Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.5552/crojfe.2022.1984

Private Forest Owner’s Cooperation in Machinery Ring: Is it a Solution for Wood Mobilization from Small-Scale Private Forests?

Špela Pezdevšek Malovrh ; University of Ljubljana Biotechnical Faculty Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources Večna pot 83 1000, Ljubljana SLOVENIA
Nike Krajnc ; Slovenian Forestry Institute Department for Forest Technique and Economics Večna pot 2 1000, Ljubljana SLOVENIA
Matevž Triplat ; Slovenian Forestry Institute Department for Forest Technique and Economics Večna pot 2 1000, Ljubljana SLOVENIA

Abstract

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 of cooperation between private forest
owners in machinery rings to support wood mobilization from small-scale private forests.

Keywords

private forest management, harvesting intensity, cooperation, machinery cooperation, neighbourhood assistance

Hrčak ID:

290860

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/290860

Publication date:

30.6.2022.

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