Local valuation of ecosystem services from protected areas along a forest–savanna gradient in West Africa

Abstract Understanding how local communities perceive and prioritise ecosystem services (ES) across diverse ecological contexts is essential for improving protected area (PA) management. However, most studies focus on single ecosystems and lack cross‐ecological comparisons. This study aimed to explore how communities living in and around PAs in Ghana's main ecological zones perceive and value various ES categories, and how socio‐demographic factors and ecological zones shape these perceptions. We conducted face‐to‐face household surveys with 2285 respondents across 51 communities within 10 km of 7 PAs representing savanna, transition and rainforest zones. A semi‐structured questionnaire, based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework, asked respondents to rate the importance of provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ES using a Likert scale. The data were analysed using non‐parametric tests, ordinal logistic regression and multivariate ordination techniques to uncover patterns and factors influencing perceptions of ES. The findings indicated that supporting ES were regarded as the most important, with cultural, provisioning and regulating ES ranking below. Local communities primarily saw wildlife conservation as the primary goal of PAs. Additionally, cultural ES were closely linked to unique landscape characteristics and historical or symbolic significance. Unlike trends often seen in developing countries, provisioning ES were considered less important, mainly due to limited access to resources and strict law enforcement. Education level and ecological zone were consistent predictors across all ES categories, with communities in rainforest zones valuing ES more than those in transition and savanna areas. These findings demonstrate that ecosystem type, biophysical characteristics and service‐provisioning capacity play a central role in shaping local perceptions of ES. Incorporating cross‐ecological perspectives and local knowledge into conservation planning can enhance the social relevance and effectiveness of PA management in West Africa. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.