Factors affecting cultural ecosystem services use in Vilnius (Lithuania): A participatory mapping survey approach.

Assessing preferences of recreational activities related to cultural ecosystem services (CES) in urban areas is essential for decision-making and urban green space (UGS) management. This work aims to assess the preferences and factors (based on socio-demographic and motivation variables) influencing CES-related activities in Vilnius, Lithuania, to provide scientific knowledge to support more efficient UGS design and management. Participatory mapping was reported as relevant for urban park planning and decision-making and was applied to identify spatially explicit CES. We assessed the perceived relevance of five CES-related activities groups (, , , , and ) via participatory mapping through an online survey (n = 1.114). The users selected one preferred geographic location for each CES-related activities group and attributed relevance (using a 5-point Likert scale) for a set of motivation items. The results showed that and were the respondents' most important CES-related activity groups, while were the less popular. Factor Analysis showed that the respondent's recreation experience preferences, or motivations, were the most relevant variables influencing all the groups except for the group. Regarding , preferences for & were the most relevant variables. For , the variables & were the most important. & was the most relevant for . Regarding , the most important variables were related to the and the . Finally, mainly influenced social activities, namely , and . The spatial distribution was different between activity groups. showed the highest dispersion, and the highest concentration. The results of this work are relevant to municipal managers, as they allow for a better understanding of users' interactions with the territory, its multifunctionality, and potential areas of conflict between conservation and recreation.