Intention of preserving forest remnants among landowners in the Atlantic Forest: The role of the ecological context via ecosystem services

Author(s)

Tisovec-Dufner, Karina Campos ; Teixeira, Lucas ; Marin, Gabriela de Lima ; Coudel, Emilie ; Morsello, Carla ; Pardini, Renata

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PEOPLE AND NATURE; v. 1, n. 4, p. 15-pg., 2019-12-01.

Abstract

Unravelling the psychological processes determining landowners' support towards forest conservation is crucial, particularly in rural areas of the tropics, where most forest remnants are within private lands. As human-nature connections are known to shape pro-environmental behaviours, the intention of preserving forest remnants should ultimately be determined by the ecological context people live in. Here, we investigate the pathways through which the ecological context (forest cover), via direct contact with forests and ecosystem services and disservices, influence the psychological antecedents of conservation behaviour (beliefs, attitude and intention of preserving forest remnants). We conceptualized a model based on the Reasoned Action Approach, using the ecological context and these three forest experiences as background factors, and tested the model using Piecewise Structural Equation Modelling. Data were collected through an interview-based protocol applied to 106 landowners across 13 landscapes varying in forest cover in a consolidated rural region in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Our results indicate that: (a) ecosystem services are more important than disservices for shaping intention of preserving forests, particularly non-provisioning services; (b) contact with forest has an indirect effect on intention, by positively influencing the frequency of receiving ecosystem services; (c) people living in more forested ecological contexts have more contact with forests, receive ecosystem services more frequently and, ultimately, have stronger intention of preserving forests. Hence, our study suggests a dangerous positive feedback loop between deforestation, the extinction of forest experiences and impairment of human-nature connections. Local demands across the full range of ecosystem services, the balance between services and disservices and the ecological context people live in should be considered when developing conservation initiatives in tropical rural areas. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. Abstrato Desvendar os processos psicologicos que determinam o apoio dos proprietarios de terras a conservacAo das florestas e crucial, particularmente, em areas rurais dos tropicos, onde a maioria dos remanescentes florestais se encontra em areas privadas. Como as conexoes humano-natureza sAo conhecidas por moldar comportamentos pro-ambientais, a intencAo de preservar remanescentes florestais deve ser, em ultima instancia, determinada pelo contexto ecologico no qual as pessoas vivem. Neste trabalho, investigamos os caminhos pelos quais o contexto ecologico (cobertura florestal), atraves do contato direto com a floresta e dos servicos e desservicos ecossistemicos, influencia os antecedentes psicologicos do comportamento de conservacAo (crencas, atitude e intencAo de preservar remanescentes florestais). Formulamos um modelo baseado na Abordagem da AcAo Racional, usando o contexto ecologico e estas tres experiencias com a floresta como fatores de base, e o testamos atraves da Piecewise Structural Equation Modelling. Os dados foram coletados atraves de protocolo aplicado por meio de entrevista a 106 proprietarios de terra em 13 paisagens que variam na cobertura florestal em uma regiAo rural consolidada na Mata Atlantica brasileira. Nossos resultados indicam que: (a) servicos sAo mais importantes que desservicos ecossistemicos para moldar a intencAo de preservar florestas, particularmente servicos que nAo os de provisAo; (b) o contato com a floresta tem um efeito indireto sobre a intencAo, influenciando positivamente a frequencia de recebimento de servicos ecossistemicos; (c) as pessoas que vivem em contextos ecologicos mais florestados tem mais contato com a floresta, recebem servicos ecossistemicos mais frequentemente e, assim, tem uma intencAo mais forte de preservar as florestas. Nosso estudo, portanto, sugere um perigoso ciclo de retroalimentacAo positiva entre o desmatamento, a extincAo de experiencias com a floresta e o enfraquecimento das conexoes humano-natureza. As demandas locais considerando toda a gama de servicos ecossistemicos, o balanco entre servicos e desservicos e o contexto ecologico no qual as pessoas vivem devem ser considerados ao se desenvolverem iniciativas de conservacAo em areas rurais dos tropicos. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/23457-6 - Interface project: relationships among landscape structure, ecological processes, biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Grantee: Jean Paul Walter Metzger
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/06789-3 - Human-wildlife interactions: influence of ecological context on people's attitudes towards wild mammals
• Grantee: Lucas Manuel Cabral Teixeira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 16/06690-7 - How does the intention of preserving the forest very among people living in landscapes with different percentages of remaining forest?
• Grantee: Karina Campos Tisovec Dufner
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master