Factors affecting governance innovations for ecosystem services provision: Insights from two self-organized forest communities in Czechia and Slovakia

•Factors affecting innovation process in forest commons were identified using analysis of fostering and hindering factors.•Current (external) institutional settings hinder innovative forest governance in analysed forest communities.•Perception of changing natural conditions differs depending on ES in focus of respective forest community.•Cooperation of local actors or emphasis on non-provisioning ES are some of the most important fostering factors for innovations in forestry.•Self-organized forest communities have potential to engage in innovative forest governance approaches and they can be seen as pioneers in this area open to implement novel solutions.