Multifunctional Forest Management Research Articles

Forest Management Based on the Principles of Multifunctional Forest Use

ABSTRACT Effective forest management is based on the multipurpose use of existing forest resources and its ecological functions. The principle of multifunctionality is focused on sustainable forest management, taking into account environmental, economic, and social factors. The purpose of the research is to analyze development patterns of multifunctional forest management in order to identify the priorities in the forest sector development. The paper defines indicators affecting the level of forestry activities and designates territory zones depending on their qualitative and quantitative characteristics. The analysis of forest use for wood production showed that the annual underutilization of the allowable cut is due to a decrease in the total volume of timber cutting, depressed demand for hardwood of a low commercial quality, insufficient transport development of forests, and the lack of enterprises engaged in advanced processing of semi-subsistence deciduous forest stand. During the studies, it was found that areas, which location is economically advantageous, are more suitable for recreation purposes, as they are better provided with natural resources and are closer to waterbodies (rivers, lakes, reservoirs), possess unique forestland and are more attractive for investments. The paper identifies the problems and promising areas of multifunctional forest management.

Multifunctionality of Forests: A White Paper on Challenges and Opportunities in China and Germany

Both in Germany and in China, there is strong expertise regarding the different aspects of forest management, as well as forest products management. Nevertheless, forestry in both countries is facing challenges, some of which are regional, but many of which are shared. Therefore, experts from both countries (Technical University of Munich Germany; Northwest A&F University Yangling, China; Forestry Academy of Shaanxi, China; Thünen Institut, Germany; FEDRC GIZ Forest Policy Facility (Forestry Economics Development and Research Center of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH), Germany; and Center for Natural Forest Protection in Shaanxi, China) met to share their knowledge and deduce recommendations for future multifunctional forest management for the temperate zone. The workshop, held at the Northwest A&F University in September 2018, included presentations and intensive discussions, as well as a field tour. The results of the workshop that are summarized in this white paper are meant to provide an overview of the multi-faceted nature of the topic for interested scientists and forest practitioners, describe tools that can be used to analyze various aspects of multifunctionality and, in an exemplary fashion, highlight gathered experience from long- and short-term experiments. Included are social demands, economic goals, and scientific baselines. The topics reach from economic evaluations of forest ecosystem services over forest management practices, including afforestation, restoration, and preparations to face climate change, to wood/forest products utilization and participation of local people for poverty reduction. Overall, an optimistic picture emerges, showing that by using adapted forest management practices, which try to embrace the concept of multifunctionality, various use schemes and demands can be integrated at single sites, allowing us to achieve both environmental protection and productive forests, including societal demands, as well as aspects of tradition and national identity.

Evaluating the effectiveness of retention forestry to enhance biodiversity in production forests of Central Europe using an interdisciplinary, multi-scale approach.

Retention forestry, which retains a portion of the original stand at the time of harvesting to maintain continuity of structural and compositional diversity, has been originally developed to mitigate the impacts of clear‐cutting. Retention of habitat trees and deadwood has since become common practice also in continuous‐cover forests of Central Europe. While the use of retention in these forests is plausible, the evidence base for its application is lacking, trade‐offs have not been quantified, it is not clear what support it receives from forest owners and other stakeholders and how it is best integrated into forest management practices. The Research Training Group ConFoBi (Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple‐use Landscapes of Central Europe) focusses on the effectiveness of retention forestry, combining ecological studies on forest biodiversity with social and economic studies of biodiversity conservation across multiple spatial scales. The aim of ConFoBi is to assess whether and how structural retention measures are appropriate for the conservation of forest biodiversity in uneven‐aged and selectively harvested continuous‐cover forests of temperate Europe. The study design is based on a pool of 135 plots (1 ha) distributed along gradients of forest connectivity and structure. The main objectives are (a) to investigate the effects of structural elements and landscape context on multiple taxa, including different trophic and functional groups, to evaluate the effectiveness of retention practices for biodiversity conservation; (b) to analyze how forest biodiversity conservation is perceived and practiced, and what costs and benefits it creates; and (c) to identify how biodiversity conservation can be effectively integrated in multi‐functional forest management. ConFoBi will quantify retention levels required across the landscape, as well as the socio‐economic prerequisites for their implementation by forest owners and managers. ConFoBi's research results will provide an evidence base for integrating biodiversity conservation into forest management in temperate forests.

