Family Forest Owners’ Perceptions of Landowner Assistance Programs in the USA: A Qualitative Exploration of Program Impacts on Behaviour

Using data collected from a series of focus groups, this study examines how landowner assistance programs (which may include management plans, cost-share, technical assistance and advice, and education components) affect family forest owner behaviour in the USA. Not surprisingly, most owners who participated in assistance programs had pre-existing management objectives. Participation in the management plan and cost-share components was found to facilitate the stewardship of private forests by assisting and reinforcing the behaviour of those landowners who already intend to manage their land in some pre-conceived manner. Advice and educational components appeared to do more in terms of introducing owners to new ideas. The mix of components offered as part of a landowner assistance program should consider the goals of the program and which components will be most effective in achieving those goals.     

To Join Small-Scale Forest Owners’ Associations or Not? Motivations and Opinions of Small-Scale Forest Owners in Three Selected Regions of the Czech Republic

This article analyses motivations and attitudes of small-scale forest owners in the Czech Republic towards joining associations. The research is a follow-up to a field investigation performed within the National Forest Programme II for 2007–2013 in the Vyso?ina region in 2010. The present research was carried out in the Pilsen region in 2012 and the Central Bohemia region in 2015, applying the same method of investigation as in 2010—a questionnaire survey. The findings are based on the results of all three surveys and supported by the analysis of legal and forestry-related documents concerning financial subsidies for forest owners’ associations. The study has revealed reluctance of small-scale owners to join associations. Their lack of motivation is caused by insufficient funding from the government supporting the administration and management of associations. The reluctance also results from the request for associations to be legal entities, which most applicants do not meet as they are either not registered or are registered under unsuitable legal forms. Between 2011 and 2013, no contributions were paid by the government to associations, and no new small-scale forest owners’ associations were formed. To increase associations, we propose that the government should provide sufficient funding not only for the administration and management of associations but also for the process of establishing associations and initial investments. It is also necessary to make major innovations in legislature regarding the transition of ownerships to more convenient legal forms.     

How are Swedish Forest Owners’ Associations Adapting to the Needs of Current and Future Members and Their Organizations?

This paper examines how Swedish forest owners’ associations are adapting their strategies to fit the changing needs of current and future members, and assesses how this development affects the organizations’ profile and relationship with members. To explore this issue eight semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with chairmen and senior managers from three associations and the Federation of Swedish Family Forest Owners were performed. Results showed that associations have identified an increasing need for management-support activities among members due to their decreasing familiarity with the basics of forestry. Help is increasingly needed both for setting up goals and objectives for their forest ownership, and to practically manage their properties. The associations’ education programmes are also being improved and adapted to suit members’ varying understanding of forestry by the introduction of A-, B- and C-level courses. Education campaigns have proved to be a successful tool for affecting members’ management objectives. Further, the associations see an increasing need for political activity to counter calls for stricter management regulations being made by the media, politicians and environmental organizations and thereby protect members’ ownership rights. Initiatives within the organizations for more efficient governance processes and the professionalization of working procedures within the member organizations may, however, come to reduce individual member involvement in the associations. Members may thus increasingly come to act as customers of service in their interaction with the organizations.     

New Forest Owners: Change and Continuity in the Characteristics of Swedish Non-industrial Private Forest Owners (NIPF Owners) 1990–2010

This paper presents a total survey of the characteristics and changes over time (1990–2010) within the entire population of Swedish non-industrial private forest owners (NIPF owners). By charting the changed demographic, socio-economic and geographic profile of the NIPF owners, it also provides a baseline for a discussion and analysis of potential implications for forest management, policy and values. NIPF owners differ in important ways from the general population of Sweden. However, the gap has narrowed over time with regard to, e.g., educational level and sex composition. The ongoing urbanization process is evident in the growing share of non-residential NIPF owners who live at a distance from their forest property and who differ from their residential (rural) peers through, e.g., higher education, higher income and a higher prevalence of co-ownership of their forest holdings. Although these changes might translate into updated views on forest values among NIPF owners, there could be a delay before this impacts on forest management practices and output.     

