Linking perception of green space characteristics and biodiversity with well-being and recreation in order to map urban cultural ecosystem services

• Urban green spaces provide a wide variety of ecosystem services but are also under a constant threat through processes of densification and changes in transport infrastructure. For urban areas, the cultural ecosystem services are often expressed by planners and managers to be of special importance. There has been an increased recognition of the importance that green spaces has with regards to people's health and well-being, with green areas a setting for both physical activity and restoration. However, the connection between well-being and the more nuanced view of green spaces as for species, flora and biodiversity per se is less studied. Here we studied the connection between people's experience of green spaces in the city of Gothenburg and biophysical values related to biodiversity. In total 6 specific green spaces of varied characteristics were studied (size 1.8-3.5 ha). For each green space a survey was sent out to its near-by residents asking questions of people's perception and importance of different characteristics and associated feelings of well-being and recreational use of each green space respectively (N= 1347) Parallel to this, field inventories relating to different aspects of biodiversity were conducted including pollinators (bumblebees), birds, treespecies, tree dbh, treecover, shrubs, dead trees and flora. The responses from the survey is analysed together with field data and results on the relationship between perception of the green space with regards to aspects of naturalness and stewardship, different aspects of measured biodiversity and cultural ecosystem services such as recreation and well-being will be presented.

Subject headings

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Annan lantbruksvetenskap -- Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Other Agricultural Sciences -- Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Landskapsarkitektur (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Landscape Architecture (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

ovr (subject category)