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Article

Research on Urban Forest Park Management Based on Recreation Concept

by
Ximei Li
,
Mingzhu Chen
,
Yi Qin
,
Yi Yang
,
Xiaoyu Liao
,
Chunyu Gao
,
Junjing Zhao
,
Xin Huang
and
Zhi Li
*
College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Forests 2025, 16(1), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010102
Submission received: 2 December 2024 / Revised: 4 January 2025 / Accepted: 7 January 2025 / Published: 9 January 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Services in Urban and Peri-Urban Landscapes)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
Under the fast-paced urban lifestyle, many urban residents suffer from sub-health. Forest-based health and wellness tourism is an effective way to relieve psychological and physiological stress. Urban forest parks play a key role in urban construction. However, the management of many urban forest parks is still unreasonable, so the economic, social, and ecological benefits of these parks cannot be continuously utilized. In order to manage the urban forest parks from the perspective of health and wellness, three categories of indicators, namely visual sensitivity, forest characteristics, and soil properties, were selected to evaluate the state of forest park management through a case study in Zhengzhou, China. Quadratic investigation methods, analytic hierarchy process, and single-factor analysis were used. The results showed that the park can be divided into four management levels: functional area, management area, management type, and forest subcompartment. Specifically, 4 functional areas, 16 management areas, 31 management types, and 38 forest subcompartments were identified based on the evaluation results. Future management strategies were proposed for each management level accordingly. Our study provided a reference for multi-functional and multi-level forest park management and is helpful to the utilization and development of urban forest health functions.

1. Introduction

With the development of the social economy and the improvement of living standards, people’s physical and mental health have gradually become a topic of concern [1]. Economic expansion and rapid urban development have intensified the destruction of urban ecosystems and posed a potential threat to human health [2]. Fortunately, in recent years, people’s awareness of the social and ecological benefits of the forest ecosystem has gradually improved, and forest healthcare has begun to become an emerging form of tourism because of its soothing effect on human psychology and physiology [3,4]. Forest health tourism, supported by the natural environment, culture, and technological knowledge, can promote physical and mental health, relieve stress, alleviate pain, and have a positive effect on the prevention and treatment of diseases [1,5]. Developing the forest health industry is an inevitable choice and trend in the context of ecological civilization construction in China [6]. It not only enhances people’s happiness and relieves pressure, but also has profound significance for promoting people’s livelihoods and protecting the ecological environment [7].
Urban forest parks are an important part of the urban ecosystem [8,9]. It can effectively protect and improve the ecological environment of cities through various means, including increasing air humidity and reducing noise [8,10]. In addition, urban forest parks are also the key component of urban green space, and are the main place for citizens to hold all kinds of public cultural and entertainment activities [11,12]. It can be seen that urban forest parks can bring many positive effects to cities in terms of environment, health, culture, and other aspects [13]. Therefore, their construction, management, and protection have received widespread support and attention from urban residents [14]. In 2016, the National Forestry Administration of China issued the “National Suburban Forest Park Development Plan (2016–2025)”, which proposed that suburban forest parks should meet the needs of residents for leisure and fitness, and provide an ideal space for “clearing lung, protecting eyes, and keeping fit”. Suburban forest parks are usually close to urban areas, covered by urban transportation networks, and have a wide natural landscape and comfortable ecological environment [15]. Therefore, they have natural geographical advantages for urban residents to participate in leisure activities [15]. Suburban forest parks have played an important role in alleviating the pressure of urbanization, enhancing regional environmental protection, and providing diverse recreational activities [16]. However, at present, the management measures of many urban forest parks in China are still simple and single, and the lack of scientific planning is not conducive to the operation and management of parks. Urban forest parks are generally distributed in densely populated and highly industrialized areas, which means that if the park area is not properly planned and managed, human activities may cause potential threats to the park’s natural ecological environment [17,18]. In addition, if urban forest parks lack scientific planning for a long time, they may lack new facilities and other service facilities, thus reducing the possibility of citizens visiting the park for activities and economic benefits [19].
Traditional forest management is usually based on the concepts of near-nature management or multi-functional management [20,21,22]. On the basis of giving play to the dominant function of forest land, multi-functional management is to make reasonable use of the various resources of the land, so that the ever-increasing requirements of forestry can be met [23,24]. The long-term management of forests requires plans, which include zoning and the categorization of management types [25,26]. Forest zoning is the division of land into several areas for different types of management according to their dominant functions, ecological positions, and ways of using forest resources [27,28,29]. The industry standards of “Regulation for Compiling and Implementing a Forest Management Plan (LY/T 2007–2012)” issued by the State Forestry Administration of China indicated that when the leading function of the forest is determined, it is necessary to formulate a management plan, which serves as an important basis for forest management entities and forestry authorities. Currently, forest management studies based on health and wellness perspectives are still scarce [6]. Previous studies have shown that forests for health protection fall into five categories, namely for healthcare, landscape, ecological, economic, and scientific and educational purposes, according to their dominant functions [2,30]. The operation and development of healthcare forests can refer to the management theory and practical experience of traditional and landscape forests, which is to carry out regional management based on leading functions [29,31,32]. Based on the above studies, the studies on the management and construction of suburban forest parks from the perspective of health and wellness could provide more effective management strategies and improve the utilization of forest resources, which has practical significance for the further development of suburban forest parks [6,10].
It is advised to carry out multi-functional and multi-level management of urban forest parks based on the concept of forest health and wellness [6]. Introducing the concept and methods of forest health into the management of urban forest parks can renew the traditional concept of park management and help us to strengthen the in-depth understanding of human health, ecological environmental protection, and resource utilization, so as to build livable cities [8]. However, we still need to learn from the countries that have developed rapidly in the area of health and wellness. The specific objectives of this study were the following: (1) select indicators from the perspective of forest health and wellness to evaluate the current management status of an urban forest park in Zhengzhou, China; (2) propose a multi-functional and multi-level management plan based on the evaluation results.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Area