Swedish Forest Owners’ Associations: Establishment and Development After the 1970s

The context under which forest owners’ associations operate has changed dramatically since the first ones were established in the 1910s and 1920s. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of these associations after their establishment particularly since the financial crises at the end of 1970s. The diffusion and merger theories form a conceptual base. The annual reports of the associations are the main data source. The number of forest owners’ associations after 1,985 decreased dramatically and presently is only four. The consolidation can be explained by a wish to achieve increased efficiency through economies of scale and more influence on the wood market. After the financial crises at the end of the 1970s the number of members dropped sharply but has since then increased. Some associations have had significant financial problems. In the 1970s it became apparent that during economic downturns the relatively low proportion of equity made them vulnerable. Return on equity has, on average, during the 2000s been around 7–8 %. One problem for the associations is the risk that larger and more efficient organisations lead to increased “distance” between the associations and their members. Another problem is that the members cannot take advantage of the large value growth. Moreover, there is capital tied up in operations that do not really have any formal ownership.     

The “Coming Age of Wood” and Family Forest Owners: An Implications Wheel® Exploration

Small-scale Forestry - The context within which family forest owners operate is constantly changing due to many internal and external factors. Many emerging social, economic, environmental, and...     

Study on the Value of Forest to Conserve Soil and Water in Beijing

Forest has a strongfunction in storing water, conserving soil and protecting farmland. In the study, based on fleld management and survey, these effects of forest in Beijing were determined and quantified. According to the principles and methodology of environment economics, the values of forest to conserve soil and water were accounted. The result shows that the total value of forest to conserve soil and water in Beijing is as much as 1129.58×10~8 yuan, in which the value of water storage is 1107.92×10~8 yuan, being 98.08% of the total.     

Forest Owners’ Socio-demographic Characteristics as Predictors of Customer Value: Evidence from Finland

Small-scale Forestry - Ageing, urbanization, and decreasing dependence of non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners on forestry income have challenged the industrial timber supply of several...     

Review on Application of Electromagnetic Theory and Technology to Forest Pests Control

INTRODUCTIONThere are few forestry reserves in China and theforest pests break out frequently and seriously.There are various kinds of forest pests in Chinaand the area damaged by forest pests is large, witha tendency to rise constantly. Forest pests havebecome one of the key restrictive factors of thesustainable development of forestry in China.The chemical method, prevalently used in forestpests control, has good effect on the pests harmfulto leaves. But it has little effect on such pe…     

Effects of Forest on the Budgets of Water，Energy and Gases in the Environment

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Effect of Fire Disturbance on Soil Physical ＆ Chemical Properties of Forest

主要针对2006年3月29日安宁火灾后1年的森林土壤理化性质进行研究,结果表明,与未过火区相比,火烧后1年,过火区域的土壤密度明显增加,土壤自然含水量明显下降;淋溶层土壤的pH值略有上升,有机质、水解N、全P含量有所下降,全K与速效K含量明显上升,其余指标变化不明显;淀积层土壤除pH值、全P下降外,其余各指标均有不同程度的提高。     

The Study on Conflicts and Relieving Paths in the Utilization of Forest Resources──Inspiration of the practice of Sino-Netherlands Forest Development Project

The conflicts in the utilization of forest resources refers tothe clashes between the owner anduser produced in the occupation,utilization, handling andbenefits getting of forest, foresttrees, forest land and other forestresources including wild animalsand plants. With the constantincrease of demands for forestresource utilization, the conflictsbetween ma nagement a ndutilization are more and moreconspicuous. In order tounderstand the important roleforestry sub-project 'played in theSino-Nethe…     

Comparative analyses on the cycle time,productivity, and cost between commercial thinning and clear-cutting operations in Nasu-machi Forest Owners’ Co-operative,Tochigi Prefecture,Japan

