Small-scale Private Forests Research Articles

Wood Harvesting Practices, Technologies and Safety Considerations in Small-Scale Private Forests in Uganda

Wood Harvesting Practices, Technologies and Safety Considerations in Small-Scale Private Forests in Uganda

Factors Explaining the Willingness of Small-Scale Private Forest Owners to Engage in Forestry—A German Case Study

In Germany, 24% of the forest area is owned by small-scale private forest owners, whose property is affected by a societal demand for forest-related ecosystem services. In the inhomogeneous group of small-scale private forest owners, different living conditions and lifestyles exist, which are affecting the management of the forest ownership. To support the management activities of small-scale private forest owners, institutional instruments exist, but these are only used by a small proportion of forest owners. In order to gain insights into the accessibility and activation of small-scale private forest owners for management, and to draw conclusions for appropriate support instruments, a large number of studies have analyzed the factors influencing the management activities of forest owners. Some studies identify socio-demographic and socio-economic variables as important influencing factors, but do not take into account their complex interdependencies, which have developed as a result of the pluralization of lifestyles and individualization of forest owners. For this reason, in addition to the influencing factors identified in the literature as relevant for forest management activities of small-scale private forest owners, the lifestyle segmentation approach of Sinus milieus established in German market research was applied in this study. This approach allocates forest owners based on their complex lifestyles into ten different milieu groups. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine the parameters influencing the willingness to engage in eight different forest management activities. The results show that the willingness to engage in forest management activities in the future is higher compared to actions in the past. In addition to timber harvesting-related activities, the small-scale private forest owners show a high action potential for non-commodity-related activities. Non-commodity-related activities can primarily be explained by the Sinus milieu affiliation of the small-scale private forest owners. This result underlines the usefulness of a lifestyle segmentation approach such as the Sinus milieus to address small-scale private forest owners in a target group specific way in line with their willingness to engage in specific forest management activities. Institutional instruments such as the membership in a forest owners association or subsidies do not play a significant role for non-commodity-related activities and seem to be inappropriate for targeting small-scale private forest owners for these activities. Timber harvesting-related activities are primarily influenced by the presence of professional foresters, socio-demographic factors or institutional instruments. Based on these empirical findings, implications can be drawn for the target group-specific addressing of forest owners based on different management activities. In this way, forest owners can be motivated to engage in forest management and the provision of forest-related ecosystem services.

Enhancing land cover and carbon storage through rehabilitation of degraded lands into Wono: a case study of a small-scale private forest in Dengok Village, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (1972-2021)

The implementation of degraded land rehabilitation programs and community-based forest management certification is widely recognised to enhance the status of wono land cover and aid in climate change mitigation. The expansion of the restoration efforts can be monitored using satellite images to track the progress of operations by observing changes in land cover area. Community forest certification also can enhance the success of land restoration endeavours. Therefore, this study aimed to show the change in forest land cover and the amount of carbon stored from 1972 to 2021. Landsat imagery was used to depict land cover conditions in 1972, 1982, 1993, 2000, 2008, 2014, and 2021, before and after the implementation of restoration and community forest certification programs. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index approach was employed for satellite images captured in 1972 and 1982, while the Forest Canopy Density method was employed for images in 1993, 2000, 2008, 2014, and 2021, to illustrate the progressive increase in wono land cover. Meanwhile, carbon storage was analysed from 1972 to 2021 using national carbon storage conversion. The results indicated that restoration activity and the establishment of community forest certification increased wono area and carbon storage, which totalled 55.90 ha and 5,499.04 t C between 1972 and 2021. Augmenting carbon storage within wono land cover constituted an effective strategy for mitigating climate change.

Owner attitudes and landscape parameters drive stand structure and valuable habitats in small-scale private forests of Lower Saxony (Germany)

Small-scale private forests cover large areas in Europe and often contain structures and habitats of high nature conservation value that are increasingly put under pressure due to a rising interest in fuelwood and wood products. We investigate the distribution of variables like living tree and deadwood volumes, management intensity, diversity and density of tree-related microhabitats recorded in 81 small-scale private forest parcels in the Lower Saxon Hills (northwest Germany). We provide an assessment of the influence of predictors like the individual forest owners’ goals and activities, as stated by them in a quantitative survey, as well as landscape parameters like parcel size, slope, landscape fragmentation and forest continuity. Our results indicate that there are two types of structures of conservation value in small-scale private forests: slowly evolving structures (type A) like large-diameter living trees and tree-related microhabitats which mostly depend on landscape parameters that act on longer time scales, and fast evolving structures (type B) like deadwood that are influenced by both owner attitudes and landscape parameters. The resulting implications for integrative forest and conservation management are discussed. When considering the conservation of the slowly evolving type A structures, long-term commitments to conservation legislation, financial incentives and generation-spanning education of forest owners are necessary. Efforts to promote the faster evolving type B structures might prove particularly advantageous in small-scale private forests given the structural diversity of the stands, but also the often strong identification of owners with their land.Graphical abstract