Zhengzhou (34°16′–34°58′ N, 112°42′–114°14′ E) is the capital city of Henan Province, and has a northern temperate continental monsoon climate. Its climatic characteristics include four distinct seasons: dry, cold, and long winter; dry and rainless spring, with frequent draughts; hot and humid summer, with heavy rainfall; and short cool autumn. The annual average temperature is 15.60 °C. August is the hottest month, with a mean temperature of 25.90 °C. January is the coldest with an average temperature of 2.15 °C. Annual precipitation is about 542.15 mm, with 1869.7 h of sunshine and 209 frost-free days. The soil is dominated by brown and fluvial soils.
Wenbo Forest Park (113.57408° E, 34.671428° N), founded in 2005, is located in Houzhai Township, Erqi District, Zhengzhou City. The total area of the park is about 280.90 hectares, with a forest cover rate of about 80%. The environmental quality is good, and the concentration of negative ions in the air is high. Located on the south side of Jiangang Reservoir, the park plays a crucial role in the conservation of water supply and is of great significance to Zhengzhou’s construction as a forest eco-city. The park is still not operated in the form of an area division, and its management measures are simple and single, with no basic management unit. The management is divided into two categories according to the terrain and area: the first category is ecological forests (i.e., water conservation forests), mainly located in the middle of the park and distributed in the sunken areas with large topographic variation and around the Jiangang Reservoir; the second category is landscape forests, which are mainly distributed in the east and west of the park where the terrain is relatively flat and the landscape richness varies greatly, with beautiful scenery near the park entrance. There is a three-tiered road system in the park, connecting all scenic spots. Six parking lots are set up along the main road, with more than 1500 parking spaces. The park is equipped with all-round service facilities such as a volunteer center and tourist station, well-organized water and electricity facilities, and a full coverage wireless network. Two Internet-based microenvironmental monitoring systems are designed in the park, continuously monitoring temperature, humidity, wind speed, air negative ion concentration, PM2.5, and other ecological indicators.