This study investigates clear-cutting operations on moderately and gently sloping sites. Cycle times, productivities, and costs of those operations are analyzed and compared with those of commercial thinning operations, to enable logging contractors to easily find trends of those three variables. Felling cycle times of clear-cutting were lower than those of commercial thinning operations. Processing cycle times of clear-cutting on the gently sloping site were lower than those of clear-cutting on the moderately sloping site and commercial thinning. However, processing cycle times of clear-cutting on the moderately sloping site were similar to those of commercial thinning. Forwarding cycle times of clear-cutting on the moderately sloping site were the lowest among the estimated forwarding cycle times. Costs of operation systems were the lowest with clear-cutting on the gently sloping site, followed by clear-cutting on the moderately sloping site, and then commercial thinning with mechanized and current operation systems according to forwarding distance, with extracted volume 0.5 m³/stem. Costs of the current thinning operation system were less than those with a mechanized thinning system below extracted volume 0.3 m³/stem, because of smaller machinery expenses.     

Strengthening the Service System to Promote the Sustainable and Stable Development of Community Forestry

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The Property of Soil Loss and the Time Distribution on Forest Stand in Granite Region of the Three-gorges of the Yangtze River

本文研究了长江三峡花岗岩地区林地土壤流失特性．结果表明由鳞片状面蚀导致的土壤流失量月分布与月降雨量的分布趋势基本一致，二者呈现出较为明显的线性相关关系．植物盖度≥０．７０的林地土壤流失多集中发生在６～９月份，土壤流失量在５０００ｔ·ｋｍ－２·ａ－１以下．盖度＜０．７的林地土壤流失年内分布时间多在３～１０月份，土壤流失量为５００～６０００ｔ·ｋｍ－２·ａ－１．     

Application and Research Development of Ectomycorrhizae on Forest Disease Resistance

1 INTRODUCTIONEctomycorrhizae is a mutual symbiotic associationof ectomycorrhizal fungi and tender nutritive roots ofplants. It is universal in nature. It has an active effecton the growth and the establishment of forestecosystem and especially is crucial to the survival andgrowth of trees planted in adverse environments suchas that of soil drought, salinity and pH extremes. Mostof the ECM plants are arbors and shrubs, such asPinaceae, Cupressaceae, Fagaceae, Betulaceae,Salicaceae, Ul…     

Construction and Development of the Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Research Station

Established by the former Ministry of Forestry in 1986, Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Research Station is one of the 14 national key sites in the field of ecosystem research. In this paper, the basic situation of Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Station is described, including geographic location, natural conditions, biological resources, research conditions, instruments, achievement, prospects etc.     

Conflicts and Their Resolution in the Utilization of Forest Resources

ByTangCaifuForestsaretherichestrenewableplantresourcesandembraceeconomic,ecologicalandsocialbenefits.Variousconflictsandcontradictionsariseinexpandingtheutilizationofforestresources.AparticipatoryevaluationmethodwasusedtoinvestigateconflictsinforestresourcesutilizationinLongweiandLinwanVillages.ThesearetwoplojectsitesoftheCommunityForestryProjectofQuxianCounty.Thesolutionstotheseconflictshavebeensummarizedandnewapproachestoaddressingtheconflictssought.1.Tilelandconjlictbetweenforestryanda…     

Emission Removal Capability of India’s Forest and Tree Cover

India is the world’s tenth most forested nation with 76.87 M ha of forest and tree cover occupying 23.4% of its geographical area. Forests—with their intrinsic of carbon sequestration and storage values—are in the front line of India’s climate change mitigation strategies. This paper provides estimates of sequestered carbon in India’s forest and tree cover for the years 1995 and 2005 as per the IPCC good practice guidelines method. It is based on the primary data for the soil carbon pool through collecting soil samples by laying out quadrats across the country and secondary data for the growing stock of all forest and tree cover in the country. The estimates are compared with current and future projected emissions. It is found that conservation policies have resulted in increase of the country’s forest carbon stocks from 6244.8 to 6621.6 Mt with an annual increment of 37.7 Mt of the carbon from 1995 to 2005. Annual CO₂ removal by the forests is enough to neutralise 9.3% of the country’s 2000 level emissions. Continued removals by the forest and tree cover would offset 6.5 and 4.9% of India’s projected annual emissions in 2010 and 2020 respectively. Economically, the annual value of this forest carbon in the international market is about US $188 million. The result is of use in the REDD and REDD+ context for India.