The perception of the forest in forestry students: a survey at the University of Florence

The growing interest in the positive effects of the forest on the individual and social sphere and in the cultural and social development of local realities has motivated this survey to investigate the preferences of recreational activities carried out in the forest. The study was aimed to understand the effect of the forest on the psychological conditions of its users, and to evaluate the value attributed to the ecosystem services of the forest by the users themselves. The survey focused on the perception of the forest of the students of the degree courses in Forestry and Environmental Sciences of the University of Florence. The survey population was constituted by 283 students, 219 enrolled in the three-year degree course and 64 in the master’s course; 36% of the population, 102 students, answered a questionnaire specially created for this study. The main frequentation of the forest for free leisure activities has defined psychological well-being through the sensation of “serenity”, as the one most perceived, and sensations of “energy”, “euphoria”, “quiet”, “relief” and “lucidity”. A high value was attributed to the ecosystem services of the forest, such as “local climate regulation” and “air quality regulation”, by demonstrating the weight of the background of university studies. The survey is proposed as a pilot study for the analysis of psychological well-being and the recreational services of the forest useful to numerous professionals connected to it.