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. 2021 Mar 26;18(7):3469.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073469.

Variability in Forest Visit Numbers in Different Regions and Population Segments before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Magdaléna Pichlerová  1 , Dilek Önkal  2 , Anthony Bartlett  3 , Jozef Výbošťok  4 , Viliam Pichler  4
Affiliations

Variability in Forest Visit Numbers in Different Regions and Population Segments before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Magdaléna Pichlerová et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

In view of the prevailing preferences for health and recreation revealed by previous studies as the main expected benefits of forest visits, the research presented herein focuses on whether such expectations would translate into a significant increase in the number of forest visits (NFV) following pandemic outbreaks. In this context, a Slovak nationwide survey on forests was conducted, with the main objective of casting light on possible changes in NFV as a coping mechanism or behavioral response to the discomfort and severe restrictions stemming from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the related measures. The survey was administered on a statistically representative sample after the pandemic's first wave ebbed and restrictions were eased in the summer months of 2020. Collected data were assessed using ANOVA, the results of which supported the importance of forests as places providing opportunities for restoration of mental and physical resources. Forest accessibility as represented by forest coverage and settlement size emerged as a paramount factor affecting NFV rates both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic and its accompanying measures affected the relationships between NFV and average per capita income, type of employment, and most importantly age, highlighting possible vulnerabilities and disadvantages in certain population segments.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; forest coverage; forest recreation; forest visitor age; lockdown restrictions; number of forest visits; settlement size.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Forest coverage in geographical regions of Slovakia: Bratislava (3.7%), Western Slovakia (19%), Central Slovakia (42%), and Eastern Slovakia (35.3%).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Levels of significance for differences in numbers of forest visits (NFV) per month according to regions characterized by forest coverage (%), before (orange) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (green), produced using ANOVA; and for NFV differences within groups (black), determined by t-test.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Levels of significance for differences in numbers of forest visits (NFV) according to settlement size, before (orange) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (green), produced using ANOVA; and for NFV differences within groups (black), determined by t-test.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Levels of significance for differences in numbers of forest visits (NFV) among groups created according to net monthly household income, before (orange) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (green), produced using ANOVA; and for within-group NFV differences (black), determined by t-test.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Levels of significance for differences in numbers of forest visits (NFV) according to type of employment, before (orange) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (green), produced by ANOVA; and for within-group NFV differences (black), determined by t-test.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Levels of significance for differences in numbers of forest visits (NFV) between men and women, before (orange) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (green), produced using ANOVA; and for within-group NFV differences (black), determined by t-test.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Levels of significance for differences in numbers of forest visits (NFV) according to age, before (orange) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (green), produced using ANOVA; and for within-group NFV differences (black), determined by t-test.
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