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Sacred natural sites have played important social and cultural roles in many cultures around the world for centuries. More recently, scientists have shown that sacred sites act as de facto protected areas. However, the potential for sacred sites to be integrated into conservation strategies depends on the motivations of people to protect them. The objective of this study is to understand people’s relationships with village-level sacred forests in northwest Yunnan, China. We conducted 201 standardized open-ended interviews of both men and women over 18 years of age from six communities in the area near the city of Shangrila. While this region of Yunnan is undergoing dramatic socio-economic changes that can contribute to changes in cultural values, we find no evidence that people’s appreciation for sacred forests is declining. Our results show that the forests hold primarily religious meaning for people, people visit the forests regularly, and, while younger people know less about the forests, they do not differ in terms of use and appreciation, indicating that the value of the areas is not decreasing. Because people primarily view these sacred forests as religious sites and do not directly associate them with ecological value, we suggest that direct integration of these areas into conservation strategies may not be appropriate. 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. |
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