How village communities perceive the relevance of forest ecosystem services: Insights from Himachal Pradesh, India

This study on perception analysis uses a multivariate ordinal probit regression (MVOR) model to analyse the factors influencing the perception of village communities towards forest ecosystem services (FES) in Himachal Pradesh, India. It contributes to the scholarship in two ways: first, by demonstrating the application of the MVOR to identify factors shaping perception within an ordinal framework, and second, by exploring the drivers that involve communities in sustainable forest management outside the market framework. Results show the community recognises the importance of provisioning services the most (median rank =4) and regulating and supporting services the least (median ranks = 2). The highest ranging threshold values (0–2.46) for supporting services indicate that this FES is a grey area, unlike regulating service with thresholds ranging between 0 and 1.2. Formal education significantly (p < 0.05) tends to help the community appreciate the intangible benefits of FES. This suggests that the school curriculum should incorporate a comprehensive framework of ecosystem services, while also allowing for more specific discussions on local topics to promote greater awareness of the values of regulating and supporting services among local communities. The study also emphasises empowering local bodies to strengthen community agency with more meaningful participation of educated youth. It advocates for a shift in forest management policies from a punitive to a reward-based approach, helping communities recognise the value of conservation. The preference for FES is not significantly influenced by economic needs (p > 0.05), suggesting that conservation rewards should consider broader benefits that extend beyond financial.