Exploring societal perceptions of forests, ecosystem benefits, and restoration. A case study in Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Serbia, Croatia, and Spain.

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Title: Exploring societal perceptions of forests, ecosystem benefits, and restoration. A case study in Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Serbia, Croatia, and Spain.
Authors: Kazungu, Moses1 (AUTHOR) moses.kazungu@wsl.ch, Hunziker, Marcel1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Environmental Planning & Management. Jul2026, Vol. 69 Issue 7, p2226-2248. 23p.
Subjects: Forest restoration, Community involvement, Ecosystem services, Biodiversity conservation, Forests & forestry, Attitudes toward the environment, Social attitudes
Geographic Terms: Europe
Abstract: Forests provide essential ecological and socio-economic benefits, yet forest restoration efforts often overlook how people perceive and engage with these ecosystems. Understanding public perceptions is crucial for designing effective restoration strategies, particularly in Europe, given its social, and ecological diversity. While previous research has recorded forest and restoration benefits, less is known about how individuals perceive these benefits, engage with forests, and participate in restoration efforts. We conducted structured key informant interviews with twenty individuals from selected regions in Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Serbia/Croatia, and Spain. Thematic analysis revealed two predominant perspectives on forests: one as "encompassing everything" and the other as "unique places." Furthermore, results indicate that past restoration efforts often prioritised biodiversity conservation and hazard mitigation, while other forest benefits and uses were less integrated into these efforts. These findings highlight the need for inclusive restoration that reflects societal attitudes and aligns with community values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Environmental Planning & Management is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Exploring societal perceptions of forests, ecosystem benefits, and restoration. A case study in Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Serbia, Croatia, and Spain.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Environmental+Planning+%26+Management%22">Journal of Environmental Planning & Management</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 69 Issue 7, p2226-2248. 23p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Forest+restoration%22">Forest restoration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+involvement%22">Community involvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ecosystem+services%22">Ecosystem services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biodiversity+conservation%22">Biodiversity conservation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Forests+%26+forestry%22">Forests & forestry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+toward+the+environment%22">Attitudes toward the environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+attitudes%22">Social attitudes</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Europe%22">Europe</searchLink>
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  Data: Forests provide essential ecological and socio-economic benefits, yet forest restoration efforts often overlook how people perceive and engage with these ecosystems. Understanding public perceptions is crucial for designing effective restoration strategies, particularly in Europe, given its social, and ecological diversity. While previous research has recorded forest and restoration benefits, less is known about how individuals perceive these benefits, engage with forests, and participate in restoration efforts. We conducted structured key informant interviews with twenty individuals from selected regions in Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Serbia/Croatia, and Spain. Thematic analysis revealed two predominant perspectives on forests: one as "encompassing everything" and the other as "unique places." Furthermore, results indicate that past restoration efforts often prioritised biodiversity conservation and hazard mitigation, while other forest benefits and uses were less integrated into these efforts. These findings highlight the need for inclusive restoration that reflects societal attitudes and aligns with community values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Environmental Planning & Management is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/09640568.2025.2490716
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 23
        StartPage: 2226
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Forest restoration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Community involvement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ecosystem services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biodiversity conservation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Forests & forestry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes toward the environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Europe
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Exploring societal perceptions of forests, ecosystem benefits, and restoration. A case study in Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Serbia, Croatia, and Spain.
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            NameFull: Kazungu, Moses
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            NameFull: Hunziker, Marcel
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 07
              Text: Jul2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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