Forest Road Network Design based on Multipurpose Forestry Management in Hyrcanian Forest

Traditionally, the main focus of forestry management has been based on wood production but more recently it is directed at multifunctional forest management. Multifunctional forestry management includes many considerations such as ecotourism, ecology, economic and social issues of forest dwellers as well as wood production. This study aims to design forest roads using GIS and satellite data of SPOT-HRG in the Darabkla forest based on Multipurpose Forestry. The study used the multi-criteria evaluation method based on fuzzy logic to assess the potential of land area for a road network. Opinions of experts and scholars were used to select four criteria and 18 sub-criteria for road design. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used for weighting factors. Layers were combined using a weighted linear combination (WLC) operator and the map of crossing the road potential was identified and zoned. The road was designed using the PEGGER program. Geographic Information System (GIS) and satellite data of SPOT-HRG were effective tools for improving outcomes. Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) Model for combination layers was used in this study and recommended the multi object operation (MOLA) in future studies.

Estimation of carbon storage of forest biomass for voluntary carbon markets: preliminary results

Estimating the carbon storage of forests is essential to support climate change mitigation and promote the transition into a low-carbon emission economy. To achieve this goal, voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) are essential. VCMs are promoted by a spontaneous demand, not imposed by binding targets, as the regulated ones. In Italy, only in Veneto and Piedmont Regions (Northern Italy), VCMs through forestry activities were carried out. Valle Camonica District (Northern Italy, Lombardy Region) is ready for a local VCM, but carbon storage of its forests was never estimated. The aim of this work was to estimate the total carbon storage (TCS; t C ha−1) of forest biomass of Valle Camonica District, at the stand level, taking into account: (1) aboveground biomass, (2) belowground biomass, (3) deadwood, and (4) litter. We developed a user-friendly model, based on site-specific primary (measured) data, and we applied it to a dataset of 2019 stands extracted from 45 Forest Management Plans. Preliminary results showed that, in 2016, the TCS achieved 76.02 t C ha−1. The aboveground biomass was the most relevant carbon pool (48.86 t C ha−1; 64.27% of TCS). From 2017 to 2029, through multifunctional forest management, the TCS could increase of 2.48 t C ha−1 (+ 3.26%). In the same period, assuming to convert coppices stands to high forests, an additional TCS of 0.78 t C ha−1 (equal to 2.85 t CO2 ha−1) in the aboveground biomass could be achieved without increasing forest areas. The additional carbon could be certified and exchanged on a VCM, contributing to climate change mitigation at a local level.

LiDAR data as a proxy for light availability improve distribution modelling of woody species

Modern multifunctional forest management can profit from high-quality information on the potential distribution of woody species generated by species distribution models (SDMs). Forest structure is an important factor in determining the distribution of woody species in forests, for example because it affects light conditions within forest stands. Remotely sensed data from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) can capture this three-dimensional structure of forests, leading to the expectation that LiDAR-derived data should enhance the predictive performance of SDMs. We test if and how LiDAR-derived data increases the predictive performance of SDMs for light-demanding and shade-tolerant shrub and tree species in Swiss forests. Our analyses suggest that LiDAR-derived data generally increases predictive performance of models. However, the response to including LiDAR-derived data varies depending on plant functional type: the increase in predictive performance is largest for light-demanding shrubs, reduced for light-demanding trees, and is lost for shade-tolerant species. We further find that shade-tolerant and light-demanding species show opposing responses along the LiDAR-derived predictors. Our results suggest that LiDAR-derived data indeed capture some aspects of light availability in forests, and that including LiDAR-derived predictors in SDMs should be considered for light-demanding shrubs, but may be of less use for trees (especially if shade-tolerant). We conclude that improving SDMs and resulting maps by including LiDAR-derived predictors potentially helps to ameliorate multifunctional, biodiversity-friendly forest stand management.

Metodología de evaluación del riesgo de incendios forestales y priorización de tratamientos multifuncionales en paisajes mediterráneos

