Local stakeholders’ priorities and perceptions towards forest ecosystem services in the Red panda habitat region of Nepal

• Published in: Land use policy 2023-06, Vol.129, p.106657, Article 106657
• Main Authors: Koju, Upama, Karki, Sikha, Shrestha, Anita, Maraseni, Tek, Gautam, Ambika P., Cadman, Tim, Sherpa, Ang Phuri, Lama, Sonam Tashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Community forest user group; Forest condition; Forest use; Forest value; Preference
• ISSN: 0264-8377
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106657

The Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) habitat has been providing several ecosystem services (ES) to the people; however, the differences in local stakeholders’ perceptions and preferences of these ecosystem services based on differences in their location, caste, gender, age, and engagement in CFUG are still understudied. This study was conducted using a telephone interview with 120 households from 28 Red panda habitat districts in the Himalayan range of Nepal. Respondents were asked to: (1) prioritize and rank the environmental (regulatory ES), economic (provisional ES), social, cultural, and spiritual importance of the Red panda habitat areas; (2) identify and prioritize the provisional ES; and (3) share their perceptions about the current state of the forest and biodiversity in comparison to the past decade to assess the change in Red panda habitat condition. Key findings include: (1) gender, caste, location, and involvement in community forest had a significant influence on people's perception and preference for ecosystem services (p