Risk Perception Among Non-industrial Private Forest Owners

Based on an enquiry, risk perception among non-industrial private forest owners is described in relation to climate change and forestry hazards. Of the respondents, 11% took action to remedy the effects of climate change. Out of a given set, hazards were ranked according to each respondent's experience of recent substantial financial loss to the estate and in relation to his or her willingness to make investments aimed at risk reduction. For each hazard, the respondent assessed the risk in four classes ranging from very high to negligible risk. Six hazards were considered most problematic in all three aspects: browsing damage, falling timber prices, damage by wind, spruce bark beetle, root rot and pine weevil. A majority of the respondents claimed to take action to reduce the risk associated with at least one hazard, while 35% did not know whether they did. Excluding climate change, the need for decision support was the largest in relation to damage by wind owing to a combination of perceived high risk and a high level of ignorance in relation to whether risk-reducing measures were taken.     

Introducing Gender in Studies on Management Behaviour Among Non-industrial Private Forest Owners

The genderization of non-industrial private forest (NIPF) ownership creates different conditions for male and female forest owners. To compare male and female forest management behaviour and to examine whether observed differences should be understood in terms of gender, data from the Swedish National Board of Forestry's interview inquiry were used. Differences in frequency of harvesting and silvicultural operations were examined by binary logistic regression and differences in harvesting volume were tested by a multiple regression analysis. In all analyses sex of the owner was introduced as one of the explanatory variables. The sex of the owner was found to have a significant effect on the frequency of harvesting, cleaning and supplementary planting, but not on planting and mechanized scarification. In the cases when the sex of the owner was a significant factor, the degree of activity among the female owners was found to be lower. Results regarding harvested volumes did not expose any significant differences in harvesting management strategies between male and female owners.     

Willingness of Nonindustrial Private Forest Owners in Norway to Supply Logging Residues for Wood Energy

Norway has set ambitious targets for increasing bioenergy production. Forest residue extraction levels are currently very low, but residues have the potential to be an important component of the wood energy supply chain. A representative sample of Norwegian nonindustrial private forest owners having at least 8 ha (20 acres) of productive forest land was surveyed about their willingness to supply logging residues for wood energy production. About 59 % responded that they were willing to do so. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the following factors were positively associated with the likelihood of being willing to supply logging residues: total forest area, education level, living in a region with active timber markets and a history of forest production, and having positive perceptions of residue extraction and forestry’s role in mitigating climate change. Four variables were negatively associated with the likelihood to supply residues: living on property, being older than 65 years, having family or friends who are opposed to residue extraction, and having negative perceptions of residue extraction. The study provides insight regarding nonindustrial forest owners’ attitudes towards extraction of forest residues that may aid policy-makers designing effective means to meet national bioenergy production goals.     

Challenges of Organizing Private Forest Owners in Serbia

Small-scale forestry in Serbia is characterized by high fragmentation of properties, a large number of parcels and forest owners. Numerous activities for private forest owners in Serbia supported by the State, FAO and CEPF have resulted in an increased interest of owners in forming private forest owners’ associations (PFOA). The goal of this paper is to explore preconditions that are necessary for organizing private forest owners in Serbia into effective associations. In order to reach this goal, results of PRIFORT project were used. The over-arching research questions of this paper are: “What is the level of interest among forest owners in forming owners’ associations?”; “Why has forest owner interest in organizing developed so slowly?” and “What are the necessary preconditions for the development of private forest owners’ organizations in the country?” In order to answer these questions, quantitative survey with 42 close, open and Likert scale questions was conducted. Sample size was determined following Malhotra’s proportion method and, in total, 350 private forest owners, from nine municipalities were interviewed. Results of this paper show that majority of respondents are very little or not at all aware of existing legislation. Almost half of respondents consider that their interests are not represented well. Although about 50% of interviewed forest owners miss interest organization, only 0,3% are members of PFOA. More than 70% are ready to join association, if it would provide some economic advantages.     

Non-industrial Private Forestry Service Markets in a Flux: Results from a Qualitative Analysis on Finland

Previous research on European forestry service markets is scarce and mainly focused on analysing external market environment and modelling of timber selling behaviour of non-industrial forest owners (NIPFs). In this study, we aim to create a broader understanding about business perspectives of forestry service markets covering the whole array of market and institutional based services offered to the NIPFs in case of Finland. The more specific empirical objective of the paper is to describe market drivers and underlying challenges in existing and potential service business models based on the concepts of service-dominant logic and dynamic capabilities. Using a qualitative approach and 22 thematic expert interviews in service organisations, we strive to analyse the drivers and opportunities for creating new services within the NIPF market and also build insight in possible barriers for new service value creation. According to our results, the ongoing structural changes offer new opportunities to change traditional mindsets and search for new types of offerings that support the renewal of this traditional forestry sector. As one of the major barriers for new innovations we identified the dominant role of established organisations securing their current positions, mainly driven by the forest industry timber procurement needs. From a managerial perspective, the changing institutional base of the current service organisations may facilitate new innovative business start-ups in addition to enhancing the strategic capabilities and competitiveness of the established firms in Finnish forestry sector.     