2.2. Data Sources

The data in this study mainly come from three sources: (1) the management status and forest characteristics of Wenbo Forest Park were acquired from the management departments of the park and field investigation; (2) the numeric indicators of forest subcompartments of the park come from the quadrat investigation and laboratory experiments; and (3) remote sensing data were obtained from high-resolution satellite images and digital elevation model (DEM) data of the study area were downloaded from the 91 Weitu website (http://www.91weitu.com, accessed on 9 May 2024). The coordinate system was WGS 1984, and the projected coordinate system was WGS 1984 UTM Zone 49N.

2.3. Study Methods

2.3.1. Quadrat Method

The forest subcompartment is the basic operational unit for forest resource inventory in China, and it is widely used for forest management and timber production. In the survey area, forests with the same site conditions, stand characteristics, logging methods, and management measures were identified as a forest subcompartment. In this way, based on high-resolution satellite images and technical means such as BIGEMAP and ArcGIS 10.2 software, Wenbo Forest Park was divided into 42 forest subcompartments (Figure 1) in terms of stand categories, slopes, roads, and operation activities [33]. During the field survey, 4 subcommissions were under construction and were not investigated, resulting in a total of 38 subcommissions being investigated. Three 15 m × 15 m quadrants were randomly set in each subcompartment, and the coordinates of the southwest corner of the quadrant were recorded.

2.3.2. Evaluation Index of Management Status

(1) Forest characteristics
Forest characteristics were assessed in two ways: standing quality and tree species composition.
The composition of tree species in the study area was obtained by field investigation.
Canopy density, mean diameter at breast height (DBH), mean tree height, mean under-branch height, arbor density, and age class of the stand were selected as stand quality evaluation indexes for forest subcompartments. Measurement instruments such as 3 m steel rulers, DBH rulers, and 50 m measuring tape were used to make primary statistics on the general situation of the quadrants in the subcompartments. Indices cannot be compared directly because each index is independent. As a result, the benchmark value of each index was standardized, and the score was calculated accordingly.
S j ′ = S j S
In the formula, S refers to the benchmark value of the index; Sj refers to the jth index in the index column; and S j ′ refers to the standardized value of the jth index. When S j ′ ≥ 1, the value is 1.
The benchmark value of each index was determined by reference to the National Forest Resources Inventory, industry standards, expert opinions, and Wenbo Forest Park field survey results (Table 1).
The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to obtain the index weights of canopy density, mean DBH, mean tree height, mean under-branch height, arbor density, and age class of the forest stand. The judgment matrix was calculated by AHP and individual weights were obtained after a consistency check.
(2) Soil properties
Site conditions are generally analyzed in terms of climate, geology, terrain, soil, and hydrology. Due to the small differences in climate, geology, geomorphology, and hydrological conditions in Wenbo Forest Park, site conditions were analyzed based on soil properties in this study, including soil pH, moisture content, and available nutrients. Soil pH was measured by the potentiometric method and pH meter (PHS-3E type), and soil moisture content statistics were obtained by multiple weighing using aluminum boxes. Soil-available nutrients are nutrients that vegetation could directly absorb, mostly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which is an indicator of soil nitrogen supply capacity. In this study, alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen (AN) was determined by the alkali-hydrolysis diffusion method; available phosphorus (AP) was determined by the sodium bicarbonate method, using an ultraviolet spectrophotometer (UVmini-1240); and available potassium (AK) was determined by an ammonium acetate-flame photometer, using a flame photometer (FP6450). The main reagents used in this study included NaOH, H3BO3, concentrated H2SO4, gum arabic powder, glycerin, K2CO3, NaHCO3, activated phosphorus-free carbon, potassium antimony tartrate, ammonium molybdate, L-ascorbic acid, KH2PO4, ammonium acetate, and KCl.
(3) Visual sensitivity
The larger relative slope of the landscape brings about a larger angle of view, thus increasing visual sensitivity, which means that the landscape creates more visual impact on the viewer. There is a big impact on the long-term spectator view of the landscape, and visual sensitivity is high [34,35]. Therefore, the visual sensitivity of the subcompartments was analyzed from two aspects: relative slope and visual probability. The relative slope was derived from DEM data corrected by the coordinate system and calculated using slope tools in ArcGIS software. The relative slope was divided into four grades by the method of “natural breaks”. A total of 30 viewing points were established (Figure 1), and these points and DEM data were analyzed using visibility analysis tools in ArcGIS software. Taking into account previous studies and topographic characteristics of the study area, the visual field was divided into 0–250 m (close range), 250–500 m (medium range), and 500–1000 m (long range) [34]. Based on the forest subcompartment boundaries, the visual field analysis results were reclassified and extracted by the mask tool with ArcGIS to obtain results of different visual field scopes. Finally, the raster calculator was used for weighted analysis to produce the visual probability evaluation results of subcompartments (Figure 2).

