Socio-economic and cultural sources of conflict between forest villagers and forest; a case study from Black Sea Region, Turkey

Abstract

Human relations with the forest ecosystem vary greatly according to biophysical, demographic and economic conditions. Understanding the mutual relationships among these conditions can enable a better understanding of their drivers. Therefore, in this study, a forest management unit and the rural population within this unit were examined and the existence of the conflict phenomenon, the mutual relations between the elements possibly causing the conflict, and the dimensions of these relations were investigated. The study found that only 12% of the forest villagers were educated at a middle-school level or higher and only 17% of this section of low-income people worked in forestry activities for additional income. It was determined that the crime awareness level of the villagers engaged in forestry activities was higher than in those who did not work in this sector (X-2 = 30.78; p < 0.05). Moreover, the number of people who were penalized for forest crimes increased in parallel with the need for firewood / wood in their households (X-2 = 9.96; p < 0.05). It was found that by raising the forest villagers' awareness concerning their legal rights, their crime awareness level also increased. (X-2 = 157.46; p < 0.05). As a result, the study revealed that the income and education levels of the forest villagers had a direct effect on forest crime as the main indicator of the conflict between forest villagers and forest management.