Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/306554 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Citation: 
[Journal:] Ambio [ISSN:] 1654-7209 [Issue:] Latest Articles [Publisher:] Springer Nature [Place:] Berlin [Year:] 2024
Publisher: 
Springer Nature, Berlin
Abstract: 
We compare public perceptions of restoring different ecosystems to increase CO 2 uptake in Germany, through focus groups and a general population survey. Among focus group participants forests were highly popular, peatlands evoked negative associations, and seagrass was largely unknown. Nevertheless, the restoration of all ecosystems was viewed positively. We contrast these reactions to those of survey respondents who had not received additional information on restoration. They voiced narrower, less diverse opinions centering around afforestation. Further, focus group participants preferred expert-led restoration decisions, citing low trust in politicians’ technical competence. Contrary to common policy recommendations, also beyond the German context, participants did not emphasize the need of citizen participation and were not strongly concerned about land use conflicts or compensation of affected user groups. The results imply that the public underestimates the political complexity of negotiation processes in ecosystem governance, which are becoming increasingly relevant in the international policy landscape.
Subjects: 
Climate change mitigation
CO2 removal
Ecosystem restoration
Political trus
Political participation
Public perception
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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