Recreation values of boreal forest stand types and landscapes resulting from different silvicultural systems: An economic analysis

Abstract

In this study, data from a contingent valuation survey was used to estimate the recreation value, in economic terms, of various stand types within boreal forest landscapes, given by four different silvicultural systems. In a model, using recreation value functions and a maximum likelihood procedure, recreation value contributions in monetary terms were estimated for each stand type, or phase of the rotation period. Further, the shares of the different stand types were modified in the estimated value functions to analyse the potentials for increasing the recreation value of the forest landscapes. The shelterwood system yielded the forest landscape with the highest recreation value and the clearcutting system the lowest, both for equal and modified stand type shares. The results indicate that the choice of silvicultural strategy is very important in order to produce timber and forest recreation environments in an economically efficient way.