Perceptions of deadwood among Iranian university students

Bibliographic Data

ID21719935
AuthorsS Bayraktar (Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa), K Sefidi (University of Mohaghegh Ardabili), A Paletto (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Trento, Italy)
Year2025
Volume27
Issue3
Pages296-316
Publication date2025-09-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe International Forestry Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1465-5489 • E-ISSN: 2053-7778
PublisherCommonwealth Forestry Association (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1505/146554825840319582
LanguageEN
References cited16

Deadwood plays a key role in enhancing biodiversity, increasing habitat complexity, and supporting various ecological processes. Social perceptions and management strategies concerning deadwood, especially in non-European contexts, have been less investigated. This study addresses this gap by examining gender-specific perceptions of deadwood among Iranian university students. The study conducted a survey among 512 students, revealing that a majority were familiar with deadwood, with males slightly more knowledgeable than females. The questionnaire included Likert-scale items, visual assessments, and pairwise photo comparisons, and the collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Chi-square test, and the Principal Component Analysis. Results indicated that students highly valued deadwood for providing wildlife habitats, bioenergy production, and soil fertilization, but they were also aware of its negative aspects, such as fire risks and pests' proliferation. Gender differences were evident, with males prioritizing habitat provision and females emphasizing bioenergy production and fire risks. Visual-aesthetic perceptions of deadwood were generally positive, with significant differences in preferences for lying deadwood between males and females. These findings offer novel insights into how cultural and educational settings shape attitudes towards deadwood, informing forest management strategies that align ecological goals with public perceptions

Tools

Open DOI