Willingness of Private Forest Owners to Supply Woody Biomass in Croatia

Renewable energy sources have received significant attention in European countries as a result of increasing dependence on energy imports and concerns over high prices of fuels and climate change. Although private forests in Croatia account for less than one quarter of all forests, they may play an important role in woody biomass energy production, due to their underutilized exploitation. The objective of this paper is to identify the willingness of private forest owners to supply woody biomass and to understand how this willingness is affected by certain owner, management and forest property characteristics. A survey conducted in Croatia in 2012 of a random sample of 350 private forest owners shows that almost half of them were willing to supply woody biomass. A random utility model was used to determine the factors influencing private forest owners’ willingness to supply woody biomass. The results showed that willingness to supply woody biomass was influenced by property size, management objectives (production of fuel wood for personal needs and using the forest for outdoor recreation), cooperation with other forest owners and owner age. In order to enhance woody biomass mobilization from private forests it is important to identify the owners who are willing to supply it and to provide them with financial and administrative support using a mix of developed forest policy instruments.     

A Natural Forest of Commercial Timber Species: Logging or Not Logging

Most tropical forests outside protected areas have been or will be selectively logged because the timber industry is a main income-generating resource for many developing countries. Therefore, understanding the composition of commercial timber species and logging types is key for sustainable forest management in countries like Vietnam as they move toward fulfilling Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) agreements. Seven 1-ha plots were surveyed in the Central Highland of Vietnam, and 18 commercial tree species from these plots, whose timber is widely used by local people for housing and furniture making and timber is easily sold at local markets for high prices, were analyzed. In total, 151 tree species with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of ≥?10 cm were recorded. The 18 commercially valuable species assessed in this study accounted for 33.2% of all stems (total of 524 stems ha^?1 for all species), 47.1% of basal area (total of 34.35 m² ha^?1 for all species), and 50.8% of aboveground biomass/AGB (total of 262.68 Mg ha^?1 for all species). Practicing diameter-limit harvesting of all commercially valuable species with DBH of ≥?40 cm, which is widely performed in Vietnam, will reduce the number of stems by 7%, basal area by 31.6%, and AGB by 38.2%. Because such harvesting practices cause severe ecological impacts on the remaining forest, logged forests may require >?40 years to recover the structure status of a pre-logged forest. In addition, the recovery of the 18 commercially valuable species may require a much longer time because they comprised 33.2% of stems. Permission for logging natural forests should be given in Vietnam to sustain lives of local communities, where logging has been prohibited. However, alternative harvesting systems, such as reduced-impact logging systems, should be considered. The systems selected must simultaneously generate economic returns for local people and respect the REDD+ agreements with regard to protecting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions.     

Perceptions of Private Forest Owners in West Virginia on the Use of Prescribed Fire in Forestry

Prescribed fire is the controlled application of fire to accomplish planned land management objectives. Public acceptance of prescribed fire varies in different parts of the world, and is little known in the state of West Virginia, USA. West Virginia is about 80% forested, and most of the forest land is in private ownership. Further, the region is home to oak (Quercus spp.), a possibly fire-dependent and highly valuable genus. Due to real and perceived risks associated with prescribed fires, it was hypothesized that forest owners are unwilling to accept the use of prescribed fire as a forest management option, even for the regeneration of oak. Non-industrial private forest owners in West Virginia were surveyed to shed light on their attitudes and opinions regarding the use of prescribed fire as a forest management tool. Contrary to the hypothesis, 64% of the responding owners were supportive of the use of prescribed fire. Acceptance was related to knowledge of prescribed fires or of firefighters. Major concerns included personal and property safety and being informed prior to burning. Therefore, while acceptance of prescribed fires among forest owners is high, timely notification can ensure further and, likely, increased, cooperation from the landowners.     

