Recreational potential as an indicator of accessibility control in protected mountain forest areas

The article presents research findings related to recreational use of forests located in protected mountainous areas with forestage of over 80%. The study was designed to identify recreational potential of the Carpathian national parks （Bieszczady National Park, Bahia G6ra National Park, Goree National Park and Magura National Park; southern Poland） and to compare these findings with the actual number of visitors. The information received on the recreational potential of parks is important from the point of view of protection of natural resources and the financial situation of the parks. The calculated ratio may be an effective tool of management for park administration, that allows to reconcile statutory social and protective functions of national parks. The study determined the recreational potential of the forests with the use of recreational valorisation method designed for areas with varied terrain, and the evaluated factors included the stands of trees with their habitat and land relief. The permissible number of national park visitors, expressed as man- hour/ha/year ranges from 19.31 in Bieszczady National Park （BG： 19~ 35＇ E, 49~ 35＇ N） to 32.06 in in Bieszczady National Park （B： 22~ 40＇ E, 49~ lo＇ N）. In 3 out of 4 investigated parks, Magura National Park （M： 21025＇ E, 49~ 30＇ N）, Gorce National Park （G： 20~ lo＇ E, 49~ 35＇ N）, B） recreation carrying capacity was not exceeded, whether or not the strictly protected area is taken into account. Only in BG was the recreation carrying capacity exceeded by nearly 24%, or by 85% if the strictly protected area isexcluded from tourism-related exploitation. The presented procedure for monitoring access to mountain forests in national parks, from the viewpoint of natural resources conservation, can be applied in other mountainous areas covered with forests and exposed to tourist and recreational traffic, and in forests facing particular risk of recreational damage, e.g. in urban and suburban forests growing in areas with varied orography.

Exploration on the Sustainable Management of Scenic and Recreational Forest: A Case Study of the Thousand-Island Lake National Forest Park

Sustainable management of scenic and recreational forest based on the integration of forest landscape beauty and recreational functions is the foundation of forest tourism. Adhering to the principles of structural optimization, healthy and vital, beautiful landscape, sound function, and comprehensive benefi t, the hotspot and core task in the current construction of scenic and recreational forest is to conserve, transform and improve forest landscape. The ThousandIsland Lake National Forest Park is endowed with peculiar island scenery, it is necessary to construct a stable threedimensional comprehensive protection system covering "mountain, land and lake", enhance the ecological environment conservation of the lake as well as the lakefront wetland, promote the ecological restoration and coloring construction of forest, protect integrality and diversity of the biosystem, and construct ecological urban-rural system using regional scenic spot concept, so as to build the lake into a model of the sustainable operation of scenic and recreational forest.

Concept of the integrative aspects of the forest ecosystem services with case study on recreation services assessment in Slovakia

Introduction:This paper presents basic information on the research,classification,and application of the functions of tree species and their communities(mainly forest)in Slovakia.The main aim is a scientific assessment of acquired knowledge regarding the functional effects of forests under real ecological,forest management and socio-economic conditions from various regions in Slovakia;the most up-to-date findings concerning the ecology and economics of natural resources will be applied here.The second part of the paper presents methodological possibilities for valuation of outdoor recreation in forests.Different methods and methodological approaches suitable to a valuation of recreation based on various principles and criteria(preference and non-preference methods,cost-based methods,revenue-based methods,and direct and indirect methods)are analyzed.A practical application of one indirect preference method(travel cost method)is made to evaluate outdoor recreation in forests in Slovakia.Results and conclusions:A new classification system and a methodology of integrative utilization of forest functions for the forest ecosystem services are constructed.Outdoor recreation in forests,besides recreational forests and areas,assumes the character of a public good:its use by individuals has some influence on utilization by other individuals,and single users cannot be excluded from its utilization.Therefore,some stimulation for its production is missing.In principle,there are no markets for these kinds of public goods and services.The total value of outdoor recreation in forests in Slovakia amounted to€163.4 million;if opportunity time costs were included,this amounted to as much as€825.7 million.