Private Forest Owner's Cooperation in Machinery Ring

Legislation and policy makers have recognized private forest owners cooperation in machinery ring as an instrument to support wood mobilization through efficient use of machinery. The study analyzes private forest owner's cooperation in the machinery ring in Slovenia and determines whether this cooperation contributes to wood mobilization from small-scale private forests. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the survey was conducted among the members of machinery rings at their annual general meetings (24 machinery rings participated in the survey, representing 64.9% of the total number of machinery rings). The questionnaire was distributed to all members present at the annual general meetings (n=529) and only those who were private forest owner or provided services within machinery rings were eligible to complete the questionnaire (n=438). In the second phase, data on the amount of service provided by machinery ring members were compared with the amount of felling in private forests for 2019 to gain insight into the extend of forestry work (timber harvesting) carried out in a private forest under neighbourhood assistance.The results show that machinery rings members are predominantly male, on average 50 years old, mainly with high school education and occupation in agriculture, owning on average 15.2 ha of forest. Regardless of forest management activities, machinery ring members perform forest management activities in their forest by themselves or with the help of family members. Only a small proportion of members use neighbourhood assistance to carry out the work. This most often occurs in the transport of timber. A very small proportion of members provide forest services through the machinery ring, but their scope of services is not insignificant. In 2019, machinery ring members most often performed harvesting activities with the chain saw, followed by timber skidding as a service. Equipment with machinery for providing services is good among members – about three quarters of them have a chainsaw and an adapted agricultural tractor, but this machinery is quite old, showing that machinery is insufficiently used for forestry operations. The results show that machinery rings are nowadays an essential part of strategic (operational) management in Slovenian agriculture and forestry, and provide important insights into the possibilities to improve forestry operations and the future development cooperation between private forest owners in machinery rings to support wood mobilization from small-scale private forests.

Factors Explaining the Willingness of Small-Scale Private Forest Owners to Engage in Forestry in Germany

Factors Explaining the Willingness of Small-Scale Private Forest Owners to Engage in Forestry in Germany

Surface runoff and erosion on various sengon (Falcataria moluccana (Miq.) Barneby & J.W.Grimes) – based agroforestry patterns in small scale private forest, Sumber Urip Village, Blitar, East Java

Indonesia is still facing several problems concerning to degraded land. These problems often a result of surface runoff and erosion. The intensity of surface runoff and erosion depended on one of the others is soil cover. Research on surface runoff and erosion on various sengon-based agroforestry pattern has been conducted to address this challenge. Plots of various patterns are as follow A: sengon plantation; B: sengon + coffee + gamal + cassava + cowpea; C: sengon + coffee + gamal + cacao + corn +cowpea; D: sengon + coffee + gamal + ginger + cowpea; E: sengon + coffee + gamal + ginger + corn + cowpea; F: reeds (control). The results show that agroforestry patterns are very effective in reducing soil surface runoff and erosion. The B pattern was considered as the best combination compared to the other combinations in this research. The decrease in the surface runoff and erosion rate was 74.33% and 63.42%, respectively. While the highest surface runoff and erosion occur in the D pattern, which was given the surface runoff and erosion value of 565.6 mm/ha/year and 3.4 ton/ha/year, respectively.

Agroforestry as a model of sustainable land use of small-scale private forest: a case study in Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia

A small-scale private forest using a model of agroforestry has been growing as part of a rural culture and has become an important source of income for many rural people. In many cases, particularly in densely populated area, farmers usually integrate seasonal crops and livestock with perennial crops to fulfil their daily dietary needs. However, the aspects of sustainability that are comprehensively reviewed have not been widely revealed in small-scale private forest. The aim of this paper is therefore to identify the characteristics of small-scale private forests under the agroforestry model. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling and data were collected through questionnaire from 27 farmers. Agroforestry-based small-scale private forest demonstrates a sustainable farming system: the system possesses a high ecological stability; socially, it is based on the local culture and knowledge; and economically, the agroforestry model contributes significantly to farmers' income.

Agroforestry as a model of sustainable land use of small-scale private forest: a case study in Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia

A small-scale private forest using a model of agroforestry has been growing as part of a rural culture and has become an important source of income for many rural people. In many cases, particularly in densely populated area, farmers usually integrate seasonal crops and livestock with perennial crops to fulfil their daily dietary needs. However, the aspects of sustainability that are comprehensively reviewed have not been widely revealed in small-scale private forest. The aim of this paper is therefore to identify the characteristics of small-scale private forests under the agroforestry model. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling and data were collected through questionnaire from 27 farmers. Agroforestry-based small-scale private forest demonstrates a sustainable farming system: the system possesses a high ecological stability; socially, it is based on the local culture and knowledge; and economically, the agroforestry model contributes significantly to farmers' income.

