Recreation

The importance of forests as a source of recreation has gained increasing attention in Europe during the past two decades. Forests provide many of the non-material benefits needed by people, especially those living in the stressful environments of modern industrialised countries.

The impact of recreational activities has been to both the benefit and detriment of forests. In general they tend to favour, and thus preserve, forests with high levels of biodiversity, encouraging the conservation and protection of wildlife and helping to limit the loss of forest to urban sprawl and road building.

However, when the frequency of visitors and tourists becomes excessive, problems of soil erosion occur along and adjacent to footpaths. Wildlife is also disturbed, plants and saplings are trampled, and litter accumulates.