Forest Fertilization Research in Finland: A Literature Review

This paper summarizes results from fertilization research carried out in Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce [ Picea abies (L.) Karst.] stands growing on mineral soil in Finland. The use of needle and soil analyses to indicate nutrient status and the need for fertilization are discussed along with the possibilities of increasing tree growth in various site types and stages of stand development. Doses, types of fertilizer, application time, growth increase, wood quality and the profitability of fertilization are also discussed. The stand response in terms of soil acidity, biological activity, soil fauna and resistance of trees to nutrient addition are all reviewed. The effects of fertilization on understorey vegetation, mushrooms and berries, and leaching loss of nutrients are also included.     

丹麦森林医疗花园——以纳卡蒂亚森林医疗花园为例

自20世纪80年代以来,医疗花园在世界各地蓬勃发展。森林以其独特的环境,经过适当的设计,是理想的天然医疗花园。文中概述了丹麦森林和森林医疗花园发展情况,详细介绍了丹麦纳卡蒂亚森林医疗花园,包括设计理念及方案和医疗活动安排等,以期对我国森林医疗花园的兴起和发展起到推动作用。     

Invasion of Non-Commercial Tree Species After Selection Logging in a Bolivian Tropical Forest

Abstract

Single-tree selection logging will likely result in a 4.3% loss in the relative abundance and a 4.1% loss in basal area of trees of commercial species in one cutting cycle due to their removal by harvesting combined with their potential recolonization of only 31% of logging gaps in a Bolivian tropical dry forest. Densities of the most valuable species, Amburana cearensis and Cedrela fissilis, were particularly reduced by logging. To sustain the current harvesting rate, uses need to be developed for more non-commercial species and/or silvicul-tural treatments employed that increase regeneration of commercial species and remove non-commercial species using timber stand improvement techniques.     

美国森林园区私有产权的“公共性”及启示

美国等西方发达国家土地资源以私有制为基调,这几乎成为共识。然而,产权的复杂性决定了并不是仅以“公有”和“私有”就可以完全界定清楚人对物的权属关系。森林及林地资源承载着生态乃至社会文化功能,因而不论私有还是公有均具有明显的公共性特征。对这种公共性如何界定？它与私人权益之间的关系是什么？文中在作者跨国实地调研基础上,以既作为私人庄园又作为国家历史文化地标的米德尔顿庄园为例,分析私有属性类别的美国森林旅游资源的产权结构。研究显示,世界上不存在绝对的公有产权和私有产权,而合理的产权结构安排其价值目标在于公共与私人之间权益的平衡;既不能使公共强权压制处于弱势的私人权益,也不能使私人权益侵吞和破坏公共权益;应通过公共性与私人性、公平与效率相互协调统一的复合产权结构维持经济社会发展的秩序。提出了对于我国农村土地产权改革的3点启示。     

The Values and Objectives of Private Forest Owners and Their Influence on Forestry Behaviour: The Implications for Entrepreneurship

There are many factors that determine what forestry activities forest owners carry out in their forest properties and that influence whether forest owners engage in entrepreneurial activity. This paper explores whether the values and objectives of forest owners influence their forestry behaviour and their engagement in entrepreneurial activity. This is done through a review of the literature on private forest owners’ typologies based on owners’ objectives. The review reveals that typologies typically divide forest owners into two main groups. The primary objective of the first group of owners is production (of wood and non-wood goods and services) usually, although not exclusively, so as to generate economic activity. The primary objective of the second group is consumption (of wood and non-wood goods and services). There is a tacit assumption in the studies reviewed that goals and objectives do influence forestry behaviour but few studies have actually assessed whether this is the case. The general finding is that forest owners whose objectives are timber production and who are business-oriented are more likely to manage and harvest their stands. No research focusing on the link between owners’ objective and wider entrepreneurial activity in forests was found.     

Equity Mechanisms in Traditional Forest Management Systems: A Case Study of Loita Forest in Kenya

Equity in forest resources access remains a key challenge. In Kenya this was exacerbated by the application of command and control management approaches. The introduction of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in 1997 has started changing this scenario. The main objective of this study was to determine the equity mechanisms practiced under Traditional Community Based Forest Management (TCBFM), a traditional form of participatory forest management in Loita forest. An assessment of the impact of this management approach showed that equity and pro poor practices were inherent in Loita forest, where TCBFM was being implemented. The approach facilitated the poor to build up assets through relatives contributing to their livelihood assets. This was sustained through traditional support systems that are interwoven with forestry management. A majority of the community members interviewed perceived that the importance of the forest to household livelihood had been increasing since 1995. An increase in household assets since 1995 was associated with household participation in Traditional Community Based Natural Resources Management (TCBNRM). A majority (93%) of the households who were members of TCBNRM indicated grazing as the benefit. There was a general perception that participation in this form of PFM contributed to improvement of economic, physical, natural, human, social, and political capitals at the household and community levels.     

