Management of urban woodlands between demands of society and owner objectives
Urban woodlands provide numerous ecosystem services for the society. However, they depend on the management goals, motivations and interests of the forest owners. In the Munich Metropolitan Region, it was examined how the population perceive the woodlands and which services of the woodlands are most important for them. On the other hand management goals, interests and motivation of forest owners were assessed by interviewing representatives of state, communal and private forest owners in urban area. It turned out that both population and forest owners had quite similar ideas about the services urban woodlands should deliver. For many forest owners, timber production was of little importance. The main objective was creating and maintaining stable and ecologically valuable mixed stands. In the everyday perception of the population, there is a deep fear of losing woodlands for urban development. Forest management actions are often associated with a general loss of forest. To avoid conflicts, communication and information should be improved. To provide attractive forest consultancy for urban woodland owners, forest authorities and forest associations should include topics such as forest aesthetics, nature conservation, pest control, legal duty to maintain safety, recreation and visitor management.
Assessing the Recreation Value of Urban Woodland Using the Ecosystem Service Approach in Two Forests in the Munich Metropolitan Region