Conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in Iran

Mangrove forests are a sensitive and fragile ecosystem at risk of extinction and destruction due to excessive exploitation in recent years. Moreover, insufficient studies, programs, and practical policies to safeguard these ecosystems have exacerbated their degradation. In this context, the present...

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Main Authors: Moslem Savari, Hamed Eskandari Damaneh, Hadi Eskandari Damaneh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Global Ecology and Conservation
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005158
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author Moslem Savari
Hamed Eskandari Damaneh
Hadi Eskandari Damaneh
author_facet Moslem Savari
Hamed Eskandari Damaneh
Hadi Eskandari Damaneh
author_sort Moslem Savari
collection DOAJ
description Mangrove forests are a sensitive and fragile ecosystem at risk of extinction and destruction due to excessive exploitation in recent years. Moreover, insufficient studies, programs, and practical policies to safeguard these ecosystems have exacerbated their degradation. In this context, the present research was conducted to find the factors that determine the willingness of Iranian rural households towards mangrove forest conservation. The extended protection motivation theory (PMT) by adding the variables of moral norms (MN) and knowledge was used as the study's theoretical framework. This research was conducted using the questionnaire survey method and with the help of structural equations (SEM). The research's statistical population comprised all rural communities within Minab city in southern Iran. The findings of the research showed that the initial PMT explains 0.54 % of the variance of behavioral intention of rural households in applying forest conservation behaviors. The primary constructs of the PMT encompass perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and response costs, each of which positively influences the behavioral intention of rural households. Notably, the incorporation of knowledge and MN variables enhances the model's explanatory power regarding the BI of rural households to forest conservation by 21.8 %. In the current research, knowledge was identified as the most important factor, so policymakers can promote safe behavior in the natural environment by emphasizing it and providing the basis for sustainable forest development.
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spelling doaj-art-49d07c767cde4e51a8868d58c3768ab52024-12-16T05:36:13ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942024-12-0156e03311Conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in IranMoslem Savari0Hamed Eskandari Damaneh1Hadi Eskandari Damaneh2Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran; Corresponding author.Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, IranResearcher of Desert Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, IranMangrove forests are a sensitive and fragile ecosystem at risk of extinction and destruction due to excessive exploitation in recent years. Moreover, insufficient studies, programs, and practical policies to safeguard these ecosystems have exacerbated their degradation. In this context, the present research was conducted to find the factors that determine the willingness of Iranian rural households towards mangrove forest conservation. The extended protection motivation theory (PMT) by adding the variables of moral norms (MN) and knowledge was used as the study's theoretical framework. This research was conducted using the questionnaire survey method and with the help of structural equations (SEM). The research's statistical population comprised all rural communities within Minab city in southern Iran. The findings of the research showed that the initial PMT explains 0.54 % of the variance of behavioral intention of rural households in applying forest conservation behaviors. The primary constructs of the PMT encompass perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and response costs, each of which positively influences the behavioral intention of rural households. Notably, the incorporation of knowledge and MN variables enhances the model's explanatory power regarding the BI of rural households to forest conservation by 21.8 %. In the current research, knowledge was identified as the most important factor, so policymakers can promote safe behavior in the natural environment by emphasizing it and providing the basis for sustainable forest development.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005158Natural resourcesMangrove forestsForest conservationConservation motivation theoryIran
spellingShingle Moslem Savari
Hamed Eskandari Damaneh
Hadi Eskandari Damaneh
Conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in Iran
Global Ecology and Conservation
Natural resources
Mangrove forests
Forest conservation
Conservation motivation theory
Iran
title Conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in Iran
title_full Conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in Iran
title_fullStr Conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in Iran
title_full_unstemmed Conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in Iran
title_short Conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in Iran
title_sort conservation behaviors of local communities towards mangrove forests in iran
topic Natural resources
Mangrove forests
Forest conservation
Conservation motivation theory
Iran
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005158
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AT hamedeskandaridamaneh conservationbehaviorsoflocalcommunitiestowardsmangroveforestsiniran
AT hadieskandaridamaneh conservationbehaviorsoflocalcommunitiestowardsmangroveforestsiniran