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Forest Recreational Services in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic Stress

Author

Listed:
  • Dastan Bamwesigye

    (Department of Forest and Wood Products Economics and Policy, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 3, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic)

  • Jitka Fialová

    (Department of Landscape Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic)

  • Petr Kupec

    (Department of Landscape Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic)

  • Jan Łukaszkiewicz

    (Department of Landscape Architecture, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, ul. Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Beata Fortuna-Antoszkiewicz

    (Department of Landscape Architecture, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, ul. Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

Forest ecosystems provide numerous services and benefits to both humans and biodiversity. Similarly, urban forests services play a vital role by providing urban dwellers with recreational and leisure space, mental health relief, and meditation. In the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic, many people living in the urban areas could benefit from the forest and park recreational services to relieve psychological stress due to lockdown rules. The study examined existing literature simultaneously; however, very few studies have presented the relationships between forest services’ role on COVID-19 stress relief. Furthermore, we examined forest visitors’ frequency at the Training Forest Enterprise (TFE) Masaryk Forest Křtiny in the outskirts of Brno City in the Czech Republic. The study collected data using a TRAFx infrared trail counter before the pandemic (2015–2018) and during the COVID-19 period (2021). As in other studies of the subject, we observed an increasing trend in forest visits during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, compared to the same months before the pandemic in 2016 and 2017. We recommend further research to focus on scientific analysis of the relationship between forest ecosystem services and COVID-19 stress and mental health. Moreover, given the spike in visitors during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021 in March and April, our data provide evidence regarding the role of nature for relieving stress and supporting mental and physical health. Policy, decision-makers and medical advisors could use such data and study to guide future lockdowns and pandemic situations regarding nature and forest recreational use and importance.

Suggested Citation

  • Dastan Bamwesigye & Jitka Fialová & Petr Kupec & Jan Łukaszkiewicz & Beata Fortuna-Antoszkiewicz, 2021. "Forest Recreational Services in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic Stress," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:12:p:1347-:d:696564
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lauren Zimmermann & Subarna Bhattacharya & Soumik Purkayastha & Ritoban Kundu & Ritwik Bhaduri & Parikshit Ghosh & Bhramar Mukherjee, 2021. "SARS-CoV-2 Infection Fatality Rates in India: Systematic Review, Meta-analysis and Model-based Estimation," Studies in Microeconomics, , vol. 9(2), pages 137-179, December.
    2. Dastan Bamwesigye & Petra Hlavackova & Andrea Sujova & Jitka Fialova & Petr Kupec, 2020. "Willingness to Pay for Forest Existence Value and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Sainz-Santamaria, Jaime & Martinez-Cruz, Adan, 2021. "Governance of urban green spaces across Latin America -Insights from semi-structured interviews to managers amid COVID-19," CERE Working Papers 2021:3, CERE - the Center for Environmental and Resource Economics.
    4. Venter, Zander & Barton, David & gundersen, vegard & Figari, Helene & Nowell, Megan, 2020. "Urban nature in a time of crisis: recreational use of green space increases during the COVID-19 outbreak in Oslo, Norway," SocArXiv kbdum, Center for Open Science.
    5. Azdren Doli & Dastan Bamwesigye & Petra Hlaváčková & Jitka Fialová & Petr Kupec & Obed Asamoah, 2021. "Forest Park Visitors Opinions and Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Development of the Germia Forest and Recreational Park," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-16, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yanjing Gao & Lijun Chen, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 Risk Perception on Residents’ Behavioural Intention towards Forest Therapy Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-18, September.
    2. James McGinlay & Jens Holtvoeth & Alfie Begley & Juliana Dörstel & Anne Kockelmann & Michael Lammertz & Chrysovalantis Malesios & Nikoleta Jones, 2023. "Perceived Social Impacts of Protected Areas, Their Influence on Local Public Support and Their Distribution across Social Groups: Evidence from the Eifel National Park, Germany, during the COVID-19 Pa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-19, July.

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