TY - JOUR
T1 - Owner mapping for forest scenario modelling - A Lithuanian case study
AU - Mozgeris, Gintautas
AU - Brukas, Vilis
AU - Stanislovaitis, Andrius
AU - Kavaliauskas, Marius
AU - Palicinas, Michailas
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Ample research on private forest owners (PFOs) has established high heterogeneity in owners' objectives, motivations and management decisions. Such heterogeneity is, however, rarely taken into account in forest scenario modelling. This study, in contrast, conducts a detailed forest owner mapping that feeds into simulations of ecosystem services (ES) under alternative future scenarios. First, we identify four private forest owner types (FOT) - Forest Businessmen, Household Foresters, Passive Forest Lovers, and Ad Hoc Owners through in-depth interviews and qualitative analyses on a case study area in western Lithuania. Next, each forest estate and forest compartment is assigned a FOT by combining the property registry and forest characteristics with opinions of two types of local experts: state forest managers and inspectors from the State Forest Service. Third, a set of forest management (FM) programmes is specified using field interviews and desktop research, FM records, and expert judgement for each forest compartment. Finally, ES provision is projected using a behavioural matrix combining management styles of FOT5 with details of FM programmes. We simulate the dynamics of profits from forestry activities, accumulated carbon in live biomass and tree species diversity under a reference scenario without substantial changes; and a policy intervention scenario. The study demonstrates that treating forest owners as a homogenous group overestimates profits from timber and underestimates the provision of the other analysed ES, potentially misinforming policy decisions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
AB - Ample research on private forest owners (PFOs) has established high heterogeneity in owners' objectives, motivations and management decisions. Such heterogeneity is, however, rarely taken into account in forest scenario modelling. This study, in contrast, conducts a detailed forest owner mapping that feeds into simulations of ecosystem services (ES) under alternative future scenarios. First, we identify four private forest owner types (FOT) - Forest Businessmen, Household Foresters, Passive Forest Lovers, and Ad Hoc Owners through in-depth interviews and qualitative analyses on a case study area in western Lithuania. Next, each forest estate and forest compartment is assigned a FOT by combining the property registry and forest characteristics with opinions of two types of local experts: state forest managers and inspectors from the State Forest Service. Third, a set of forest management (FM) programmes is specified using field interviews and desktop research, FM records, and expert judgement for each forest compartment. Finally, ES provision is projected using a behavioural matrix combining management styles of FOT5 with details of FM programmes. We simulate the dynamics of profits from forestry activities, accumulated carbon in live biomass and tree species diversity under a reference scenario without substantial changes; and a policy intervention scenario. The study demonstrates that treating forest owners as a homogenous group overestimates profits from timber and underestimates the provision of the other analysed ES, potentially misinforming policy decisions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW - Forest policy
KW - Management
KW - Modelling
KW - Scenarios
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Owner typology
KW - Forest policy
KW - Management
KW - Modelling
KW - Scenarios
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Owner typology
UR - https://res.slu.se/id/publ/93523
U2 - 10.1016/j.forpol.2016.02.002
DO - 10.1016/j.forpol.2016.02.002
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1389-9341
VL - 85
SP - 235
EP - 244
JO - Forest Policy and Economics
JF - Forest Policy and Economics
ER -