Analysis of University Students’ Perceptions Regarding the Use of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants within the Framework of Sustainable Forest Resources
This study aims to examine perceptions of the use of medicinal and aromatic plants, which fall within the remit of sustainable forest resources, and determine whether these perceptions differ according to various demographic factors. Medicinal and aromatic plants are important among non-timber forest products and are strategically valuable in terms of sustainable natural resource management due to their ecological, economic and social dimensions. In this context, the attitudes of undergraduate and associate degree students receiving an applied education at Artvin Çoruh University towards medicinal and aromatic plants were evaluated using a quantitative research method. The study used a survey as a data collection tool. The obtained data were analysed using percentage and frequency distributions, the arithmetic mean, the standard deviation, the t-test and one-way analysis of variance. The findings suggest that participants generally view medicinal and aromatic plants as beneficial natural resources that bolster the immune system. However, it was determined that perceptions of their use differed in relation to certain variables. The results of the study reveal that perception and awareness of medicinal and aromatic plants are important components in terms of the sustainable use and management of these resources. In this respect, the research makes a unique contribution to literature on sustainable forest resources and non-timber forest products by focusing on the human dimension.