A new study conducted by scientists from Poland and Norway and published in Scientific Reports shows that two-thirds of forest visitors in Poland (68%) and Norway (66%) prefer old, natural forests inhabited by large carnivores.
The study is the result of a collaboration between scientists from the University of Warsaw, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, the University of Southeastern Norway and the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN).
“There were virtually no people in the study who were neutral towards the features of the forest and the presence of large predators. People who chose to visit a forest close to nature preferred that large predators also lived in the forest. For many people, the mere chance to meet a large predator or the opportunity to see its tracks translates into satisfaction with a visit to the forest. In contrast, people who preferred to visit a commercial forest had a strong tendency to avoid forests with predators”, explains Nuria Selva from the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow.
Read more:
