Appearance of decay in forest no longer mantained as assessed by visitors of a national park

A major concern for landscape conservation strategies is the public attitude towards nature in general and towards efforts to let "nature return to the cultvated landscape". In this context we investigate the attitudes of national park visitors towards declining forest patches that shift from a pioneer stage to a more mature stage. It was shown that the phenomenon of decaying forests is perceived positively if the visitors are well-informed with on-site information of the underlaying natural processes.

Publications

• Hunziker, M., 2000: Einstellungen der Bevölkerung zu möglichen Landschaftsentwicklungen in den Alpen, Birmensdorf, Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL. 157 S.

• Hunziker, M., 1997: Totholz in den Nationalparkwäldern: Störfaktor oder Attraktion? Ergebnisse einer sozialwissenschaftlichen Studie. Cratschla 2/1997