Cognitive maps of forest sustainability or the hedgehog hides from the harvester.

摘要

While the importance of forests for society is subject of many studies, investigations about societal perceptions of forest sustainability are rare. With our study, we aim to fill this research gap by analysing different perspectives of forest sustainability. At the same time, we test cognitive maps as methodological means for sustainability sciences. The qualitative, open, and innovative methodological approach furthermore allows reaching a variety of societal groups. Cognitive mapping is defined as mental ability of individuals to collect, organise, memorise, recall and handle information about the spatial environment (DOWNS und STEA, 1982). The output includes a normative component based on different value systems (see graphic 1): "Cognitive maps are not just a set of spatial mental structures denoting relative position, they contain attributive values and meanings" (KITCHIN, 1994: 2). We investigate cognitive maps of 156 individuals, who expressed their personal perception of forest sustainability on a magnetic wall (see graphics 2, 5, 6, and 7) at four different locations in Freiburg, Germany (see table 1), using several magnetic symbols (see table 2) and completed a brief questionnaire, which asked primarily for demographic information. The analysis of the cognitive maps produced is twofold: we conducted a quantitative analysis based on closed categories commonly used in forest related research (see table 3); as well as a qualitative analysis creating more open categories based on the cognitive maps (see table 4).