Measuring Forest Owners’ Environmental Responsibility: Quantifying a Theoretical Approach Based on a Case Study from South-Eastern Estonia

Abstract

Governing biodiversity conservation on a scattered landscape with varying physical and ownership characteristics can be a difficult challenge. Private forest owners are becoming increasingly important stakeholders, as there has been a general shift towards more participatory arrangements. With the diversity of private forest owners, it is important to understand how they relate to the idea of being, to some extent, responsible providing such public goods. We therefore used a theoretical typology of responsibility to quantify this otherwise vague concept in order to see how forest owners relate to the different biodiversity governance arrangements. Using questionnaire survey data with the core consisting of 38 different forest-environmental statements and factor analysis, we found four empirical factors that described different attitudes towards conservation. While these factors do not fit the theoretical typology one on one it is nevertheless an appropriate way of looking the preferences of governance arrangements in-depth. While developed further and used on a broader scale, this approach would be useful as further knowledge about forest owners’ stances on responsibility regarding biodiversity protection would be beneficial in designing and implementing environmental policies.