Martin Němec

Forest conservation planning requires evidence of how administrative protection categories correspond to forest conditions. We linked three project-defined categories to 5 530 plots from the second Czech National Forest Inventory (2011–2...

Background: Forest planning requires translation of ecosystem-service (ES) bundles, synergies and trade-offs into decision units, management specifications, alternatives and monitoring. This article develops a pathway-based integrative workflow through a targeted conceptual synthesis and differentiated Czech and Slovak illustrations. Results: The framework distinguishes four non-exclusive and potentially interacting pathways—biophysical, management-mediated, experience-based and governance-conditioned—and links them to pathway-appropriate information, management outputs and monitoring requirements. A supplementary service-quality alignment map, heuristically adapted from the organisational gap logic of the SERVQUAL conceptual model, relates societal needs, management interpretation, service specifications, delivery potential, public experience and feedback. In the Czech quota-based CAPI survey (N = 1000), relaxation and mental well-being (53.7%), clean air and microclimate (39.7%) and water retention (33.2%) were selected most frequently, and 75.3% stated support for state compensation of forest owners providing public benefits. In the source-reported Poloniny environmental scenario (Slovakia), biodiversity potential improved on approximately 51.0% of the area and recreation potential on 15.6%. The Czech and Slovak materials are neither pooled nor treated as a comparative or validation dataset; they illustrate distinct interfaces at their native scales. Conclusions: The six-step workflow connects problem definition and pathway diagnosis with information selection, management specifications, scenario appraisal, implementation, communication and adaptation. The alignment map is an organising heuristic for prospective evaluation while retaining pathway-specific scales and claim boundaries.

Mushrooms, forest fruits and game meat represent three major categories of forest foods in Czechia. This study compares their acquisition mechanisms, market visibility and value-chain positions and provides reference-year, category-specific physical estimates and stage-specific indicative economic values. The analysis integrates pooled national survey data on mushrooms and forest fruits from 2021 to 2025 (N = 5025), a 2022 survey extension on game meat (N = 1000), qualitative interviews with 12 stakeholders in the Czech game-meat value chain conducted by the research team between 2023 and 2024, and official hunting statistics. In the 2024 reference year, mushrooms and forest fruits were estimated through household-collected quantities, whereas game meat was estimated as gross carcass-weight equivalent at the primary procurement stage. The three categories together represented an indicative stage-specific economic value of approximately EUR 324.3 million, but their physical quantities are interpreted as product-specific estimates rather than as directly equivalent units of provisioning value. Mushrooms showed the strongest household-collection profile: 70.4% of respondents reported collection and 20.1% reported purchase. Forest fruits displayed a more mixed acquisition pattern, with particularly high purchase shares for blueberries and raspberries. Collection and purchase were largely independent for mushrooms, whereas complementary relationships prevailed among forest fruits. Game meat had an indicative primary procurement value of EUR 33.57 million and reflected a regulated hunting-based value chain. The findings identify a differentiated forest-food system in which socio-economic significance is shaped by product-specific relationships among household acquisition, market access, value-chain organisation and stage-specific value creation.

This article explores forest visitation and the collection of mushrooms and wild forest fruits in Slovakia from 2020 to 2024, comparing these trends with harmonized data from Czechia, a closely related country in Central Europe. Utilizing nationally representative repeated cross-sectional surveys (Slovakia, N = 5,129; Czechia, N = 5,026), we assess participation rates, harvest intensities, and the inequality in the distribution of collected quantities through descriptive statistics, Lorenz curves, and Gini coefficients. In Slovakia, 48% of adults reported visiting forests only occasionally, while 27.6% indicated no visits at all; in contrast, participation was consistently higher in Czechia, where nearly 70% of adults were regular visitors. On average, 30.3% of Slovak adults collected mushrooms, and 14.5% gathered wild fruits, with a pronounced concentration among a small number of highly active collectors (Gini: mushrooms 0.84; fruits 0.95). This contrasts with lower inequality in Czechia (0.67; 0.76). Regional differences within Slovakia reflect the distribution of forest cover and accessibility, with the highest levels of both visitation and collection observed in the Žilinský and Banskobystrický regions. These findings indicate that, despite the legal framework allowing open access, forest recreation and foraging are socially selective in practice. They also provide an empirical foundation for communication, education, and green-infrastructure initiatives aimed at engaging younger and urban residents, thereby promoting more equitable access to forest-based benefits.

