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Article History

Received: 29 July 2025

Accepted: 13 March 2026

First Online: 30 March 2026

Declarations

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: Only general, non-sensitive demographic details were collected during the interviews, with no data that could cause harm or stigma. The demographic variables (e.g., sex, education, marital status, residency) were already commonly known in the local context. All personal data were anonymized and assigned unique identifiers (e.g., C1R1 for Community 1, Respondent 1). Analyses focused on broader ecozone patterns rather than individual characteristics. Participation was entirely voluntary, with informed consent, confidentiality, and data protection ensured throughout. The research was guided by the ethical standards of the Department of Forest Science, University of Energy and Natural Resources, and was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the 1975 Helsinki Declaration as revised in 2000 [ ]. Informed, voluntary consent was obtained from all participants before any data collection activities.

: Participants gave approval for their anonymized responses and study results to be made publicly available.

: The authors declare no competing interests.