Potential duration of active recreation season based on bioclimatic evaluation

Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine the bioclimatic recreation potential of a forest area located just north of Istanbul.

The stages of the study covered: identifying the climatic and bioclimatic parameters, characterizing and evaluating the weather

conditions, determining the bioclimatic characterization of the air temperature variation, the bioclimatic characteristics of the

local weather conditions and a bioclimatic evaluation of the daytime weather conditions. The bioclimatic recreation potential

is related to the various levels of human body activity during forest recreation. Therefore, forest recreation can be categorized

into activities with ‘high’, ‘moderate’ or ‘low’ human body activity. The accepted mean and borderline bioclimatic values for

the various levels of human body activity were calculated using international standards, heat indices and data from previous

studies of this area. The obtained results were correlated and analyzed with regard to the distribution of the average number

of visitors in the area for the periods between 1970-1985 and 1990-2008. E established a clear link between the number of

visits and types of physical activity to weather conditions. Compared with raw meteorological data, the potential for lower

body activity decreased by 6.5%, the moderate body activity by 12.1%, while high body activity by 14.1%. Weighted average

reduction was 11.2%, which equaled 18.1 days with 14 hours in the day for recreation. This classic approach to assessing the

bio-climatic, combined with levels of physical activity, allows for specific forest management decisions in shaping the forest

recreation areas.

Key words: forest recreation, bioclimatic, thermal comfort, body activity, forest management