Heterogeneous preferences and recreational value of global forest environment using the auction method

Due to differences in terms of income, age, family status and household residential area, household preferences for housing are heterogeneous. Using average preferences is not representative of the territory specifities. The aim of this study is to analyze, through the estimation of the bid functions, how the socio-economic profile of households affects their preferences in terms of recreation in forest environment. The results tend to clarify the question of “nature” in urban and periurban areas and reveal heterogeneous preferences for recreational services of forests. When defined as greenery and amenity area in general, global forest environment value is higher for the upper classes and people over 45 years. When expressed by its protected areas for biodiversity, global forest environment nega- tively affects the demand of the least affluent classes but it is positively valued by some “managers and intellectual professions”. Finally, considered as hiking and biking paths areas, forest environment is especially valued by the less affluent and younger households.