Revealing lay people's perceptions of forest biodiversity value components and their application in valuation method

Applying a coding strategy for analysing data from individual interviews and group discussions revealed that 'diversity of animals and plants', 'natural appearance and dynamics of ecosystem', and 'peace and quietness' were the attributes of forest ecosystems most frequently mentioned by lay people. In addition, it was found that regardless of familiarity with the various ecological scientific terminologies, lay people had an intuitive understanding of ecological concepts such as biodiversity. The analyses demonstrated that individuals' perceptions and values of biodiversity could be framed in two interlinking categories: (i) as a good in itself, and (ii) its regulatory function. It was also revealed that individuals' attitudes towards forests and their biodiversity may be rooted in their mental constructs and can be useful in targeting policy and conservation management.