In this study, we analyzed the attitudes of students towards forest ecosystem services, aiming to examine the influence of gender, area of residence, frequency of forest visits, type of housing, and school grade level. We used a questionnaire to survey 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year high school students from Dolenjska and Gorenjska regions. The pupils collected basic demographic data and evaluations of ecosystem services (provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services, habitat services). Results indicated that students attributed the greatest importance to habitat services and the least to provisioning services. Girls rated all services greater than boys. Students living on farms placed greater importance on provisioning and cultural services. Frequent forest visitors had more positive attitudes towards ecosystem services, especially in the Dolenjska region. Generally, there were no statistically significant differences in positive evaluations among different primary school grades, while high school students showed significant differences by grade level. We emphasize the importance of experiential learning and education in maintaining positive attitudes towards ecosystem services among young people, as greater engagement with nature and appropriate knowledge contribute to better forest care and sustainable management.
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