Spatial Assessment of Cultural Ecosystem Services for Urban Forests based on a Multi-point Field Survey: Case in Nagoya City, Japan

Abstract

Urban forests including urban parks, secondary forests, and natural forests provide many benefits for citizens, such as recreational opportunities, scenic beauty, and cultural heritage value. Each has a different role in the provision of cultural ecosystem services (CESs) in a city. One issue with urban forests in Japan is the decrease of forests with the loss of CESs. The objective of this study was to develop a method to categorize the CESs of urban forests through multi-point field surveys as a case in Nagoya City, Japan. Then the equivalency and/or alternativeness of the forest CESs were examined. In total, 180 forests in the city were surveyed. The percentages of forests featuring aesthetic and daily recreation values were high. Using a hierarchical cluster analysis, the forests in the city were categorized into 9 types. Future issues include the idea that, in addition to CESs, other ESs should be considered as a part of a comprehensive ES assessment.