Today, 84 per cent of the Swedish population live in urban areas, and the demographic trend indicates continued migration into large towns. The nature that remains is subject to high development pressure as a result of an increased infrastructure and more housing.
More than one half of all visits to Swedish forests occur in the periurban forests. Studies show that the most common reason for spending time in nature is to find peace and quiet, but a good second place is taken by the enjoyment of wild animals and plants. These findings were presented at a seminar at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the spring of 2010. Most of the over 50 delegates at the workshop were from municipalities, which gave rise to intensive discussions. Researchers, the authorities and forest associations were also represented.
For birds and people
Experimental investigations of bird life in periurban nature show that large scale clearance of undergrowth has a negative impact. People generally prefer a somewhat more open forest landscape, and there is thus a potential conflict between the preferences of birds and people.
On the other hand, the same studies show that small scale clearance of undergrowth had no appreciable negative effect on bird life. Studies near three urban areas in Västra Götaland in the west of Sweden show that birds make a large contribution to the control of insect populations and that they also have the potential to reduce insect attacks on deciduous trees.
In the same experimental forests, a social geographer made attitude investigations which suggest that what is most important for a visit to nature are sensory impressions rather than the perception of biodiversity.
Creativity
Other studies show that there is a greater difference in how people perceive natural values between different ages than between people of different education.
An SLU researcher demonstrated the creative opportunities of working with young forest plantations in enhancing their perceptional values. The delegates to the seminar were also shown a presentation of the development project urbanNILS, the aim of which is to monitor, over a long term perspective, the changes in the quality of green spaces in Sweden.
Author
:
Marcus Hedblom
is a visiting researcher
Erik Heyman
is a postgraduate student
Bengt Gunnarsson
is Associate Professor and project leader at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Göteborg University