Seeing, believing, acting: climate change attitudes and adaptation of Hungarian forest managers

doi:10.3832/ifor3958-015

Seeing, believing, acting: climate change attitudes and adaptation of Hungarian forest managers

Ferenc Jankó^(1-2), Laura Bertalan⁽²⁾, Judit Pappné Vancsó⁽²⁾, Nikoletta Németh⁽³⁾, Mónika Hoschek⁽⁴⁾, Mónika Lakatos⁽⁵⁾, Norbert Móricz⁽⁶⁾

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, Volume 15, Issue 6, Pages 509-518 (2022)
doi: https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor3958-015
Published: Dec 14, 2022 - Copyright © 2022 SISEF

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Climate change attitudes, perceptions, and adaptation activities of Hungarian forestry managers have been examined in this study through a national questionnaire and interviews. The questionnaire results revealed that respondents are mainly concerned by the decrease in snow-covered days, but differences in opinions can be attributed to geographical location and forest composition. Forest management aimed at climate change adaptation in Hungary is still in the initial phase: only 16% of respondents reported the application of climate change adaptation measures. Many foresters claim legislative constraints frequently hinder their efforts to implement such measures; those who have implemented adaptation measures show an increased concern toward climate change, on average. They have been aware of climate change for a longer time and consider it a serious problem affecting their management activities. The questionnaire results indicate that the adaptations of state forest managers are at about the same level as private foresters. Moreover, a high level of concern combined with nature conservation factors does not hinder adaptation. Nevertheless, interview respondents reported that nature conservation factors are hindrances to adaptation processes.

Keywords

Climate Change, Forestry Management, Perception, Adaptation, Hungary

Authors’ address

(1)

0000-0003-1149-6745
Department of Social and Economic Geography, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. St 1c, 1117 Budapest (Hungary)

(2)

0000-0003-1149-6745
0000-0002-1199-9257

Institute of Ecological Economics, University of Sopron, Erzsébet St. 9, 9400 Sopron (Hungary)

(3)

Institute of Business Studies, University of Sopron, Erzsébet St. 9, 9400 Sopron (Hungary)

(4)

Institute of Economics and International Relations, University of Sopron, Erzsébet St. 9, 9400 Sopron (Hungary)

(5)

0000-0002-3705-0306
Department of Climatology, Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ), Kitaibel P. St. 1, 1024 Budapest (Hungary)

(6)

0000-0001-6128-579X
Department of Ecology and Forest Management, Forest Research Institute, University of Sopron, Várkerület 30/A, 9600 Sárvár (Hungary)

Corresponding author

Norbert Móricz
moricz.norbert@uni-sopron.hu

Citation

Jankó F, Bertalan L, Pappné Vancsó J, Németh N, Hoschek M, Lakatos M, Móricz N (2022). Seeing, believing, acting: climate change attitudes and adaptation of Hungarian forest managers. iForest 15: 509-518. - doi: 10.3832/ifor3958-015

Academic Editor

Matteo Garbarino

Paper history

Received: Sep 01, 2021
Accepted: Oct 11, 2022

First online: Dec 14, 2022
Publication Date: Dec 31, 2022
Publication Time: 2.13 months

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