Estimating the amenity value of woodland views at a national scale with applied GIS spatial analysis.

摘要

Estimating the amenity value of woodland views at a national or regional scale is of importance in urban forestry and environmental economics. However, there is no well-established methodology to perform such estimation and it requires a visibility analysis, which can be complex and computationally demanding. An effective and flexible algorithm for the valuation of woodland views is proposed, which uses applied GIS spatial analysis tools and a willingness to pay estimate, and can be implemented on adesktop computer. This methodology is applied to and tested with two case studies in the UK: the whole of Wales and a large region in the north of England. It yields consistent estimates of the aggregate amenity value of woodland views. The methodology and results, a first of this kind for Wales and north England, provide country and regional forest agencies with a tool to aid in the assessment of multiple objectives in forest management.