Key Habitats in the Norwegian Production Forest: A Case Study

This study investigated the forest history, structural characteristics, the presence of fungal species suggested to indicate ecological continuity in old-growth forest, and the species composition of saproxylic beetles in 30 old forest ''woodland key habitats'' (WKHs), and compared them with production forest in the same age-class in south-eastern Norway. No statistically significant differences in forest characteristics, community of saproxylic beetles or number of red-listed beetles were found between the WKHs and the production forest, probably owing to a combination of profound long-term logging and a lack of will to delineate sufficiently large WKHs in the one area with significantly less forestry impact. The study indicates the advantage of including forest history information in WKH selection where such data exist, and the importance of restoring habitats in heavily exploited forest landscapes.     

Carbon Storage on Non-industrial Private Forestland: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Leading scientific experts in the field of climate change suggest that a multifaceted response to global warming should include the use of forest carbon offsets (also known as forest sinks). Emerging emissions reduction legislation in the United States (US) accounts for this recommendation by allowing for carbon offsets derived from domestic forestry projects (e.g. reforestation, afforestation, avoided deforestation). Given that the majority of US forestland is privately owned and non-industrial, the current research employs a behavioral model to measure intentions of private non-industrial forestland owners to participate in carbon sequestration and trading. Results suggest that very few (5.1 %) of these forestland owners are currently involved in carbon sequestration and trading, but half (50.4 %) were at least somewhat interested in exploring opportunities to do so. The Theory of Planned Behavior, acting as the theoretical frame of reference, was extended in the current research to include environmental orientation, innovativeness, perceived risk and tested knowledge, all of which had significant effects on core model constructs: attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and behavioral intentions. The extended model explained a significant amount of the variance related to behavioral intentions to sequester carbon on private US forestland (R² = .53).     

后林改时期农户林业生产行为动态趋势分析——以湖南省为例

在后林改时期,农户已成为我国集体林区主要林业经营主体。文中梳理了农户林业生产行为相关研究文献;以湖南省为研究区域,从林业生产过程角度揭示林改后农户造林、抚育和采伐行为动态趋势,从投入角度探讨林业资金和劳动力投入行为变化趋势,从林业产出角度分析林业收入水平和来源结构变化趋势及其与林业生产行为变化之间的关系;总结了后林改时期农户林业生产行为的基本发展趋势。     

Information and Training Needs of Non-Timber Forest Products' Operators in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the training needs of non-timber forest products' (NTFP) operators in Southern Nigeria. One hundred-fifty forest operators in Ondo State, Nigeria were sampled using structured questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed using percentages, mean, Chi-square test, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The results revealed that majority of the forest operators in Southern Nigeria are middle-aged women with low level of education. The need for training is high and significant (P < 0.05), and there is a positive relationship between training/ information received and the operators's productivity.     

极度干旱区森林经营对策 ——以格尔木市国有林场为例

极度干旱区生态环境脆弱、森林资源宝贵,保护极度干旱区森林资源对守护绿水青山和实施西部大开发战略具有重要意义。格尔木市国有林场位于西部极度干旱区,是青海省海西蒙古族藏族自治州重要的生态安全屏障和森林资源培育战略要地,在格尔木市经济社会发展和生态文明建设中具有不可替代的作用。文中分析格尔木市国有林场森林资源现状及其特点,总结林场森林经营实践经验,剖析林场森林经营的现实困境和挑战;结合林场基础现状,从坚持科学营林、加强森林区划经营、加大配套设施支持力度、强化科技和人才保障、建立森林经营成效监测体系5方面提出林场森林经营的主要对策,为极度干旱区提升森林质量、提高生态系统稳定性、促进森林资源可持续发展提供参考。     

森林经营模式评价方法——以甘肃小陇山林区为例

以原始群落或地带性顶极群落为模板,从反映技术先进性的空间利用程度、物种多样性、建群种竞争态势和树种组成以及体现生产可行性的投入与产出等方面提出森林经营模式有效性评价方法,并应用于甘肃省小陇山林区9种不同经营模式。结果表明:天然林采育择伐是最为有效的森林经营模式;在割灌造林模式中带状割灌造林明显优于全面割灌造林;在人工造林中树种选择以华山松为好,日本落叶松最差。本文提出的经营模式有效性评价方法既能反映技术上的先进性,又能体现生产上的可行性,不失为一种简洁明了的评价经营模式的科学方法。