Comparison of Electric and Petrol Chainsaws in Terms of Efficiency and Safety When Used in Young Spruce Stands in Small-Scale Private Forests

Since the electric tools are increasingly entering the field of forestry, the aim of this study was to establish the consequences of using electric powered chainsaws on work and its energy efficiency, as well as health of workers. For this purpose, 40 trees were felled in two young spruce stands, half with a cordless electric chainsaw and one half with a petrol chainsaw. Results showed that electric chainsaws are a good alternative to petrol chainsaws for use in small-scale forestry, since in terms of work efficiency their use is comparable to petrol chainsaws and they provide a lower level of energy consumption, and lower exposure of fellers to noise and hand-arm vibrations. Similar to other fields, the results confirmed a positive impact of hand toll electrification on man and environment. The development of electric tools for forestry is expected to intensify with the development of more powerful batteries which are currently still regarded as the major bottleneck.

Socioeconomic Conditions Affecting Smallholder Timber Management in Gunungkidul District, Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia

Indonesia is one of the largest teak timber producers in the world. The Javanese State Forest Company has been a major producer of teak timber in Indonesia; however, log production decreased drastically due to severe illegal logging after the collapse of Suharto regime. In contrast, small-scale private forests (PFs) owned by local farmers have expanded and are expected to be a new source of teak timber. Long rotation is a critical factor in producing a larger diameter log with a higher heartwood proportion. However, harvest timing in PFs is traditionally decided based on individual farmers’ needs even if trees are still young and of small diameter. Therefore, traditional harvesting is an obstacle to producing high-quality teak timber. The objectives of this study are to (1) identify the household economies and PF management styles of local farmers, (2) characterize the local farmers who conduct traditional harvesting, and (3) suggest key considerations for PF policymaking. Key informant interviews and semi-structured interviews with local farmers were conducted in three villages in Gunungkidul district, Yogyakarta Special Region. The study identified the household economies, the ownership and management structures, and the traditional harvesting in PFs in the three villages, and reaffirmed diversity and complexity of PFs. It appears that PF management is influenced by topographic and socioeconomic conditions and differs widely across villages. Therefore, it is important to consider the diversity and complexity of PFs in PF policymaking.

Land ownership affects diversity and abundance of tree microhabitats in deciduous temperate forests

Tree microhabitats – e.g. cavities, bark pockets or crown dead wood – have been described as key habitat elements, which are particularly important for birds, bats and xylobiont insects. They are therefore vital for promoting biodiversity in forest ecosystems. The occurrence of such tree microhabitats in forest stands is closely related to forest management. In Central European cultural landscapes, forest areas are subdivided into a mosaic of stands under different ownership types and owners vary in their forest management strategies and practices. However, little is known about the influence of forest ownership on the density and diversity of tree microhabitats in forest stands. In this study, we investigate tree microhabitats – categorised into 31 different tree microhabitat types – within forest stands in clusters of different ownership types. We compare small-scale private forests, municipal forests and state-owned forests in deciduous temperate forest ecosystems in south-western Germany. Our results reveal that the density of tree microhabitats per hectare is more than twice as high in small-scale private forests than in municipal or state-owned forests. Similarly, the diversity of tree microhabitats related to area is highest in small-scale private forests. Moreover, we found differences in tree microhabitat occurrences under the three ownership types at the single tree level. Besides ownership type, relevant indicators for tree microhabitats are basal area of forest stands as well as tree vitality and diameter. Within the study region, the share of tree microhabitats provided by small-scale private forests plays a substantive role for overall forest biodiversity. Management of publicly owned forests should promote a higher density and diversity of tree microhabitats to comply with goals of close-to-nature forest management approaches. In conclusion, we regard the type of forest ownership as a relevant driver of tree microhabitat occurrence. Ownership should therefore be considered in the design of policy frameworks and instruments which address the promotion of forest biodiversity.

Factors Affecting Harvesting Intensity in Small-Scale Private Forests in Slovenia

Among other factors, harvesting intensity in private forests depends on property, resource and forest owner characteristics. The research was conducted in Slovenia, a Central European country with very fragmented and small-scale forest property, a large number of owners and co-owners and a long tradition of sustainable forest management. In the nationwide study, data from the Land and Property Register and forest inventory database were used to build a logistic regression model to identify factors that influence harvesting intensity. The results of the model revealed that growing stock, share of conifers, share of forest area under regeneration, total size of forest property in owner- and co-ownership, parcel size and accessibility of the forest area to forest operations increase harvesting intensity. Slope, number and age of owners and co-owners, and skidding distance negatively influence harvesting intensity. The results can offer useful information for policy and decision makers for formulating policy as well as implementing the most suitable mix of policy instruments.

