Recreation potential assessment at large spatial scales: a method based in the ecosystem services approach and landscape metrics

The document proposes a conceptual framework and method for assessing outdoor recreation potential as a cultural ecosystem service at large spatial scales, utilizing landscape metrics and campsite density. Tested in Argentina across 15 ecoregions, the method highlights that the determinants of recreation potential vary by ecoregion, limiting their generalizability.

• The authors developed a method to evaluate outdoor recreation potential using landscape metrics at a coarse scale and campsite density as an indicator for ecosystem service supply and benefit capture. The approach employs quantile multiple regression (specifically the 0.9 quantile of campsite density) and linear stepwise regression to analyze the difference between predicted potential and actual use, stratified by ecoregion.
• Application of the method in Argentina revealed that landscape determinants have limited generalization capacity because their explanatory power varies across ecoregions. Specifically, crop area did not negatively impact recreation potential in any of the 15 ecoregions analyzed, and forest cover only showed a positive effect in the Pampas ecoregion, where forests are primarily exotic tree plantations.
• The study found that unrealized benefit—the gap between predicted recreation potential and actual use—generally increases in correlation with population density and road density.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Recreation potential assessment at large spatial scales: a method based in the ecosystem services approach and landscape metrics. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/recreation-potential-assessment-at-large-spatial-scales-a-method-based-in-the-ecosystem-services-approach-and-landscape-metrics/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Recreation potential assessment at large spatial scales: a method based in the ecosystem services approach and landscape metrics. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/recreation-potential-assessment-at-large-spatial-scales-a-method-based-in-the-ecosystem-services-approach-and-landscape-metrics/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Recreation potential assessment at large spatial scales: a method based in the ecosystem services approach and landscape metrics |date=17 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/recreation-potential-assessment-at-large-spatial-scales-a-method-based-in-the-ecosystem-services-approach-and-landscape-metrics/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025recreation, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Recreation potential assessment at large spatial scales: a method based in the ecosystem services approach and landscape metrics}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/recreation-potential-assessment-at-large-spatial-scales-a-method-based-in-the-ecosystem-services-approach-and-landscape-metrics/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }