The community perception of mistletoe management for Vachellia woodlands conservation:A case study in AlUla county, Saudi Arabia

The woodlands in arid regions are considered very important ecosystems that provide various ecological and economic services. The sustainable management programs for this ecosystem, such as mistletoe interventions relies on integrating socio-cultural valuations of ecosystem services with ecological assessments. However, limited research has been conducted on community perceptions of mistletoe management. This study aims to determine the perceptions of the community in the AlUla county, Saudi Arabia, regarding the effect of mistletoe on Vachellia woodlands and the current status of management practices, implemented and suggested for co-management with relevant authorities. An analytical framework was designed to analyze community-based management across three main areas: perception of mistletoe, the extent of its spread, and approaches to its management. Through a combination of field observations, tree surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions, the study offers valuable insights into the effects of mistletoe and management strategies. The empirical findings reveal that the local community has a stronger perception of mistletoe's adverse effects on trees, infection levels in wadis (valleys), and its transmission between trees compared to pastoralists. Most of the local community has observed mistletoe for 15–20 years, confirming the infection's progression over time. The study findings also revealed that, historically, the community has managed mistletoe in different ways, including feeding it to camels, using it in traditional medicine, and collecting it for medicinal uses. The community has offered promising suggestions to enhance mistletoe control efforts, such as collaborating with pharmaceutical companies to develop business plans for mistletoe collection, conducting experiments to evaluate its potential as animal feed, and providing incentives to encourage mechanical control methods. A deeper understanding of community perceptions offers valuable insights for policymakers in decision-making and the design of collaborative mistletoe management plans.