Heer Claudia, Rusterholz Hans-Peter, Baur Bruno
Department of Integrative Biology, Section of Conservation Biology, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Environ Manage. 2003 Jun;31(6):709-23. doi: 10.1007/s00267-003-3002-x.
Recreational activities can have major impacts on vegetation and wildlife in frequently visited forests. We assessed forest perception and knowledge (state, functions, and species diversity) among hikers and mountain bikers in a frequently visited, seminatural suburban recreation forest (Muttenz) and in a more distantly situated, naturally grown excursion forest (Wasserfallen) in northwestern Switzerland. In all, 239 hikers and 126 mountain bikers were interviewed. Mountain bikers in both forests and hikers in the more intensely used recreation forest at Muttenz assessed the state of the forest less optimistically and showed a higher awareness of the negative impact of recreational activities on the flora and fauna than hikers at Wasserfallen. Furthermore, mountain bikers seemed aware of the social conflicts caused by their activity, since they appreciated neutral or positive encounters with other forest visitors. In contrast, 57% of hikers at Muttenz reported on negative experiences with other forest visitors, particularly with mountain bikers. In general, the interviewees' ecological and biological forest knowledge (forest type and function, species diversity) was rather high. A large proportion was aware of the pros and cons of different forest conditions for plants and animals, and could name or recognize at least some plant and/or animal species typical for the visited forest. The forest knowledge was neither influenced by the type of recreational activity carried out nor by any aspect of forest visit behavior (frequency and duration of forest visits, means of transportation and travel distance to forest). However, the interviewees' forest knowledge was influenced by their age and educational level.
娱乐活动会对游客频繁光顾的森林中的植被和野生动物产生重大影响。我们评估了瑞士西北部一个游客频繁光顾的半自然城郊休闲森林（穆滕茨）以及一个位置更远、自然生长的游览森林（瓦瑟法伦）中徒步旅行者和山地自行车骑行者对森林的认知及知识（状态、功能和物种多样性）。总共采访了239名徒步旅行者和126名山地自行车骑行者。两个森林中的山地自行车骑行者以及穆滕茨游客使用更为频繁的休闲森林中的徒步旅行者，对森林状态的评估不如瓦瑟法伦的徒步旅行者乐观，并且他们对娱乐活动对动植物的负面影响的认识更高。此外，山地自行车骑行者似乎意识到了其活动引发的社会冲突，因为他们重视与其他森林游客的中立或积极相遇。相比之下，穆滕茨57%的徒步旅行者报告了与其他森林游客，尤其是与山地自行车骑行者的负面经历。总体而言，受访者的生态和生物森林知识（森林类型和功能、物种多样性）相当高。很大一部分人了解不同森林状况对动植物的利弊，并且能够说出或识别至少一些所游览森林特有的植物和/或动物物种。森林知识既不受所进行的娱乐活动类型影响，也不受森林游览行为的任何方面（森林游览的频率和时长、交通方式以及到森林的旅行距离）影响。然而，受访者的森林知识受其年龄和教育水平影响。
