Exploring household preferences for ecosystem services as a basis for strategic land use and conservation planning

In rapidly changing tropical landscapes, large-scale resource exploitation threatens biodiversity, ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being. This study examines land use, ES and ecosystem disservices (EDS) in Savannakhet Province, Laos, focusing on household preferences amid shifting land use patterns. Using a survey of 336 households across 22 villages, we assessed preferences for 63 ES and 16 EDS, along with key land types providing or causing them. Our results highlight the great value attached to collecting wild plants for food, energy, medicine and handicrafts, and of landscape elements with cultural and spiritual meaning. Forests, residential areas and paddy fields are the most valued land types, while tree and agricultural plantations are considered less significant sources of ES. Provisioning ES (such as crop and tree cultivation, livestock keeping and wild plant collection) as well as regulation and maintenance ES (including disaster protection and water quality maintenance) are highly valued across all ecological zones. Among cultural ES, landscapes supporting health, recreation and education are also widely appreciated across all zones, while the transfer of ecological knowledge is particularly valued in subsistence-oriented areas. EDS perceptions vary, with floods, erosion, drought and fire being major concerns. Human–wildlife conflicts and pest outbreaks have intensified in recent years. Challenges in ES provision are attributed mainly to climate change, land access restrictions and resource overharvesting. Our study underscores the need for participatory land use planning that integrates local knowledge and prioritizes multifunctional landscapes to achieve equitable and sustainable land governance in Laos and similar tropical regions.