En las regiones mediterráneas, el efecto combinado del éxodo rural, la falta de gestión forestal y las políticas de supresión de incendios han contribuido notablemente en el aumento de la carga y continuidad de los combustibles forestales sobre extensas áreas. El resultado es una creciente incidencia de incendios forestales que supera la capacidad de extinción. Debido a una limitada disponibilidad de recursos económicos para la gestión del paisaje, resulta necesario priorizar la protección de los bienes con una expectativa de pérdida elevada y el tratamiento del combustible en puntos estratégicos para contener los incendios que impactan en núcleos urbanos. Este estudio se desarrolla en el Valle de Juslapeña (Navarra, España) para demostrar la priorización de actuaciones en la gestión de combustibles. En el área de estudio, los frecuentes y grandes incendios forestales han causado notables daños en el patrimonio forestal y los bienes de las comunidades rurales. Primero, se generó la cartografía de riesgo de incendios para los bienes de elevado valor, a continuación, se diseñó el mosaico óptimo de tratamientos dentro de la cuenca de exposición en base a la exposición de las masas arboladas y la transmisión a viviendas residenciales. A su vez, se identificaron los rodales capitalizados en existencias donde las extracciones podrían abastecer las necesidades de la población local o costear parcialmente el coste de los tratamientos. Según se observa, las mayores pérdidas se obtuvieron en las viviendas localizadas al sur del área de estudio debido a su elevada probabilidad de quema. Los incendios iniciados fuera del área de estudio también afectaron a las viviendas residenciales y, por tanto, la extensión de los planes de gestión de incendios debe ser ajustada considerando el origen y la escala del riesgo en los núcleos urbanos. La metodología que se presenta en este estudio puede ser adaptada a la gestión multifuncional de cualquier otra región mediterránea con un elevado riesgo de incendios

Indicators of sustainable forest management to evaluate the socio-economic functions of coppice in Tuscany, Italy

Due to several ecosystem services provided to the community, the multifunctional management of forests has acquired an important role over the years.The current Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) guidelines are based on planning programmes which are able to achieve targets from socio-economic and environmental points of view.In this paper, SFM indicators have been studied and compared to estimate the sustainability of three coppice options, from both an economic and a socio-environmental viewpoint. Each indicator was studied in relationship to the treatment and to the considered areas. The results of the statistical analysis show differences among treatments, and the possible correlations between the indicators. Moreover, by using principal component analysis (PCA), the correlations between the indicators were analysed, while the ways in which they influenced the examined sites were also considered. In particular, specific homogeneous clusters separating the observed sites were observed based on treatment and geographical gradient. Overall, the set of indicators used has proven to be effective when carrying out an evaluation of the existing types of forest management based on the analysis of three fundamental aspects of the SFM.

Evaluating Goal Programming as a Backcasting Tool to Assess the Impact of Local Stakeholder Determined Policies on the Future Provision of Ecosystem Services in Forested Landscapes

Forest management in Ireland has traditionally focused on timber production and policies have been implemented with this in mind. Since the mid-1990s, the focus is transitioning from timber production to a more multifunctional forest management approach following the principles of sustainable forest management. A method known as “backcasting” has the potential to include local stakeholders into land-use and policy planning. Two case study areas were chosen to investigate the potential of backcasting for integrated forest landscape planning in Ireland: Western Peatlands and Newmarket. Potential beneficial policies produced by local stakeholders in participatory workshops were assessed for robustness using a goal programming model and the resulting changes in forest management and ecosystem service provisions were analysed. While each evaluated backcasting policy increased the provision of that policy’s targeted ecosystem service(s), it was at a cost to some others. The widening of buffer zones did reduce the landscape level risk to water sedimentation and the policy to enhance each landscape’s recreation potential did the intended. However, both policies reduced the amount of timber produced for most potential futures. The option of using genetically improved tree species showed potential to mitigate the effect of these policies on timber production. We present this study as a useful reference point toward evaluating the efficacy of a range of potentially implementable scenarios in Ireland. We believe the backcasting approach has promise for future use in other landscapes, given the success of this approach in our study. Given that much of the information required to model the ecosystem services was extracted from scientific research and datasets from outside of Ireland, the approach may well be useful for others seeking to do similar outside of Ireland.

Optimizing stand structure for tradeoffs between overstory and understory vegetation biomass in a larch plantation of Liupan Mountains, Northwest China

