New study reveals how Europeans value forest ecosystem services
A new study published in Ecosystem Services offers fresh insights into how people across the EU value the benefits forests provide, from clean air and biodiversity to recreation, wood products and employment opportunities. The research, conducted within EUFORE, surveyed more than 11,000 people across all 27 EU Member States.
The authors explored the importance of forest ecosystems at three levels: their personal significance to individuals, and their perceived importance for society both today and in the future.The findings show that Europeans consistently rate regulating and cultural services, such as air quality regulation, forest beauty and contributions to human health, as the most important benefits provided by forests.
The researchers also found that people often distinguish between personal and societal priorities. Across most countries, provisioning services such as wood production, firewood and employment opportunities were considered more important for society than for individuals themselves. In addition, many respondents expected forest ecosystem services to become even more important for society in the future, reflecting growing awareness of long-term sustainability challenges.
The results highlight the importance of considering both personal and societal perspectives when developing forest policies and communication strategies. According to the authors, acknowledging these different viewpoints can help policymakers, forest owners and other stakeholders better understand public expectations and design measures that balance present and future needs.
Full reference: Andrew David Harold Stratton, Silvia Baralla, Alexandru Giurca, Dalila Frasson, Lasse Læbo Matthiesen, Silvija Krajter Ostoić, Rastislav Raši, Jan Schmidt, Dijana Vuletić, Gerhard Weiss, Ivana Zivojinovic, Niels Strange, Jette Bredahl Jacobsen. 2026. Exploring preferences of forest ecosystem services across the EU: Personal and societal perspectives, Ecosystem Services 81, 101883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2026.101883