2.3.3. Single-Factor Analysis

The distribution of forest subcompartments was obtained using high-resolution satellite images from the 91 Weitu website and field surveys. DEM data were used to obtain the relative slope of each forest subcompartment, combined with the ArcGIS slope tool. Spatial analysis techniques, including the overlay tool and the raster calculator, were used to systematically assess the management status of Wenbo Forest Park, and evaluation indicators included visual sensitivity, stand quality, tree species composition, and soil properties. The multi-functional and multi-level management maps and measures of Wenbo Forest Park were presented based on the evaluation results calculated by ArcGIS software.

3. Results

3.1. Evaluation of Visual Sensitivity

AHP was used to define the relative slope and visual probability weights of 0.20 and 0.80, respectively. The visual probability weights of 0–250 m, 250–500 m, and 500–1000 m were 0.54, 0.30, and 0.16, respectively (Table 2).
According to the visual probability assessment grade (Table 2), the visual probability assessment results were obtained through overlay analysis based on the visual fields of 38 subcompartments.
According to the proportion of the visual field in different ranges (Figure 3), within the scope of 0–250 m, 11 subcompartments were assigned a value of 7, 10 subcompartments were assigned a value of 5, 8 subcompartments were assigned a value of 3, and 9 subcompartments were assigned a value of 1. The proportion of the visual field in this area was generally high, indicating a nice close-up view of the landscape in the park. Among them, most of the subcompartments with the highest grades were distributed around the park’s two main entrances. Within the scope of 250–500 m, 9 subcompartments were assigned a value of 7, 9 subcompartments were assigned a value of 5, 11 subcompartments were assigned a value of 3, and 9 subcompartments were assigned a value of 1. Different grades were fairly evenly distributed in this range, and subcompartments with good views were distributed in the northwest of the park and near the reservoir in the medium range. Within 500–1000 m, 9 subcompartments were assigned a value of 7, 11 subcompartments were assigned a value of 5, 9 subcompartments were assigned a value of 3, and 9 subcompartments were assigned a value of 1. Subcompartments with different levels were also evenly distributed in the park, and subcompartments with good views were around the Jiangang Reservoir in the long range.
The visual probability of the subcompartments was divided into 4 grades by weighting (Table 2) and grading the indicators (Figure 4a). Subcompartments were assigned a value for their relative slope according to the evaluation standard (Table 3), and a figure of the relative slope evaluation grade was formed (Figure 4b). It can be seen that subcompartments with relatively large slopes were mostly distributed in the southern part of the park (Figure 4b). Through the weighted analysis of slope (0.20) and visual probability (0.80), the visual sensitivity assessment results were obtained and divided into 4 grades (Figure 4c). For visual sensitivity, 10 subcompartments achieved grade 1, which were mainly located in the south and center of the park with a high tourist flow; 10 subcompartments achieved grade 2, and were distributed around subcompartments with grade 1; 10 subcompartments achieved grade 3, and were scattered in the west of the park; and 8 subcompartments achieved grade 4, located at park boundaries (Figure 4c).

