Den rekreative værdi af naturområder i Danmark

Abstract:

Nature provides a wide range of valuable ecosystem services including outdoor recreation. In this paper the use value of all major recreational sites in Denmark is estimated using a two stage multiple-site travel cost model, which combines spatial data on recreational trips, demographics and socioeconomics for the Danish population and the location and characteristics of Danish recreational areas. The 2,475 different sites included in the study consist of a variety of habitats, such as forests, open areas (e.g. heather, meadows, bogs etc.) beaches and parks in larger cities. The model is partly based on data collected through a web-based survey where interactive maps were used to obtain coordinates on the outset and destination for each respondent’s last recreational trip. We find that natural areas can generate substantial recreational values, but there are large differences in the estimated recreational value of different sites. The average annual recreational value per ha for a natural area is approximately DKK 8,000 per ha, but the value ranges from 240 DKK to over DKK 700,000 per ha. City parks in the major cities generate even higher values. Sensitivity analyses suggest that the main determinant of the use value of recreational sites is proximity to densely populated areas (i.e. many potential users). The attributes of sites and the presence/absence of nearby substitute sites also have an impact on the value of a site, but do not appear as important as proximity to densely populated areas. With respect to attributes sites with (some) forest, lakes and coastline have a relatively high use value. It also increases the value of a site if the area is included in the Natura 2000 framework, which, in general, are areas with high natural value. Finally, state-owned forest is preferred over privately owned forest.