Biosphere Reserve Landscapes and Human Health Benefits: Analysing the potential of the Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald on life quality and psychological well-being
Abstract
Biosphere reserves (BR) provide many ecosystem services to societies, among these are cultural ecosystem services such as recreation and restoration. Biosphere reserves’ valuable natural and historical cultural landscapes may be specifically useful to human health. The Biosphere reserve Wienerwald with its various natural and cultural landscapes may provide such health benefits to the public, particularly for the urban population of Vienna. The question arises which landscapes of the biosphere reserve are specifically effective in providing restorative effects and whether such benefits can be used for sustainable regional development by using the natural capital for new health-related commercial offers. The answering of these questions is urgently needed because the biosphere reserve aims in being a role model for such nature-based health-related offers. Unfortunately, information on restorative effects of different landscape types is missing. In addition, demonstrating health effects of a stay in biosphere landscapes will raise public awareness about the valuable natural capital of the area, which can assist in maintaining such landscapes and supporting the biosphere reserve idea. Findings may support the role for wellbeing for local residents and visitors. This study explores whether biosphere reserve landscapes have positive effects on human mental/emotional health and whether this effect differs among landscape types. Therefore the project will be a first step in identifying landscapes of the biosphere reserve with a health potential. It provides results and approaches which are useful for other biosphere reserves in using their natural, cultural and human capital for health-related offers. This explorative research project will contribute to restorative and outdoor recreation research and can be seen as an Austrian key project in that field.
Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald cultural ecosystem services Health Benefits restorative effects
Publikationen
Biosphere reserve landscapes as resources for human health and well-being
Autoren: Eder, Renate, Arnberger, Arne, Köck, Günter Jahr: 2015
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
„HealthSpaces“: Biosphärenpark‐Landschaften und ihre Bedeutung für die Gesundheit: Analyse des Potenzials des Biosphärenparks Wienerwald hinsichtlich Lebensqualität und subjektivem Wohlbefinden. 2. Zwischenbericht
Autoren: Allex, B; Arnberger, A; Eder, R; Hutter, H-P Jahr: 2015
Forschungsbericht (extern. Auftraggeber)
Endbericht: HealthSpaces - Biosphärenpark-Landschaften und ihre Bedeutung für die Gesundheit: Analyse des Potenzials des Biosphärenparks Wienerwald hinsichtlich Lebensqualität und subjektivem Wohlbefinden
Autoren: Allex, B; Arnberger, A; Eder, R; Hutter, H P; Wallner, P Jahr: 2016
Forschungsbericht (extern. Auftraggeber)
Health Spaces: Bedeutung unterschiedlicher Landschaften für Wohlbefinden im Biosphärenpark Wienerwald
Autoren: Hutter, H P; Wallner, P; Allex, B; Eder, R; Arnberger, A Jahr: 2016
Journal articles
Forests, meadows or vineyards? Results of landscape effects on human health in the Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve
Autoren: Arnberger, A.; Allex, B.; Eder, R.; Hutter, H.-P.; Wallner, P. Jahr: 2017
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Project staff
Renate Eder
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Renate Eder
renate.eder@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-85326
Project Staff
23.10.2013 - 31.08.2016
Arne Arnberger
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arne Arnberger
arne.arnberger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-85311
Sub Projectleader
23.10.2013 - 31.08.2016
BOKU partners
External partners
Universitätsklinik für Frauenheilkunde
none
partner