Abstract
Consensus building in forest management is the most difficult concern in the context of globalization and post-productivism. In order to highlight the locality-specific meaning of forest, the present study investigated how local residents in forestry regions understand and construct their forest in their surroundings. Case studies were conducted in Northern Schwarzwald in Germany and Kawakami village in Japan by using semi-structured interviews and Landscape Image Sketching Techniques. The results showed that the forests are differently integrated into the social change in both regions. The research findings suggest that local landscape perception from local residents' point of view must be taken into consideration for a global discussion about participatory forest management.
