Das Verhältnis der Schweizer Bevölkerung zum Wald. Waldmonitoring soziokulturell WaMos3. Ergebnisse der nationalen Umfrage

The relationship of the Swiss population to the forest has been investigated in surveys since 1978, and in 1997 for the first time as part of the so-called “Sociocultural forest monitoring” or “Waldmonitoring soziokulturell” WaMos. This report describes the results of the national WaMos3 survey 2020. The online panel of the market research institute LINK was used for the survey. In addition to the representative survey of the adult population, a sample of 156 adolescents was also interviewed. The self-assessed level of information on forest topics has declined since WaMos2 (2010), with older people feeling better informed than younger people. The level of knowledge regarding the increase in forest area in Switzerland and the management of mountain forests for protection against natural hazards is also lower among younger people than among older ones. Today, the population attributes greater importance to most forest functions for society than in WaMos2. In particular, the ecological function, the production function and the recreational function have gained importance. More people than in WaMos2 (2010) assume that forest health has deteriorated. Changes due to climate change, such as drought damage, are perceived by the population. The majority of the population is in favour of active forest management for climate adaptation. With regard to the ecological function of the forest, most people know that biodiversity has decreased. Accordingly, the acceptance of forest reserves is high, as is that of large carnivores. Climate change, the expansion of settlements, introduced animal and plant species and pests are seen as the greatest threats to the forest. Great importance is attached to the protective function of the forest. Nevertheless, knowledge about the interrelation between the management and the protective function of mountain forests is declining. In principle, the population is satisfied with the management of the most frequently visited forest. The felling of trees and closing of roads for logging are well accepted by the population. Leaving branches lying on the ground after logging is controversial, and is either well accepted or not accepted at all. Sustainability criteria have gained in importance when purchasing timber products. In terms of forest preferences, the population likes mixed forests best. The presence of a shrub layer is better liked than in WaMos2 (2010) and the liking of deadwood is also increasing at a low level. However, recreational infrastructure is valued less and less. For the first time, forest photos were also presented to the respondents for assessment. It turns out that already existing forest preferences, motives for visiting the forest, the importance of the forest in childhood and the language region have an influence on visual attractiveness of forest. Forest characteristics such as visibility range, shrub layer cover and cover of berry bushes, stage of stand development, stand structure and the presence of deadwood also have an influence. In order to get a picture of which forests people visit, they were asked to mark the forest they visit most often on a map using PPGIS. Local recreation dominates; the densest cloud of points is found where Switzerland is most densely populated. As always, most people go to the forest frequently. The most frequently cited motives for visiting the forest are “experiencing nature”, “enjoying fresh air” and “escaping from everyday life”. Adolescents go to the forest less often. Their activities in the forest are dominated by barbecues/bonfires/parties, jogging and sports in general. Satisfaction with forest visits has decreased at a high level compared to 2010. Forest attractiveness is rated lower, the visit to the forest is perceived as less restorative and the perceived disturbances are increasing. In sum, the Swiss population highly values the forest, as a recreational area, but also in particular as a habitat for plants and animals. Ecological awareness seems to have risen again in the last 10 years, and with it concerns about the state of the forest and biodiversity. On the other hand, satisfaction with forest recreation – at a high level – has somewhat declined.