Game meat production represents a unique opportunity to align ecological sustainability with the growing consumer demand for sustainable agri-food products. This study focuses on the perspectives of processors and landowners in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, examining their views on market trends, customer behaviours, barriers, and sustainability challenges. Focusing on these key stakeholders, the study highlights their central role as key drivers in shaping and sustaining the game meat value chain. This research combines secondary data analysis and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders to provide a comprehensive understanding of the game meat sector. Findings highlight that, while game meat is valued for its organic and sustainable qualities, barriers such as limited consumer awareness, high costs, and regulatory constraints hinder its market potential. The study reveals the vital role of consumer education, branding, and the development of value-added products in bridging the gap between ecological management and sustainable market growth. Moreover, the research underscores the need for tailored policies to address structural inefficiencies, promote collaboration across the value chain, and enhance accessibility to sustainable game meat products. By aligning production and marketing strategies with consumer preferences, the sector can contribute significantly to sustainable agri-food systems while supporting rural economies and biodiversity conservation. This study provides actionable recommendations for industry stakeholders and policymakers aiming to foster sustainable practices and consumer engagement in the game meat market.

This study explores the dynamics of the game meat market, with a particular focus on venison and wild boar meat, to assess the impact of a nuanced marketing mix and strategy grounded in a comprehensive customer analysis. By conducting three pivotal research studies—namely, the Omnibus Survey (2022) and Consumer Market Analysis Polls (2021 and 2023)—and analysing their data, this research comprehensively analyses buyers’ preferences, motivations, and purchasing patterns. This paper is guided by three research questions aimed at examining the relationship between the game meat consumption and engagement in forest ecosystem services, including forest visitation, the sociodemographic characteristics of consumers and the criteria for market segmentation. The analysis focuses on identifying factors influencing the game meat consumption and examines how these factors may influence consumer behavior over time. It also explores the implications for the development of marketing strategies, based on Michael E. Porter’s approach, which is discussed in detail. Additionally, the research evaluates the role of game meat within the context of forest ecosystem services, its contribution to forest reforestation initiatives, and its relevance in the formulation of forest policy. This examination highlights the dual nature of game meat as both a market commodity and a critical element in ecosystem management and policy frameworks, seeking to harmonize the economic and ecological objectives.

This paper examines the socio-economic significance of forest visits and the collection of forest berries and mushrooms (FBMs) in the Czech Republic, emphasising their role in enhancing human well-being and contributing to regional economies. Over a 30-year period, data were collected on the quantities and economic values of FBMs, alongside the intensity of forest visits by the Czech population. This study incorporates a detailed analysis of time series data on FBM collection, exploring trends and fluctuations in the harvested quantities and their economic value. A Lorenz curve analysis reveals significant disparities in the distribution of economic benefits, with a small segment of the population accounting for the majority of the FBM-derived value. Additionally, the research investigates the impact of forest visitation on well-being at the regional level, highlighting the relationship between forest access, visitation intensity, and public health benefits. This study also examines visitors’ expectations, motivations, and perceptions regarding an ideal forest for visitation, providing recommendations for effective marketing strategies. Furthermore, the study explores the contribution of FBMs to net income across different regions, demonstrating substantial regional variation in their economic importance. Notably, the analysis shows that the value of FBMs represents approximately 37% of the net income generated by traditional forestry activities, underscoring its significant economic potential. The findings emphasise the potential of territorial marketing strategies to enhance well-being, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions, and advocate for sustainable forest management practices to protect these valuable resources and ensure equitable access to the benefits provided by forest ecosystems.

The demand for the multipurpose use of forestry accentuates the development of non-timber forest products and services and the search for other sources of financial benefits for forest owners and users. One of the essential market items of non-timber forest production is game production, a very high-quality local food source. Currently, in the Czech Republic, as well as in neighbouring countries, the amount of game being offered is increasing, while the purchase prices of game have stagnated at very low levels for a long time, despite the fact that consumer prices of meat have generally increased. A prerequisite for the development of the market for game products and the effective use of marketing tools is the analysis of important factors influencing the consumer demand for game. Therefore, the possible limiting factors on the customer side, the removal of which can change the demand for game meat and increase the consumption of game production, were investigated. Igor Ansoff’s approach is used to analyse growth opportunities in the game market from the point of view of marketing strategies. The preconditions for using Porter’s STP process to design a pull strategy on the consumer market are verified. Based on the Parfitt–Collins model, the research mainly focuses on a sample of active consumers who are a subgroup of a representative panel of 1000 respondents. The demographic characteristics and buying behaviour of the subgroup of 523 active consumers who regularly consume game meat were analysed. Significant factors and potential segmentation criteria were identified. On the basis of these research results, the article discusses, in detail, the marketing aspects related to the development of the game market, and marketing procedures are also proposed that can significantly support consumer demand in the game market using a mix of marketing tools. The increased demand for game meat will help to reduce the overpopulation of cloven-hoofed game in the forests of the Czech Republic, which will positively impact the reduction of animal damage to the forest environment, especially in areas newly forested after the bark beetle calamity.