3.2. Evaluation of Forest Characteristics

After standardizing the evaluation indicators of canopy density, mean DBH, mean tree height, mean under-branch height, stand arbor density, and age class, the scores of stand quality scores for subcompartments were obtained through weighted analysis (Table 1). The scores were divided into four grades: grade 1 (≥1.073), grade 2 (0.998–1.073), grade 3 (0.854–0.998), and grade 4 (≤0.854) (Figure 4a). There were 11 subcompartments defined as grade 1, mainly located at the entrance of the park and around the Jiangang Reservoir. A total of 9 subcompartments were defined as grade 2, and were distributed around subcompartments in grade 1. There were 9 subcompartments defined as grade 3 and grade 4, respectively, and these subcompartments were far from the park’s central area. For tree species composition (Figure 5b), 20 subcompartments were broad-leaved forests, 16 subcompartments were coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests, and 2 subcompartments were coniferous forests. As a result, broad-leaved forests and coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests occupied most of Wenbo Forest Park.

3.3. Evaluation of Soil Properties

3.3.1. Soil pH and Moisture Content

According to Figure 6, soil pH ranged from 7.59 to 8.12, and there was no significant difference between subcompartments. As a result, the soil was weakly alkaline in the park. The soil moisture content ranged from 5.03% to 19.60%, with a maximum occurring in subcompartment 1 and a minimum occurring in subcompartment 26.

3.3.2. Soil-Available Nutrients

Figure 7 shows the soil nutrient content of forest subcompartments. In general, the soil contained a low proportion of AN and was rich in AP. Soil AK varied in different subcompartments. Soil AK content varied significantly among subcompartments, with the highest value occurring in subcompartment 14 (217 mg/kg) and the lowest in subcompartment 29 (27 mg/kg).

3.4. Multi-Level Management of the Park

From the perspective of forest health and wellness, the park was divided into four functional areas (i.e., healthcare, ecological benefit, science education, and landscape appreciation) according to the existing infrastructure and the park’s dominant forest functions (Figure 8). The functional healthcare area was located east of the park. This area has the largest human flow in Wenbo Forest Park and was mainly used for various health and wellness activities, based on two tour routes (Figure 1) and surrounding forest landscapes. The infrastructure of health facilities in this area was relatively complete, including various leisure and entertainment facilities, basketball courts, fitness courts, and two green trails. Its overall construction condition was also better than other operating areas of the park, but there was a lack of natural education facilities. Despite adequate supporting infrastructure, the types of health and wellness activities were not diverse, and there was a lack of organization and guidance for these activities. The functional area of ecological benefit was in the center of the park. The forest type is dominated by water conservation forests, which can meet the needs of ecological education and knowledge popularization. There were no natural education facilities, green trails, or fitness facilities in this area, so the overall construction of health facilities was poor. The construction of other support facilities also needs to be further strengthened. The functional area of science education was in the northwest of the park. The area was rich in plant resources, including 42 specialized botanical gardens and 27 hectares of Malus spectabilis. It can meet the needs of various activities, such as plant science education and study tours for students. Support facilities in this area were well constructed, but there was a lack of natural education facilities, and there were no green trails or fitness facilities. Support facilities in this area were well constructed, but there was a lack of natural education facilities, green trails, and fitness facilities. The functional area of landscape appreciation was in the northwest of the park. Various landscapes and undulating terrain can meet the needs of tourists for sightseeing in this area. Support facilities were relatively complete, and the construction of health facilities needed improvement. There were no natural education facilities, green trails, and fitness facilities.
The functional area was further classified into management areas based on visual sensitivity grades. Each functional area contained 4 grades of visual sensitivity, so the park was classified into 16 managed areas (Figure 8). Based on the primary classification criteria of the grades of visual sensitivity and standing quality, and considering the distribution of soil properties, tree species composition, and management status, the park was classified into 31 management types (Figure 9). The classification and detailed description of management areas and management types are shown in Tables S1–S4. The forest subcompartment was considered the basic management unit [18]. In summary, a multi-level management system of forest parks was established, including 4 functional areas, 16 management areas, 31 management types, and 38 forest subcompartments (Table 4).