Understory vegetation biomass (UVB) is necessary for forest stability and supply of numerous forest ecosystem services (FES). However, UVB is often ignored in traditionally managed overly dense plantations. A tradeoff approach between the overstory biomass (OB) and UVB, based on the quantitative evaluation of overstory stand structure effects on UVB, was examined using 82 sample plots of larch (Larix Principis-rupprechetii) plantation in the Liupan Mountains (LPM), northwest China. Results showed that with rising tree density at given age, the single tree biomass decreased, but the OB increased. The UVB decreased significantly with rising OB. The optimal canopy density of 0.7 was suggested to balance OB and UVB. The corresponding proper tree densities calculated using fitted model were about 2600, 2000, 1600, 1250, 1000 trees/ha for the ages of 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 years, respectively. These proper tree densities lead to an increase of single tree biomass by 0.8%, 4.1%, 3.9%, 4.1%, 5.5%, an increase of UVB by 0.9%, 10.1%, 16.1%, 32.2%, 88.5%, but a decrease of OB by 2.9%, 13.26%, 12.5%, 13.3%, 18.5%, compared with the stands having the maximum tree densities of 2700, 2400, 1900, 1500 and 1300 trees/ha. The study can help to guide the multifunctional forest management and to uplift FES of degraded plantation.

GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Assessment and Seasonal Impact on Plantation Forest Landscape Visual Sensitivity

Visual sensitivity assessments identify the location of the high-sensitivity areas in terms of visual change. Studying the visual sensitivity of plantation forest landscapes and their seasonal changes can help resolve increasingly frequent conflicts between tourism and forest management activities, in the context of the multi-functional management of plantation forests. In this study, we used the geographic information system (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) methods combined with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to perform a visual sensitivity evaluation. Nine map-based criteria were selected, and the visual sensitivity of summer and autumn values were calculated, using data from sources including inventory data for forest management planning and design, digital elevation model (DEM), and aerial photographs. Vegetation uniformity (VU) and color diversity (CD) indices were constructed using three patch-level-based landscape indices, including area (AREA), fractal dimension index (FRAC), and proximity (PROX), to visualize the summer and autumn vegetation characteristics of a plantation forest landscape. We conducted a case study on the Saihanba Mechanical Forest Plantation, China’s largest forest plantation. The results were evaluated by experts, confirming the method to be reliable. This study provides an accurate, objective, and visualized evaluation method for the visual sensitivity of plantations for forest management units at the landscape scale. In analyzing the visual sensitivity of plantation forest landscapes, appropriate criteria, e.g., uniformity or diversity should be selected based on forest vegetation characteristics. When identifying high-sensitivity regions, it is necessary to simultaneously analyze areas with high visual sensitivity in different seasons and then superimpose the results.

Climatic and Socioeconomic Aspects of Mushrooms: The Case of Spain

Fungi are some of the most diverse organisms on earth and since prehistoric times have played an important role in human society. In recent years they have become a strategic asset not only in the conservation and management of ecosystems but also as a resource for halting the exodus from rural areas in peripheral Mediterranean regions, such as inland eastern Spain. In view of this important ecological and socioeconomic role, in this paper we present a geographical analysis of edible fungi, paying particular attention to the Spanish case. To this end we carried out a bibliographic review of the climatic factors affecting the fruiting of these fungi and the socioeconomic aspects of their commercial exploitation. We also performed an online search for mycotourism-related activities and explored the statistical data on the cultivation of edible mushrooms and its economic impact. Our main findings include a synthesis of the international research on the effects of climatic variability on the natural production of macrofungi, and an assessment of the economic viability and the social importance of mushrooms in Spain, in particular in relation to the current and future potential of mushroom cultivation and the multifunctional management and use of forests.

Factors Hindering Forest Management Among Engaged and Detached Private Forest Owners: Slovenian Stakeholders’ Perceptions

Small-scale properties are the prevailing ownership category in Slovenian private forests. Owners are becoming increasingly diverse with predominant multifunctional management orientation which has led to underutilisation of wood potentials over the past decades. We surveyed forest-related stakeholders (24) to understand their perceptions on factors affecting private forest management. We used their perceptions, as opposed to the actual barriers, to understand what needs to be changed in forest policy. This study is based on the latest (private forest owners) PFOs typology conducted in Slovenia which resulted in types of engaged and detached forest owners. A typology based framework for data collection and analysis was performed using six pre-set categories from operational environment. We followed the Simple Multiple-Attribute Rating Techniques method to evaluate the most important private forest management hindering factors. The results showed that stakeholders perceived only minor differences between owner types according to hindering factors. The psychological factors were perceived as the crucial category separating the two types, suggesting that detached owners are more substantially driven by personal decisions, which follow recent societal changes. The group of economic factors was recognized as the most important category for both types suggesting that forest policy should prioritize profit-oriented management strategies. The results imply that owner-specific forest policy may not be the priority for stakeholders and that the problems of private forest management can be solved with the implementation of innovative and active policy measures, which take into account multifunctional forest management orientation of PFOs, their characteristics and ownership trends.

