Data from: Spatial and temporal dynamics and value of nature-based recreation, estimated via social media

Conserved lands provide multiple ecosystem services, including
opportunities for nature-based recreation. Managing this service requires
understanding the landscape attributes underpinning its provision, and how
changes in land management affect its contribution to human wellbeing over
time. However, evidence from both spatially explicit and temporally
dynamic analyses is scarce, often due to data limitations. In this study,
we investigated nature-based recreation within conserved lands in Vermont,
USA. We used geotagged photographs uploaded to the photo-sharing website
Flickr to quantify visits by in-state and out-of-state visitors, and we
multiplied visits by mean trip expenditures to show that conserved lands
contributed US $1.8 billion (US $0.18–20.2 at 95% confidence) to Vermont’s
tourism industry between 2007 and 2014. We found eight landscape
attributes explained the pattern of visits to conserved lands; visits were
higher in larger conserved lands, with less forest cover, greater trail
density and more opportunities for snow sports. Some of these attributes
differed from those found in other locations, but all aligned with our
understanding of recreation in Vermont. We also found that using
temporally static models to inform conservation decisions may have
perverse outcomes for nature-based recreation. For example, static models
suggest conserved land with less forest cover receive more visits, but
temporally dynamic models suggest clearing forests decreases, rather than
increases, visits to these sites. Our results illustrate the importance of
understanding both the spatial and temporal dynamics of ecosystem services
for conservation decision-making.