4. Discussion

4.1. Multi-Functional Forest Management

The multi-functional management of the forest focuses on diversified types and benefits and promotes a more sustainable management mode [29,36]. Such an idea echoes the “close-to-nature forest” advocated by German researchers [37]. Despite the fact that it was proposed long ago, the evaluation of multi-functional forest management is still at an early stage in China. In addition, evaluation indicators were not diversified enough, with most focusing on functions such as carbon stocks and sinks and water conservation [38,39,40]. This study integrated different forestry management modes and obtained a classified and hierarchical management plan for Wenbo Forest Park to achieve multiple targets in the aspect of forest health and wellness, thus providing a scientific supplement to the management principle of forest healthcare resources of suburban forest parks. In terms of the study scale for park management, most previous studies have focused on two scales: the forestland scale and the regional scale [13,41,42]. Studies on the above two scales are relatively mature and have the advantage of combining macro and micro perspectives, which can achieve the coordination and unity of multi-functional functions of forest ecosystems. However, studies at these scales cannot be well used to propose specific management measures for forests with different management statuses and forest characteristics. Therefore, this study proposed a multi-level management plan, and the forest subcompartment was considered the most basic management unit. In this way, targeted and specific management strategies can be obtained for different types of forest land.
Visual evaluation is a kind of comprehensive evaluation that involves aesthetics, psychology, ecology, and geography [43,44]. In previous studies, scenic beauty evaluation and other methods were widely used [45,46], but such qualitative analysis was quite subjective, lacking scientific support. In terms of quantitative analysis of visual indicators, many studies have been carried out from different perspectives by using the spatial analysis function of ArcGIS [47,48]. In this study, visual sensitivity was selected as a basic indicator to objectively describe the visual features of the forest landscape from the overall perspective and single-factor perspective through quantitative analysis of relative slope and visual probability [49]. Our study used a novel perspective for the quantitative evaluation of forest resources and optimization of management measures in forest parks.

4.2. Proposals of Management Measure

The four types of functional areas in Wenbo Forest Park possessed different functions and attributes (Figure 7 and Figure 8). To improve multi-functional management, some optimizing strategies are as follows. For the functional area of healthcare, more healthcare activities in the forests are needed, such as negative oxygen ion breathing, forest meditation, and fruit picking in the apricot forest of the park [48]. The functional area of ecological benefit needs to further improve the ecological function of forests by planting trees with ornamental effects and strong water conservation capacity [19]. In terms of facility construction, facilities related to ecological and environmental education should be installed. For the functional area of science education, it is recommended to replant tree species with special ornamental, cultural, or historical values in low-density forests [13]. Activities such as popular science exhibitions on plant knowledge and tourism interpretation should be carried out. And natural education facilities such as outdoor classes are proposed to be installed in this area. It is suggested that trees with high ornamental value and diverse leaf color should be replanted in forests for landscape appreciation [16,42]. Trees that are not conducive to landscape beauty and weak growth should be cut down and replanted in time to increase the richness and attractiveness of the landscape [22,46]. In addition, more benches, pavilions, and facilities for rest are needed, and guiding signs should be provided in the scenic gardens [10].
Forest health and nutrition tourism is the harmonious coexistence of humans and forests, and a good ecological environment is very important for health and nutrition. However, the development of tourism has brought challenges to the protection of forest resources and the restoration of the ecological environment. Therefore, the biggest problem we face is ecological protection, whether the forest rehabilitation industry can be maintained and whether the built resources and environment can be developed sustainably. Based on this problem, we will put forward the Integrated Management Plan, at the same time, to achieve sustainable development of governance and sharing, as the direction of the development of the forest health industry.

4.3. Strengths and Weakness

The traditional planning of forest parks usually only pays attention to the protection of the natural landscape and resources, but the concepts of humanistic care and physical and mental health have not been taken into account in the planning and construction process of the park [23,38]. Considering the demand of urban residents for physical and mental health in their leisure time, this study tried to propose a multi-functional and multi-level management plan for forest parks from the perspective of forest health and wellness in order to attract tourists, investors, and other stakeholders and promote the sustainable development of forest parks [6,15]. The forest park management strategy based on the novel concept of forest health and wellness can not only protect the ecological environment of the park, but also improve its tourism attraction and create more positive and sustainable economic, ecological, and social benefits [7,14]. However, the classification of functional areas, management areas, and management types of healthcare forests may produce varying results in suburban forest parks with different forest resources, thus requiring more practical studies. Future studies can be conducted on other suburban forest parks that were built close to Zhengzhou City to establish a comprehensive classification system of management types for healthcare forests and further improve the management plan formulation for the forest park from the perspective of healthcare and wellness.