Solving Multi-Objective Problems for Multifunctional and Sustainable Management in Maritime Pine Forest Landscapes

Forest management based on sustainability and multifunctionality requires reliable and user-friendly tools to address several objectives simultaneously. In this work we present FlorNExT Pro®, a multiple-criteria landscape-scale forest planning and management computer tool, and apply it in a region in the north of Portugal to find optimized management solutions according to objectives such as maximization of net present value (NPV), volume growth, and carbon storage, and minimization of losses due to fire. Comparisons made among single- and multi-objective solutions were made to explore the range of possible indicators provided by the tool such as carbon sequestered, volume growth, probability of fire occurrence, volume of wood extracted, and evenness of harvesting in the management period. Results show that FlorNExT Pro® is a reliable, flexible, and useful tool to incorporate multiple criteria and objectives into spatially explicit complex management problems and to prepare sustainable and multifunctional forest management plans at the landscape level. FlorNExT Pro® is also suited to guiding and adapting forest management for uncertainty scenarios for the assessment of ecosystem services and fire risk, therefore playing an important role in the maintenance of sustainable landscapes in the south of Europe.

Key ecological research questions for Central European forests

Forests are under pressure from accelerating global change. To cope with the multiple challenges related to global change but also to further improve forest management we need a better understanding of (1) the linkages between drivers of ecosystem change and the state and management of forest ecosystems as well as their capacity to adapt to ongoing global environmental changes, and (2) the interrelationships within and between the components of forest ecosystems. To address the resulting challenges for the state of forest ecosystems in Central Europe, we suggest 45 questions for future ecological research. We define forest ecology as studies on the abiotic and biotic components of forest ecosystems and their interactions on varying spatial and temporal scales. Our questions cover five thematic fields and correspond to the criteria selected for describing the state of Europe’s forests by policy makers, i.e. biogeochemical cycling, mortality and disturbances, productivity, biodiversity and biotic interactions, and regulation and protection. We conclude that an improved mechanistic understanding of forest ecosystems is essential for the further development of ecosystem-oriented multifunctional forest management in the face of accelerating global change.

Measurement and valuation of non-productive functions of forest in the accounting system – selected features

Forest brought through human work that uses the natural forces of nature for the needs of society has become an inseparable part of the present and future of civilization. An important task of multifunctional forest management is to mitigate and avoid conflicts between the different functions of forests (produc- tive and non-productive), and consideration of their complementary nature. The importance of nonproduction functions of forests is growing steadily, to the point that some academics and practitioners are trying to express them in money. They conclude that their value is several (or more) times higher than the value of the effects of production functions. The article aims to (1) present valuation methods for nonproductive forest functions that are practiced and can be used in forest management; (2) identify accounting tools that will support the measurement and valuation of non-production forest functions and provide information for decision-making processes for the management staff of the State Forests. For the purposes of this study the following hypothesis was made: Previous solutions in the field of measurement and valuation of non-production forest functions within the accounting system are insufficient as a source of information for stakeholders of the Polish Forests. On the basis of analysis of accounting literature and national and international regulations in the field of measurement and valuation in the accounting system, the method of induction and deduction, the authors' experience, and information gathered during interviews, the hypothesis has been verified.

Gravitational natural hazards: Valuing the protective function of Alpine forests

Forests produce significant non-market benefits by protecting residential and commercial real estate as well as all kinds of infrastructure (e.g. rail tracks, highways, power lines) against gravitational natural hazards such as avalanches, mudslides, and rockfall. The Austrian Federal Forests (Österreichische Bundesforste – ÖBf) recently commissioned a research project on the valuation of this ecosystem service by means of the replacement cost method and the hedonic pricing approach.Based on the international literature, this paper focuses on a careful and realistic design of the baseline scenario with which the “marginal change” in ecosystem services can be assessed and valued. While the (current) management scenario is rather clear and reflects the approach pursued by the ÖBf (reasonably labeled as multifunctional forestry), the design of the baseline scenario (intensified commercial forestry) assumes a reduced protective function of the forests which, however, would still have to be in line with strict legal frameworks such as the Austrian Forest Act or European nature conservation directives.Given these strict frameworks, the potential leeway for commercial forestry is rather limited; still, the current multifunctional forest management secures ecosystem services worth up to EUR 14.7m per year (valued at replacement costs of technical measures to substitute the protective function of forests), which corresponds to EUR 268 per hectare and year. The result of the hedonic pricing approach for property in hazard zones protected by forests is substantially lower: The ecosystem service is valued at EUR 2.9m per year (which corresponds to an annual per-hectare value of EUR 53). The results in general underline the importance of multifunctional forestry and of the ecosystem services function sustained especially in state-owned forests.

