Abstract
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