Local perceptions of the cultural and ecological significance of Southern Mistbelt Forests in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

• We conducted 360 questionnaires across villages adjacent to natural forests. • The respondents had a deep interconnection with natural forests. • Elderly people with long residency valued the forest’s cultural and provision services. • During dry seasons, the forests were important for foraging for their livestock. • The forest-people nexus is important to understand the relationship with natural environments. Globally, forests are threatened by multiple disturbance factors. These include anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, often driven by poverty and rapid population expansion. In eastern South Africa, many rural communities are located near natural forest patches, and if not, are within travelling distance. We investigated people’s perceptions of Southern Mistbelt Forests’ value, cultural and ecological services, and importance with varying degrees of anthropogenic disturbance. Using structured questionnaires, we surveyed selected communities residing near the natural forests in southern KwaZulu-Natal during 2023-2024 to (1) document their perceptions, values, and forest use, (2) understand how forest anthropogenic disturbances affect them, and (3) provide conservation implications. We administered 360 questionnaires across seven selected rural communities and collected data on forest use, value, and perceptions. We used generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) to assess the effects of predictor variables on our response variables. The Mistbelt Forests provided various ecosystem services to local communities. Over 90% beneficiaries appreciated the forest services. Most of the individuals (69%) were elders (> 60 years), with an extended residency period within the community. Firewood, medicinal plants, timber, as well as the cultural ecosystem accounted for a deep interconnection between people and the forest. Hence, over 90% individuals supported the conservation and management of forest ecosystems. Indigenous ecological knowledge is important for managing forest ecosystems, provided people have a nexus with natural environments, particularly natural forests. Therefore, understanding people’s perceptions is crucial to acknowledging spiritual, cultural, and religious values associated with the forests. When these values are integrated with management and conservation, they can inform policy implications. Our study highlighted the nexus between forest ecosystem services and sociocultural-economic values, as well as the traditional ecological knowledge of rural communities with nearby Southern Mistbelt Forests.