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Cultural ecosystem services, values and benefits

Home research Cultural ecosystem services, values and benefits

Summary

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Cultural ecosystem services are one of the four key components identified in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and United Kingdom National Ecosystem Assessment, along with provisioning, regulating and supporting services. Cultural ecosystem services are identified as the benefits people gain from their interactions with different environmental spaces, such as woods or parks, and the activities, such as walking and cycling, they undertake in these spaces. These interactions give rise to a variety of wellbeing benefits that are wide ranging and can be valued in numerous ways, via monetary, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.

Cultural ecosystem services and benefits can include health, learning, social connections, sensory experiences, cultural and symbolic importance and identity. Our work in this area includes reviews, primary research, the monitoring and evaluation of programmes or interventions that aim to realise these benefits for different sections of society.

Research objectives

  1. To increase understanding of the cultural ecosystem services and benefits of trees, woodlands and forests and how they are valued

  2. To explore the impact of engaging with nature in terms of people’s wellbeing

  3. To review methods for integrating cultural ecosystem services, value and benefits in forestry

  4. To identify key factors that enable, mediate or restrict the realisation of cultural ecosystem benefits for different sections of the public

  5. To identify priorities and challenges for future research in the field

  6. To develop and harmonise social data and indicators within National Forest Inventories across Europe

  7. To develop frameworks and practical advice for practitioners, policy makers

Activities so far

  • A synthesis and analysis of 31 studies focusing on trees, woods and forests and the wellbeing benefits they provide to a range of publics
  • A review of methods for integrating cultural ecosystem services, values and benefits in forestry
  • A review of the cultural ecosystem benefits of urban and peri-urban green infrastructure across different European countries
  • Work to explore social and environmental justice issues concerning who gains access to and benefits from trees and woodlands, green infrastructure and wider nature
  • Evaluations of a range of interventions including the Active Forest Programme and Grow Wild Programme
  • Research to understand the barriers to gaining cultural ecosystem services and benefits.

Status

The work started in 2005 and is on-going.

Contact

Liz O’Brien

Funders and partners

The work has been funded via a variety of sources including the Forestry Commission, EU Horizon 2020, EU Sixth Framework Programme, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Forestry Commission Scotland, Forestry Commission England.

Forestry Commission policy

Part of the research is linked to the Forestry Commission Science and Innovation Strategy and the high level outcome of research that provides an evidence base to allow the forestry sector to deliver a wide range of benefits from forests and woodlands. www.forestry.gov.uk/research

Trees and wellbeing related pages

Completed research on trees and Quality of life

Active Forest Programme Evaluation 

Grow Wild Programme Evaluation

Shared values of ecosystems

Forestry for people: an economic and social valuation of Scottish forestry 

Realising the cultural value of a Caledonian pine forest 

The State of Europe’s Forests 2011: cultural and spiritual value 

Cultural value of trees, woods and forests 

Social and cultural values associated with European Forests in relation to indicators of sustainability 2006 

Relationship between peri-urban woodlands and people’s health and wellbeing 

Cultural ecosystem services, values and benefits
In this section
Cultural ecosystem services, values and benefits
Research Status
current
Contacts
Science group leader
Forestry Staff Liz OBrien RzWQYOa.2e16d0ba.fill 600x600 2