Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31298/sl.146.1-2.1
Characteristics of private forest owners in relation to their activities in enlargement of forest holdings
Mario Božić
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije
Marijana Andabaka
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije
Mislav Vedriš
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije
Ernest Goršić
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije
Krunoslav Teslak
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije
Abstract
Most forest owners in Croatia have forest holdings smaller than 1 ha, while less than 1% have holdings larger than 10 ha. Parcelization of forest holdings in addition to small size presents significant limitation for forest management. Therefore, important aim of forest policy is to stimulate enlargement and consolidation of forest holdings. First step in that process is to recognize the characteristics of forest owners interested in enlargement of their holdings and active forest management.
The aim of this research is to relate the sociodemographic attributes of private forest owners and characteristics of their forest holdings with their interest for selling and/or buying forest estates for enlargement and consolidation of forestland area.
Direct survey questionnaire covered 500 private forest owners in continental part of Croatia. Respondents are classified by sex, education, employment, location of forest holding, activities in forest associations and means of acquisition of forest estate. Answers included level of interest for activities in enlargement and management of forest holdings. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics (arithmetic mean, median, and standard error), testing between groups (Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis test), and Spearman rank correlation.
The results indicate correlation of sociodemographic, regional and other characteristics of forest owners with their interest in enlargement of forest holding. According to these results most interested in enlargement of forest holding are younger male owners from the central Croatia who purchased forest and are already active in forest associations (tables 1 and 2). Non-employed and self-employed owners are also more interested in enlargement of forest area to increase their incomes (table 1). However significant share of owners (35%) are not interested in increase nor in selling their forest (Figure 1) which is an impediment in consolidation of forest areas.
The results of this study are useful for future forest policies aimed at small scale forestry, although these actions are subject to large scale restrictions due to increase of protected areas and limitations to forest management resulting from reducing carbon emissions. Therefore, state regulatory measures should aim at subsidizing active and diversified forest management (forest biomass, non-wood forest products, amenity values, credits for carbon sequestration, aimed species, biodiversity). On the other hand, law measures should improve the process of inheritance and penalize the abandonment of forest areas (sources of pests and diseases, invasive species, forest fires).
Keywords
private forests; purchase and selling of forest area; forest management; consolidation
Hrčak ID:
273386
URI
Publication date:
28.2.2022.
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