Contemporary knowledge, collection and use of mushrooms in Bohemia

Bc. Sára Kružíková

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The study investigates the current awareness, collection, and use of mushrooms by households in Bohemia. The master's thesis aims to fill the knowledge gap on collection patterns, modes of use, preferences, and perceptions associated with their collection and use. The specific objectives are (i) to characterise the most common keywords that households in Bohemia associate with collecting and using mushrooms, (ii) to document the perceptions and attitudes of mushroom collectors, taking into account their socio-economic background, (iii) to identify groups of mushroom collectors with regard to the most common types of use, and (iv) to document the factors influencing the willingness to pay for collecting mushrooms in the wild. Data were collected from 150 respondents identified through non-random sampling methods. Several techniques were used to analyse the data. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to determine the validity of the respondent group scales for analysing consumer behaviour towards mushrooms. Binary logistic regression was used to examine which factors influence respondents' attitudes toward a willingness to pay for mushroom collection. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the attitudes of Prague respondents and non-Prague respondents towards mushrooms and their use. The most common words associated with mushrooms were forest, Boletus, and Champignon. The results from Principal Component Analysis identify 4 groups of mushroom collectors regarding the most common types of use, 1) Taste; 2) Family traditional hobby; 3) Medicinal properties; and 4) Dietary substitute. The results show that Prague collectors reported fewer and less frequent visits to forests. Additionally, households outside Prague were more likely to collect mushrooms and use them as medicine, while Prague respondents tend to use mushrooms more as a meat substitute. Single women and more frequent collectors were willing to pay for collecting mushrooms in the wild. The majority of participants (43%) stated that they collect mushrooms for their taste, 31% as a long-standing family hobby, 17% for their medicinal properties, and 9% as a food substitute. The study confirms the strong tendency towards the mushroom collection and use, that people in Bohemia like to collect mushrooms and know how to use them in various ways. In addition, mushroom collecting is a long-standing family tradition and is associated with various types of ecosystems and their services, especially forests.

Keywords

environmental services, consumer types, Google Online Forms, motivations, tradition, forests

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 22. 4. 2023

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 30. 5. 2023
• Supervisor: Ing. Vladimír Verner, Ph.D.
• Reader: Aneta Mazouchová, externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme:
International Development and Agricultural Economics