Climate Change and Informal Education in the Opinion of Forest Users in Poland

Natalia Korcz, Jacek Koba, Agata Kobyłka, Emilia Janeczko and Joanna Gmitrowicz-Iwan
Additional contact information
Natalia Korcz: Department of Natural Foundations of Forestry, Institute of Soil Science and Environment Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Jacek Koba: Department of Natural Foundations of Forestry, Institute of Soil Science and Environment Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Agata Kobyłka: Department of Tourism and Recreation, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Emilia Janeczko: Department of Forest Utilization, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Life Sciences in Warsaw, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Joanna Gmitrowicz-Iwan: Department of Soil Science, Institute of Soil Science and Environment Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 14, 1-14

Abstract: Climate change affects various aspects of the economy, agriculture, economics, and politics, including forestry. There is more and more talk about the real impact of the effects of climate change. This paper presents the results of a survey on the perceptions of two groups, foresters and recreational forest users, about climate change and its impacts on forested areas; 130 foresters and 146 recreational forest users participated in the survey (total n = 276). The survey was conducted from April to November 2019 and consisted of three parts. The first part included questions about the demographic characteristics of the respondents (gender, age, education, place of residence), the second part focused on the respondents’ views on climate change and its implications for forest ecosystems, and the third part focused on informal forest education and its relationship to climate change. The results of our study indicated that progressive climate change affecting forest ecosystems is clearly felt by the professional group related to forests such as foresters, and to a lesser extent by people using forests for tourism and recreation. According to foresters, the effects of climate change on forest areas include rapid changes in weather patterns and more frequent insect infestations. On the other hand, people resting in forests mainly observe the lack of snow cover and occurrence of drought. Informal forest education insufficiently covers the topic of climate change. Thus, our study can help guide informal education towards topics related to climate change and the need for sustainable forest use.

Keywords: climate change perceptions; climate change impacts; forest education; forestry; statistical analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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