Recreation in forests

Throughout history forests have been used for a range of recreational activities including hunting, hiking and fishing. In the contemporary era the demand for traditional recreational activities has increased and new forms of recreation have emerged driven in part by the tourism sector. Many of these are commercial in nature, and along with traditional activities, have placed new pressures on forests. As the number of users grows but the available areas of forest shrink the need for new management strategies to maintain ecological integrity will increase. In many countries the public sector has responded by implementing policies to protect unique ecosystems and landscapes, reduce deforestation and regulate activities such as recreation and tourism. Governments are also beginning to realise that they must place a higher priority onlong term ecological sustainability if forest based activities are to continue to prosper into the future. The objective of this chapter is to briefly outline major factors that may affect the provision of sustainable recreational activities in forests.