Forest Recreation Function Allocation in Turkish Forest Recreation Areas: A National-Scale GIS Analysis of Stand Structure Attributes

Recreation areas in Türkiye are managed under a regulatory framework that divides stand parcels into four primary recreation functions: picnicking, hiking, scenic viewing, and sports. The statistical relationship between these function assignments and silvicultural stand attributes has not yet been established at national scale. This study used a GIS-based database compiled by the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM), covering 8,387 stand parcels from 517 registered recreation areas (~45,485 ha) distributed across all seven geographic regions of Türkiye. Chi-square tests with Cramér's V effect sizes, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mann-Whitney U post-hoc comparisons, and binary logistic regression were applied to determine the relationships between canopy closure, species type, stand mixture, and age class with recreation functions. Stand mixture type showed significant associations with all four activity types (χ² = 14.52–25.56; p < 0.05; V = 0.045–0.060). Canopy closure was significant only for picnicking (χ² = 8.91; p = 0.012; V = 0.045), while species type showed the strongest association with scenic viewing (χ² = 17.41; p < 0.001; V = 0.065). Pole-stage (B class) stands comprised 44.1% of total recreation area. All effect sizes remained small, indicating that stand structure partially but consistently influences function assignment decisions. Alongside the statistical analysis, an interactive GIS-based information system was developed and made publicly accessible as a web map, enabling field managers to query stand attributes without requiring dedicated GIS software.