Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) serve as an important tool to recognise diverse areas for their contributions to conservation, yet implementation remains slow. A key barrier to implementation is the lack of engagement with stakeholders who manage these areas and thus uncertainty about how best to secure their participation. We interviewed stakeholders representing different land uses that could be cand...

Primary and old-growth forests are globally valued for their biodiversity, ecosystem services, and cultural significance. The EU biodiversity strategy and EU forest strategy for 2030 require strict protection of remaining primary and old-growth forests, yet they cover only about 3% of EU forest area and remain highly threatened. The European Commission’s guidelines define old-growth forests using three main indicators—native t...

The exploitation of wildlife for meat consumption—both legal and illegal—poses major conservation, animal welfare, and public health risks. While scholarship often centers on CITES-listed species, non-CITES species remain underexamined. Focusing on the trade in civets and bamboo rats in Vietnam, this study examines the illegal trade embedded within ostensibly legal businesses using crime script analysis (CSA) to map it through...

In this article, I approach online civic discussion as an important form of public debate that reflects and supplements the official forest discussion. I identify the shared beliefs and belief-based structures within the Finnish online forest-related debate among participating citizens. In addition, I examine the extent to which these identified structures reflect the established forestry and preservation positions and paradig...

India’s rising human–leopard conflict has prompted the government to adopt immune contraceptives to manage leopard populations. The decision has sparked debate among wildlife experts and conservation organisations, government officials, and local communities. Here, I discuss the ecological and ethical implications of this intervention and highlight alternative, coexistence-based approaches that recognise both humans and wildli...