is positively perceived by 51.4% of respondents, and 10.3% do not pay attention to the presence or absence of standing dead and drying up trees in the forest. The most important needs for which respondents visit recreational forests were walks, family recreation, and observing forest landscapes. The integration of the identified perceptions and preferences regarding recreational forests and objects into innovative decision-making in the field of forestry ensures a synergy of benefits, such as increasing the attractiveness of recreational forests and forest landscapes, increasing the resilience of forests to climate change, and meeting the local demand for wood biomass