5. Conclusions

Based on the management status and forest characteristics of Wenbo Forest Park, the area division of multi-functional and multi-level management was obtained from the perspective of healthcare and wellness in this study, using field surveys and single-factor analysis methods with ArcGIS software. Multiple aspects were selected to evaluate the management status, including disease and pest, stand color, biodiversity, canopy density, stand density, and stand age. In this way, the park was divided into 4 functional areas, 16 management areas, 31 management types, and 38 forest subcompartments. These results could be used to optimize the management strategy of healthcare forests in Wenbo Forest Park and ensure the sustainable utilization of various functions and benefits of forests. Urban development and the need for green space vary around the world.
Through the above study, it can be obtained that in the process of management and development of urban forest parks in other regions, in addition to focusing on the development of forest eco-tourism projects and the protection of natural resources, it is also necessary to pay attention to the optimal allocation of various types of resources, make full use of all kinds of natural resources in urban forest parks, create a good regional natural scenery, and enhance the effect of urban forest park recreation. This study provides an effective reference for the multi-functional and multi-level management of healthcare forests in suburban forest parks in other regions. Our study provides an effective reference for the multi-functional and multi-level management of healthcare forests in suburban forest parks in other regions.

Supplementary Materials

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/f16010102/s1, Table S1. Classification of management areas and types in the functional area of health care. Table S2. Classification of management areas and types in the functional area of ecological benefit. Table S3. Classification of management areas and types in the functional area of ecological benefit. Table S4. Classification of management areas and types in the functional area of landscape appreciation.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, X.L. (Ximei Li) and Z.L.; methodology, M.C.; software, M.C.; formal analysis, X.L. (Xiaoyu Liao) and Y.Q.; investigation, X.L. (Xiaoyu Liao), M.C. and C.G.; writing—original draft preparation, X.L. (Ximei Li); writing—review and editing, Z.L., Y.Y., J.Z., X.H. and Y.Q.; funding acquisition, X.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by The Science and Technology Projects Research in Henan Province of China (242102320329).

