What affects perceptions of local residents toward protected areas? A case study from Kure Mountains National Park, Turkey

Abstract

Local residents’ active participation is essential in protected areas to ensure achievement of conservation goals. One of the important steps for ensuring the active participation of local residents is to determine the perceptions and the factors that influence the perceptions of the local residents toward the protected area. In this context, the researchers of this study try to come up with the perception formed among the local residents toward the protected areas and especially toward Kure Mountains National Park (KMNP), the factors that would influence their perceptions and the ways how their perceptions are influenced. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the putative influence of variables on perceptions toward protected areas. According to study results, the survey respondents have displayed a positive perception toward the protected areas in the world and in KMNP. It was determined that the respondents formed a positive perception from their economic, environmental and recreational interaction with KMNP. Also, the outcomes of this study showed that the perception developed by local residents toward the protected areas in the world and KMNP are influenced by gender, the level of satisfaction derived from the national park, duration of their residence in the national park, and that the perception that KMNP conservation are beneficial for the source values of the area, the current protection works in the world, as well as its impacts on their living conditions.

Keywords:

• perception
• protected area
• local residents
• participation
• Kure Mountains National Park

ORCID

Nur Belkayali http;//orcid.org/0000-0003-3523-2541

Notes

1. The participants in the face-to-face survey were selected through random sampling method. In accordance with the sociocultural features of the area under research, the majority of the working population is made up of males, which is why most of the surveys were replied by male participants.

Additional information

Funding

This study presents the results of the project of Local University Students Research Projects Support Program (2209/A)-2013 supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) with the title ‘Determination of Local Residents Knowledge Level about Protected Areas and Legislation in Force: A Case Study about Kure Mountain National Park’.