engleski

The Evaluation Results of the Benefits of the Health and Landscape Forests Functions

The health and landscape forests functions are observed from the standpoint of the total economic value (TEV, Pearce & Turner, 1990) as one of its components. The system of evaluationg the TEV is comprised of: economic, social-ecological (Krznar et al, 1995) and social and environmental forestry functions (Krznar & Lindić, 1999 ; Krznar et al, 1999), where social and environmental factors are divided into tourism and recreation and health and landscape. The investigation was undertaken within the subproject "Evaluating the Capital Goods of Forests and Loss Caused by the Influence of Harmful Factors", which was financed by the public enterprise, Croatian Forests. Among the results, the evaluated health and landscape functions of the public forests on the island of Korčula (Southern Adriatic near Dubrovnik) are presented in this work. These are mainly the Holm oak forests (Quercus ilex L.), in various stages of degradation, and the Aleppo pine forests (Pinus halepensis Mill.) which occupy more or less equal area. There are no forms of developed health tourism on the island, even though a certain number of localities meet its requirements. They are characterized by mild humidity with favorable physiological concentrations, which evaporate from the sea. The air is completely free of allergens, with a high concentration of ethereal oils from the coniferous forests (Gjivoje, 1969). In addition, there are bays with cool, mineral, slightly radioactive water and modical mud. In this methodology the health and landscape forestry functions were evaluated by a classification scale with related points. The span of the point value is determined on the basis of estimated internal and external quality factors of these functions. The external factors of the forest health functions are the infant population, people who use the health facilities, tourists and the average daily pollution from inhabited localities. Internal factors were evaluated through forest capacity to alleviate the adverse impact on environment. External factors for evaluating the landscape functions of the forest were the state of structural elements and its aesthetic characteristics. They were evaluated with taking in to consideration the structural elements of the forest area and the level of the impact of human activities in forest development. The obtained results indicate high capacity off the forest to alleviate the adverse impact of environment and its possible use for medical purposes. This could be done by organized health tourism for small numbers of people who would use the forest so as to cure and relieve various illnesses, for which conditions are favorable. The level of the forest capacity for health functions is between 0.32 of the very bad quality category and 0.55 - satisfactory, while the landscape functions are from 0.53 - satistactory to 0.81 - very good. Degraded Holm oak forests obrained more points than Aleppo pine forests both for health and landscape functions. Trough the evaluation of the health and landscape functions of the forest can obtain a clearer view of the possibilities of using the forest area in an ecologivally acceptable way so sas to satisfy health requirements and other needs of the population.

the evaluation of the benefits of the health and landscape forests functions; total economic value (TEV); forest area; diagnostic parameters.

nije evidentirano