Data Availability Statement

The data sets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the people who participated in the field investigation and the staff of Wenbo Forest Park.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Forests 16 00102 g001
Figure 1. Location of study site and forest subcompartment distribution of Wenbo Forest Park in Zhengzhou City, China.
Figure 1. Location of study site and forest subcompartment distribution of Wenbo Forest Park in Zhengzhou City, China.
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Forests 16 00102 g002
Figure 2. Method frame diagram.
Figure 2. Method frame diagram.
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Figure 3. Assignments of the proportion of visual field of forest subcompartments in close (a), medium (b), and long range (c) in Wenbo Forest Park.
Figure 3. Assignments of the proportion of visual field of forest subcompartments in close (a), medium (b), and long range (c) in Wenbo Forest Park.
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Figure 4. Grade distributions of visual probability (a), visual sensitivity (c), and assignment of relative slope (b) of forest subcompartments in Wenbo Forest Park.
Figure 4. Grade distributions of visual probability (a), visual sensitivity (c), and assignment of relative slope (b) of forest subcompartments in Wenbo Forest Park.
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Figure 5. Grade distribution of stand quality (a) and tree species composition (b) of forest subcompartments in Wenbo Forest Park.
Figure 5. Grade distribution of stand quality (a) and tree species composition (b) of forest subcompartments in Wenbo Forest Park.
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Figure 6. Soil pH (a) and moisture content (c) of forest subcompartments and their frequency statistics (b,d) of Wenbo Forest Park.
Figure 6. Soil pH (a) and moisture content (c) of forest subcompartments and their frequency statistics (b,d) of Wenbo Forest Park.
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Figure 7. Contents of soil alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen (a), available phosphorus (c), and available potassium (e) of forest subcompartments and their frequency statistics (b,d,f) of Wenbo Forest Park.
Figure 7. Contents of soil alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen (a), available phosphorus (c), and available potassium (e) of forest subcompartments and their frequency statistics (b,d,f) of Wenbo Forest Park.
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Figure 8. Classification management of functional and management areas in Wenbo Forest Park.
Figure 8. Classification management of functional and management areas in Wenbo Forest Park.
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Figure 9. Classification management of management types in Wenbo Forest Park. Different colored boundaries represent different functional areas; the numbers under different functional areas on the left correspond to different management types; the numbers on the different small patches on the right are the sub-plot numbers.
Figure 9. Classification management of management types in Wenbo Forest Park. Different colored boundaries represent different functional areas; the numbers under different functional areas on the left correspond to different management types; the numbers on the different small patches on the right are the sub-plot numbers.
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Table 1. Benchmark values and weights of stand quality and their meanings.
Table 1. Benchmark values and weights of stand quality and their meanings.
Index (/Unit)Benchmark ValueMeaningWeight
Canopy density0.70Sustainability requirements0.326
Mean DBH/cm13.60Mean value of the eighth National Forest Resources Inventory0.099
Mean tree height/m22.71Mean value of forest subcompartments0.099
Mean under-branch height/m2.50Comfort requirements of body space0.099
Arbor density of stand/plant·hectare−11584Mean value of forest subcompartments0.189
Age class of forestMature forestsScenic beauty development requirements of the landscape0.189
Table 2. Weights, criteria for the classification, and assignments of the visual probability.
Table 2. Weights, criteria for the classification, and assignments of the visual probability.
Level 1 IndexWeightLevel 2 IndexWeightProportion of Visual Field %Assignment
Visual probability0.800–250 m0.54≥66.797
46.70–66.795
29.48–46.703
≤29.481
250–500 m0.30≥71.007
49.09–71.005
28.18–49.093
≤28.181
500–1000 m0.16≥58.507
38.74–58.505
23.58–36.933
≤23.581
Table 3. Weights, criteria for the classification, and assignments of the relative slope.
Table 3. Weights, criteria for the classification, and assignments of the relative slope.
GradeWeightEvaluation StandardAssignment
Relative slope0.20≥15.967
9.71–15.965
4.79–9.713
≤4.791
Table 4. Features, facilities, advantages, and disadvantages of functional zoning.
Table 4. Features, facilities, advantages, and disadvantages of functional zoning.
Function AreaFacilityAdvantageDisadvantage
Healthcare arealeisure and entertainment facilities, basketball court, fitness fieldlarge flow of peoplelack of natural education facilities
Ecological benefit arealess facilitiesmore forest typeslack of infrastructure
Science and education areasupporting education facilitiesrich plant resourceslack of natural resources facilities
Landscape appreciation areasecurity facilitiesto meet the needs of tourismthe lack of natural education facilities
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Li, X.; Chen, M.; Qin, Y.; Yang, Y.; Liao, X.; Gao, C.; Zhao, J.; Huang, X.; Li, Z. Research on Urban Forest Park Management Based on Recreation Concept. Forests 2025, 16, 102. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010102

AMA Style

Li X, Chen M, Qin Y, Yang Y, Liao X, Gao C, Zhao J, Huang X, Li Z. Research on Urban Forest Park Management Based on Recreation Concept. Forests. 2025; 16(1):102. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010102

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Ximei, Mingzhu Chen, Yi Qin, Yi Yang, Xiaoyu Liao, Chunyu Gao, Junjing Zhao, Xin Huang, and Zhi Li. 2025. "Research on Urban Forest Park Management Based on Recreation Concept" Forests 16, no. 1: 102. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010102

APA Style

Li, X., Chen, M., Qin, Y., Yang, Y., Liao, X., Gao, C., Zhao, J., Huang, X., & Li, Z. (2025). Research on Urban Forest Park Management Based on Recreation Concept. Forests, 16(1), 102. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010102

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