Factors Influencing the Choice of Management Strategy among Small-Scale Private Forest Owners in Sweden

Half of the productive forest area in Sweden is owned by small-scale private forest owners. However, there is a lack of comprehensive information that would allow categorizing small-scale private forest owners according to their management strategy. In this study, we surveyed small-scale private forest owners in Sweden to determine the proportions who applied various management strategies. We analyzed the results using chi-square tests to identify the most relevant factors affecting the management strategy choices of individual forest owners. We found that “soft” factors, such as the importance of income from the forest, membership in a forest owners’ association, certification and an interest in and knowledge of forestry issues, had a stronger impact on the choice of management strategy than most “hard” factors related to the owner or the property, such as gender and distance between the owner’s residence and the property. However, property size was the most important factor and was associated with the importance of income derived from the forest and several other soft factors.

Land ownership drives stand structure and carbon storage of deciduous temperate forests

In European cultural landscapes, forest area is subdivided into a mosaic of stands of different ownership types and sizes. Differences in ownership and different goals of the owners have a potentially decisive influence on the provision of forest ecosystem services and the implementation of instruments for the conservation of biodiversity. This study hypothesizes that forest ownership is an indirect determinant of forest management approaches and is thereby relevant for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. We compared structure and species composition of forest stands in clusters of different ownership types, namely state-owned, municipal and small-scale private forests, in southwestern Germany. Although close-to-nature management has been practiced in public forests for some time, our study demonstrates that tree species diversity does not vary significantly between ownership types but is correlated with biogeographical factors. However, small-scale private forests comprise significantly higher levels of structural diversity, more dead wood and greater carbon storage capacity than both categories of public forests. This is contrary to other studies, where publicly owned lands were found to host higher biodiversity, and differs from the global trend, where continued fragmentation of private lands threatens forest sustainability. The importance of small-scale private forests, e.g. for the conservation of old-growth and dead wood dependent species, seems due to less intensive and more diverse forest management. The role of such forests for biodiversity conservation and carbon regulation may be jeopardized through forest conversion and wood mobilization initiatives accompanying rising natural resource prices. To safeguard forest biodiversity and ecosystem services, ownership-specific incentive schemes should be coordinated and refined. In public forests, close-to-nature management approaches should be complemented with binding goals aimed at promoting old-growth forest attributes and allowing site-specific variation in management practices. To conserve diversity in small-scale private forests, financial incentives and remuneration schemes for the provisioning of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services should be developed. Moreover, consulting and the provision of information on sustainable forest and conservation management should be intensified.

小規模分散的に所有される民有林を用いた生態系保全の取組

小規模分散的に所有される民有林を用いた生態系保全の取組

Certifying Small-Scale Private Forests in Eastern Canada: What Does It Take to Make It Happen?

Certification is increasingly important in Canada as a tool for promoting, monitoring, and rewarding sustainable forest management. However, success in certifying large public or industry-owned forests has not been matched by small-scale private forests, which nevertheless provide an important range of social, economic, and environmental benefits. In this exploratory research, we examine the presence and absence of certification systems in three adjoining regions of New Brunswick and Quebec, Canada, reviewing documents and interviewing woodlot owners and representatives of their organizations and the timber industry to identify factors contributing to the success or absence of certification. Industry demand, the role of organizations, and owner interest were highlighted as key factors in certification. However, there is also uncertainty around both the effectiveness of certification in achieving its goals and instability in the woodlot sector. We conclude with a series of questions to guide further research in this field.

Farm forestry in the black forest southern nature park from a socio-political point of view

In this study the interactions between forest management and the preservation of rural structures, as well as the economic implications should there be a shut-down of silvicultural activities in the small-scale private forestry of the Southern Nature Park of the Black Forest in Germany, are examined. The jobs, which are connected to the production of wood and the quality of the landscape, are characterized and projected on the region as far as possible. The creation of value by owners managing forests for production is demonstrated for the area of investigation. In combination with estimated average monetary values for the infrastructural benefits of the forests, scenarios point out the consequences of management as well as of a shut-down of the smallscale private forests. Finally, the paper explores whether it is it is appropriate to extend the meaning of the term ‘Environmentally Sound Forest Management’ beyond the conventional sense of forest functions, and to an holistic approach which integrates the people as well as forests and other landscape features. If an holistic approach is adopted, a redefined model of the mixed farm forest enterprise, which pursues many targets in the same area, must be developed. In this way, it seems possible to solve conflicts regarding land-use in rural areas and to achieve desirable socio-political development.

Study on Small-scale Private Forest Management. II

Study on Small-scale Private Forest Management. II

Study on Small-scale Private Forest Management. III

Study on Small-scale Private Forest Management. III