ABSTRACT
Cultural services and related goods are mostly related to the pleasure, inspiration, or spiritual or religious enrichment people derive from spending time in nature, particularly PAs (Table 8.1). The drivers behind these (often intangible) benefits are as manifold as the motivations of people visiting PAs. The benefits derived can relate to enjoying nature’s amenities and tranquillity, observing different habitats and species, and gaining a deeper understanding of nature’s functions. Nature is also often used as a destination for religious pilgrimages or as a ‘medium’ for building social relations. Some visitors may be driven by educational reasons, others in search of artistic inspiration – or even for technological innovations. In practice, the visits to PAs often combine and interlink several different benefits. Cultural services and related goods https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">
Ecosystem service
Examples of related goods
Opportunities for recreation and tourism
Hiking, camping, nature walks, jogging, winter sports, water sports, angling, wildlife watching, horse riding, hunting, cycling and climbing resulting in increased mental well-being and health, including avoided stress and related mental illnesses, increased physical health, increased productivity, decreased sick days/leave, decreased health costs to employers and society
Aesthetic values
Enjoyment of rural, diversified, unique and colourful landscapes, individual habitats and species, and tranquillity supporting mental well-being (see above)
Inspiration for the arts, science and technology
Writing, painting, designs, documentaries, movies, non-fiction and fiction books; biomimicry for technology, engineering, materials and architecture
Information for education and research
Educational trips by schools and other groups; employee training; research (on and off site) related to ecosystem functions, species and genetic material leading to scientific understanding, publications and patents
Spiritual and religious experience
Natural and built sacred places, philosophy and faith; support to mental well-being (see above)
Cultural identify and heritage
Landscapes and habitats formed by human activities; species of spiritual importance; traditional and indigenous knowledge; traditional crops, cuisine and culture
Source: own presentation, based on MA (2005), de Groot et al. (2010), UK NEA (2011), Bio Intelligence Service (2011), Kettunen et al. (2013), Gantioler et al. (2010)