RESEARCH TOPIC
Cultural heritage and everyday connections with forests
A forest visit matters even with an empty basket. Explore recreation, wild herbs and unequal access to nature’s benefits.
Explore the stories ↓
STORIES IN THIS TOPIC
Wild herbs, forest visits and well-being
A survey of 1,500 adults examined how perceptions of medicinal plant availability relate to climate change and excessive chemical use. A separate part described management measures reported by 53 forest owners.
Wild herbs, forest visits and well-being
The share visiting a forest at least monthly rose from 56.7% to 70.5%. More households gathered mushrooms, while the average harvest per gathering household fell. National surveys are complemented by local visitor counts.
Wild herbs, forest visits and well-being
Undisturbed wildlife received 85% agreement, comfortable resting places 71%. A 2018 survey also found equal agreement for the presence of large predators and for keeping branches and cut timber clear of the woodland: 61%.
Wild herbs, forest visits and well-being
Surveys from 2020–2024 reveal substantial differences in forest visitation and gathering. Participation is more widespread in Czechia, while active Slovak gatherers report larger annual quantities of mushrooms and forest fruits per person.
Wild herbs, forest visits and well-being
Medicinal forest-herb use was reported by 36.4% of respondents, compared with 25.1% for culinary use. Separating the two purposes also reveals different associations with age and gender.
Wild herbs, forest visits and well-being
The quantity of mushrooms and forest berries gathered by Czech households varies sharply from year to year. The 1994–2023 series nevertheless shows a broadly stable long-term level and an estimated value of billions of crowns.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Němec, M., Riedl, M., & Jarský, V. (2026). Forest access does not equal food access: institutional and household pathways to wild foods in Czechia. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 10, 1880811. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1880811
DOI 10.3389/fsufs.2026.1880811Sustainable Development
Purwestri, R. C., Riedl, M., Němec, M., Jarský, V., Hájek, M., & Dudík, R. (2026). Wild Herb Foraging and Sustainable Development: Links Between Ecosystem Services, Cultural Practices, and Well-Being in Czech Forest Landscapes. Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.71022
DOI 10.1002/sd.71022Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Sarvašová, Z., Riedl, M., Němec, M., Zahradník, D., Jarský, V., & Kovalčík, M. (2026). Visitation and non-wood product collection in Slovak forests in comparison with Czechia. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 10, 1792106. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1792106
DOI 10.3389/fsufs.2026.1792106Forest Policy and Economics
Awuni, S., Hájek, M., Riedl, M., Huertas-Bernal, D. C., Purwestri, R. C., Ibrahim, F., Dudik, R., Jumpah, E. T., & Adarkwah, F. (2025). Public perceptions of climate and land use drivers of medicinal plant availability in Czech forests: A national survey-based study. Forest Policy and Economics, 179, 103610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2025.103610
DOI 10.1016/j.forpol.2025.103610Forests
Riedl, M., Němec, M., & Jarský, V. (2024). Thirty Years of Research on Ecosystem Services: The Socio-Economic Role of Forest Visits and Foraging in Enhancing Human Well-Being. Forests, 15(11), 1845. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15111845
DOI 10.3390/f15111845International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Jarský, V., Palátová, P., Riedl, M., Zahradník, D., Rinn, R., & Hochmalová, M. (2022). Forest Attendance in the Times of COVID-19—A Case Study on the Example of the Czech Republic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2529. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052529
DOI 10.3390/ijerph19052529Forests
Šodková, M., Purwestri, R. C., Riedl, M., Jarský, V., & Hájek, M. (2020). Drivers and Frequency of Forest Visits: Results of a National Survey in the Czech Republic. Forests, 11(4), 414. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11040414
DOI 10.3390/f11040414Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
Park, B. J., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2010). The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), 18–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9
DOI 10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9ABOUT THE RESEARCH
This portal explains research on forest ecosystem services and economics at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. It connects everyday experience with original scientific studies.
Co-author of the featured studies
RNDr. Marcel Riedl, CSc.
Scientific guarantor
Ing. et Ing. Martin Němec, Ph.D.
