Citizen Attitudes on Grassland Management in Europe

Citizens in five European countries—UK, Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Switzerland—prioritize grassland ecosystem services such as biodiversity, recreation, and cultural values. Focus groups with 104 participants reveal rural residents recognize broader benefits than urban dwellers. Key threats include land conversion, degradation, and abandonment. Participants advocate for education, policy rules, sustainable farming, economics, and social pressure to protect grasslands. Findings stress the need for stakeholder communication, shared values, and region-specific policies to reverse ecosystem service decline and support sustainable management.