Šumarski list, Vol. 133 No. 3-4, 2009.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
Non Wood Forest Products and Services – Are we Using them Enough?
Dijana Vuletić
orcid.org/0000-0003-4631-7604
; Šumarski institut Jastrebarsko
Silvija Krajter
orcid.org/0000-0001-6644-4243
; Šumarski institut Jastrebarsko
Marko Mrazek
; Hrvatske šume Šumarija Topusko
Anna Ćorić
; Universite de Paris
Sažetak
Nowadays under the influence of climate changes it becomes clearer that forestry profession needs to take advantage from multifunctional character of resource that manages using all its products and services on sustainable way (National forest policy and strategy, NN 120/03). This process needs to be welcomed in private forest sector as well. Beside timber there are number of non-wood forest products and services provided by forests.
Non-wood forest products and services comprises different forest fruits, mushrooms, handicrafts from wooden and non wooden material, and especially social services like recreation, tourism, hunting, etc. (Sabadi et al. 2005). More intensive use of non-wood forest products and services opens number of possibilities for development of micro, small and medium entrepreneurships which can foster economical development in rural areas.
For the purpose of better understanding of existing level of usage and development possibilities based on this products, under the Project: “Identifying of values of non- wood forest products and services and possibilities of its use” financed by Croatian forests ltd.co on field of its Forest District Karlovac covering area of Peters’ mountain, this investigation has been conducted on citizens of tree municipalities: Topusko, Vojnić and Gvozd. The aim was to find out how local citizens recognized forest functions and its products and services, and are they use them and how. Special aim was to find out presence of interest for starting the entrepreneurship among local citizens. For method the interview face-to-face using semi-structured questionnaire was chosen. Peters’ mountain is area traditionally forestry oriented but recently also known as recreational area with more expressed social services.
Project is realized in cooperation of Forest research institute, Jastrebarsko, Department for forest management and forestry economics, Croatian forests ltd.co Forest District Karlovac and postgraduate student from Paris 12 University. Additionally this project will result with two master theses.
Presented results showing that this type of research, beside all its difficulties and imperfections provide valuable information and good basis for objective assessment of non-wood forest products and services use, as well existing interest for starting private entrepreneurship. Level of non-wood forest products usage can be assessed as high with prevailing use of mushrooms (76,0 %), followed by forests’ fruits (51,4 %), honey (25,5 %) and medicinal plants (20,2 %) (table 1). In case of recognition of forest functions’ importance, the most important is timber production function (79,3 %), second is health (67,3 %), and non-wood forest products (50,5 %). Beside the strong recognition of productive forest function important is to stress very strong recognition of social forest functions.
Majority of respondents (60 %) visiting forest often, 42 % of them even during Winter, and most frequently chosen reasons for visit are leisure and entertainment (41,3 %), health (36,5 %) and sport and recreation (21,2 %) (table 3). The frequency of visits, and interest for sport and recreation growing with achieved level of education and household income. Visitors while they are in forests most often picking forests’ fruits (75 %), walk (64,9 %) or observe wildlife (31,7 %).
Concerning their satisfaction with situation in forest and offer 45,3 % are completely satisfied, 42,2 % are partially satisfied and only 12,5 % are not satisfied at all. Level of satisfaction has reverse proportionality with level of education and household incomes.
Interest for starting private entrepreneurship is studied using model of logistic regression which put some light of direction and strength of influence of investigated variables on one Yes/No question. Results revealed that private forest owners has 2,6 times bigger willingness for starting the entrepreneurship than other population (table 2). On appearance of positive answer on that question use of non-wood forest products has positive influence. Based on results gained the average possible private entrepreneur can be described as private forest owner which use forest fruits for private purpose but also for sale, he has low level of education and low household income. In addition he is not enough informed on possibilities and existing development programs, he expecting primarily financial help from local authorities but also additional training; and he is not very keen to affiliate with other entrepreneurs.
On those findings clear need for more intensive influence of local authorities and Forest Extension Service is stressed out. Main areas of work could be raising awareness on possibilities for improving private forest estate, starting private entrepreneurship based on intensified use of forest products and services. Those activities has to be facilitated by Forest Extension Service but also by Croatian forests ltd.co which can act as motivator or work in cooperation with new private entrepreneurs.
Ključne riječi
Non wood forest products and services; Peter‘s mountain; private entrepreneurship; questionnaire; rural development
Hrčak ID:
36401
URI
Datum izdavanja:
30.4.2009.
Posjeta: 3.027 *