Application of Remote Sensing for the Evaluation of the Forest Ecosystem Functions and Tourism Services

Assessing the functions of forest ecosystems is important for a proper understanding of their role in the natural environment and society. Ecotourism emphasizes minimizing negative impacts on the environment and supports environmental education. Modern information and communication technologies, including forest apps, are helping in this regard. Precision forestry uses GIS technologies and remote sensing to obtain spatial data, identify the components of the natural environment, and evaluate the changes that they are subject to. A tool enabling the evaluation of synergy between ecosystem functions and tourism, in addition to traditional field research and surveys, is remote sensing. This paper aims to show the feasibility of evaluating the synergy of ecosystem and tourism services in forests using remote sensing as an alternative to traditional terrestrial measurements. This study's temporal scope is from 2019 (i.e., the introduction of the pilot program on making forests available for bushcraft and survival activities in Poland) until the beginning of 2024. Thus, it covers the time when the State Forests program called "Stay Overnight in the Forest" related to dispersed camping in forests was in force. Additionally, online surveys were conducted using the Microsoft Forms platform among representatives of all forest districts participating in implementing the "Stay Overnight in the Forest" program from 1 May 2021. This program is a crucial element of the contemporary tourist and recreational offer of the State Forests in Poland and influences the course of the ecosystem and tourist services in the forests. From the recorded digital images, it is possible to obtain information about threats in forest ecosystems caused by natural disasters, such as windstorms and fires. The precise provision of information about degraded forest areas can contribute to the more efficient management of forest reclamation works and the restoration of damaged stands. On the other hand, the rehabilitated forest can be a destination point for educational trails in forests.