An Integrated Approach to Assess the Potential of Forest Areas for Therapy Services
Yonko Dodev,
Miglena Zhiyanski,
Maria Glushkova,
Bilyana Borisova,
Lidiya Semerdzhieva,
Ivo Ihtimanski,
Stelian Dimitrov,
Stoyan Nedkov,
Mariyana Nikolova,
Won-Sop Shin
Affiliations
Yonko Dodev
Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 132 “St. Kliment Ohridski” Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria
Miglena Zhiyanski
Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 132 “St. Kliment Ohridski” Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria
Maria Glushkova
Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 132 “St. Kliment Ohridski” Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria
Bilyana Borisova
Landscape Ecology Department, Faculty of Geology and Geography, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 15 “Tzar Osvoboditel” Blvd., 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria
Lidiya Semerdzhieva
Landscape Ecology Department, Faculty of Geology and Geography, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 15 “Tzar Osvoboditel” Blvd., 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria
Ivo Ihtimanski
National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Akad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.3, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Stelian Dimitrov
Cartography and GIS Department, Faculty of Geology and Geography, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 15 “Tzar Osvoboditel” Blvd., 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria
Stoyan Nedkov
National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Akad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.3, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Mariyana Nikolova
National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Akad. G. Bonchev Str. Bl.3, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Won-Sop Shin
Department of Forest Sciences, Chungbuk National University, 1 Chungdaero, Seowongu, Cheongju 28644, Korea
The study considers forest therapy as a tool for diversification of forest management. An up-to-date integrated approach for assessing and mapping potential of forest areas which could provide conditions for forest therapy services is developed and tested. It is based on combining data from the traditional forest inventory in Bulgaria and other open databases with methods for integrated assessment and mapping of ecosystem services: 7 criteria groups and 22 indicators are proposed, rated on a 5-point scale. Overlay analysis is applied to generate a composite assessment for each forest unit. Using spatial statistics tools, territorial hot spots with potential for forest therapy are identified. The methodology was successfully tested in a pilot case-study region, Smolyan Municipality, but it is applicable at broader scale, regardless of the type and ownership of forests. This approach could be transferred to other countries as well after adapting to their geographical, geoecological and socio-cultural specifics and database available. It is a cost-effective and informative tool to support forest owners and managers to diversify forest welfare services focusing on insufficiently used forest recreation potential.
