The importance of urban natural areas and urban ecosystem services during the COVID-19 pandemic

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243344
• Publication Date: 2020-12-17T21:08:21Z
• Authors: Nelson Grima; Will Corcoran; Corinne Hill-James; Benjamin Langton; Haley Sommer; Brendan Fisher
• Keywords: Pandemic; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Urban, peri-urban forests and other natural areas provide a wide range of material non-material benefits to people known as ecosystem services. Access these has been linked for physical mental health local populations. In the spring 2020, COVID-19 global pandemic forced many governments impose set restrictions including closure businesses, cancelation public events schooling, social distancing, limitations on size gatherings, travel restrictions. During this period restrictions, we conducted study assessing importance urban living in around city Burlington, Vermont, USA. We evaluated self-reported use changes personal related before during received over 400 responses our field survey. The results show that 69.0% respondents had increased or greatly their visitation rate forests, 80.6% considered areas, access them, either increased. Moreover 25.8% sample never, very rarely accessed pandemic, but 69.2% first time infrequent visitors reported having 'very important'. People were important activities from exercise birding, also values reducing stress chaos. Our indicate increasing demand value such times crisis COVID-19. Experts zoonotic disease predict potential more frequent events, thus predicating continued funding for, maintenance of, improved to, largely civilization.