Analyzing forest residents' perception and knowledge of forest ecosystem services to guide forest management and biodiversity conservation

Forest ecosystem services (FES) are perceived and valued differently by different occupational groups. It is necessary to understand the various viewpoints and determinants, which have significant implications for forest management and biodiversity conservation. This suggests a need for diverse site-specific socio-cultural valuations of ecosystem services (ES) worldwide to enhance our understanding of the complexity of human-nature interactions in different social-ecological systems. In an investigation of a study area of local communities around the Hara Biosphere Reserve in the Persian Gulf, we analyze how various people and groups value FES, the determinants of various perceptions, and the implications of people's perceptions of FES for forest management and biodiversity conservation. Using the exploratory sequential mixed method, data were collected through a household questionnaire survey of 155 randomly selected people and through interviews with key informants and authorities. A decision tree was used to classify major occupational groups, and a path analysis was used to identify direct and indirect relationships among factors affecting FES perceptions. On average, the residents of the park identified 71% of the total FES that were supplied, with the cultural services as the most widely identified, followed by provisioning, supporting and regulating services. Different occupational groups perceived FES divergently. This was associated with their economic dependence on FES, age, education, proximity to the reserve, and their attendance at environmental workshops. Considering general forest management, the study provides three suggestions. Firstly, socio-cultural valuations of FES are needed to identify and compare how different occupations value ecosystems and how their services contribute to the welfare of the residents. Secondly, education initiatives should elaborate how hidden/omitted functions of the ecosystem are associated with people's well-being, thus providing them with strong motivation to support conservation programs. Thirdly, making cultural services more accessible and profitable to the public links nature conservation with social and economic well-being, and reduces overharvesting of provisioning services.