Abstract:
Understanding public perceptions of ecosystem services and disservices of forests and greenspaces is essential for developing targeted forest policy and management strategies. However, across Europe, geographic differences and the role of demographic patterns and values in shaping perceptions remain largely unexplored.
This study assesses societal perceptions of forests and greenspace services for the first time on a continental scale, encompassing data from 33 countries. Based on a representative sample (n = 10,782), perceptions were assessed from two angles: First, by analysing regional differences across Europe. Second, by examining how Schwartz’s values (i.e., openness to change, conservation, self-enhancement, and self-transcendence) and demographics (i.e., age, gender) relate to their perceived importance.
Overall, regulating and cultural ecosystem services are perceived as very important, and provisioning services as less important. Disservices are generally perceived as unimportant. Hierarchical clustering identifies four regional clusters across Europe, showing significant regional differences in perceptions.
Structural equation modelling shows that demographics and values significantly predict perceptions, with values having the strongest influence. Self-transcendence, openness to change, and conservation values are positively associated with regulating and cultural services, while self-enhancement values are negatively associated. Provisioning services are positively associated with openness to change, conservation, and self-enhancement values, but negatively with self-transcendence. Gender, age, education, and income also significantly predict perceptions.
Altogether, our analysis of major patterns in perceptions of ecosystem services across Europe – and specifically the assessment of regional, demographic and value differences – provides a critical and so far, largely missing knowledge base to inform forest policy, management and nature planning.
Citation:
Roitsch, D., Ekiawan, K., Derks., J., de Vreese, R., Buijs, A., Zivojinovic, I., Pülzl, H., Winkel, G. (2026) Ecosystem services and disservices of forests and greenspaces: A pan-European representative study of societal perceptions, Ecosystem Services, 78, 101832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2026.101832