The twinflower in the Augustów Forest: occurrence, condition and threats

AbstractThe twinflowerLinnaea borealisL. is a rare, boreal plant species that grows in coniferous forests and is partly protected in Poland. We studied its distribution and the condition in the Augustów Forest (NE Poland) describing 22 twinflower patches in total. The following features were assessed: (1) patch area, (2) distance between individual twinflowers, (3) patch density, (4) intensity of flowering, (5) fruiting, (6) main accompanying plant species, (7) plant community structure, (8) species composition and age of the forest stands, (9) canopy cover of the forest stands, (10) existing and potential threats. In the northern part of the forest where suitable pine sites dominated, twinflowers were distributed irregularly and unevenly. Twinflowers in the Augustów Forest occur in relatively big areas with individual patches covering from 100 m2to 3000 m2, but most commonly 500–1000 m2. The mean distance to the nearest neighbouring twinflower was 1600 m (range from 250 m to 6035 m). This pattern of distribution and separating distance does allow for sexual reproduction within the studied forest stand and blooming was confirmed in 21 out of 22 patches. In four locations, intensive blooming with >50 flowers shoot/m2was observed. We did not observe a dependency of the flowering intensity on patch size.Despite the intensive and frequent flowering, as well as the presence of fruits, which were found in 15 patches, the twinflower reproduces mainly vegetatively. Twinflowers grew in 34–166 years-old pine-spruce stands with moderate canopy cover, but there was no relationship between the age of forest stands and the size of a flower patch. Plant species, which commonly occurred with twinflowers were:Vaccinium myrtillus,Calamagrostis arundinacea,Goodyera repens,Rubus saxatilis, Fragaria vesca, Pleurosium schreberi.Twinflower communities are threatened by invasive species in the forest understory in two locations only, while in the other locations no active protection is needed and the plants should rather be protected and monitored through multifunctional forest management. We emphasise the importance of the Augustów Forest for the twinflower in Poland, because about 10% of the Polish population grows in this forest complex.

Impacts of business-as-usual management on ecosystem services in European mountain ranges under climate change

Mountain forests provide a multitude of services beyond timber production. In a large European project (ARANGE—Advanced multifunctional forest management in European mountain RANGEs), the impacts of climate change and forest management on ecosystem services (ES) were assessed. Here, we provide background information about the concept that was underlying the ARANGE project, and its main objectives, research questions, and methodological approaches are presented. The project focused on synergies and trade-offs among four key ES that are relevant in European mountain ranges: timber production, carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, and protection from gravitational natural hazards. We introduce the concept and selection of case study areas (CSAs) that were used in the project; we describe the concept of representative stand types that were developed to provide a harmonized representation of forest stands and forest management in the CSAs; we explain and discuss the climate data and climate change scenarios that were applied across the seven CSAs; and we introduce the linker functions that were developed to relate stand- and landscape-scale forest features from model simulations to ES provisioning in mountain forests. Finally, we provide a brief overview of the Special Feature, with an attempt to synthesize emerging response patterns across the CSAs.

Assessing the Recreation Value of Urban Woodland Using the Ecosystem Service Approach in Two Forests in the Munich Metropolitan Region

Recreation is considered an important ecosystem services (ES) in urban woodlands and puts pressure on other ES. Visitor management strategies can be tools to safeguard biodiversity and ES. On-site data are necessary to evaluate the demand for outdoor recreation opportunities in urban woodlands, but also for providing more reliable values for monetization as a basis for multifunctional forest management, and for raising awareness for the importance of urban proximate forests. Such information can also be used for the assessment and monetization of socio-cultural ES, and hence, contribute to developing market-based mechanisms or to promoting these ES. In our paper, we demonstrate methods to describe recreational demand by collecting data from interviews and using camera traps in two forests in the north of Munich for visitor counting. Visitor numbers in the forests were much greater than rough estimations; visitors also had quite long travelling distances to the forests. Jogging or Nordic walking were proven to be important recreational activities. In some of the monitored locations, almost half of the recreationists carried out these sports. Depending on the method chosen, the calculative monetary value of recreation reached up to 15,440 Euro per hectare per year.