"Into the wild": convergences between ecological and sociological perceptions of forest naturalness in Chartreuse (France)

Abstract

Naturalness is widely used to assess the conservation value of forest ecosystems. As this concept encompasses ecological as well as sociological aspects, we adopted an inter-disciplinary approach to our study of naturalness in two Chartreuse forests (one managed and one unmanaged). The aim was to know whether differences between the two forests assessed through measured ecological indicators and public perception converged. We translated scientific language into more easily accessible terms, then interviewed 30 visitors in each forest. Many ecological and sociological perceptions did converge, even though some scientific terms could not be fully transposed. The general public seems to be able to differentiate between degrees of naturalness. Involving them in forest conservation issues could enhance understanding and avoid potential conflict.