Áine Ní Dhubháin

The Values and Objectives of Private Forest Owners and Their Influence on Forestry Behaviour: The Implications for Entrepreneurship

There are many factors that determine what forestry activities forest owners carry out in their forest properties and that influence whether forest owners engage in entrepreneurial activity. This paper explores whether the values and objectives of forest owners influence their forestry behaviour and their engagement in entrepreneurial activity. This is done through a review of the literature on private forest owners’ typologies based on owners’ objectives. The review reveals that typologies typically divide forest owners into two main groups. The primary objective of the first group of owners is production (of wood and non-wood goods and services) usually, although not exclusively, so as to generate economic activity. The primary objective of the second group is consumption (of wood and non-wood goods and services). There is a tacit assumption in the studies reviewed that goals and objectives do influence forestry behaviour but few studies have actually assessed whether this is the case. The general finding is that forest owners whose objectives are timber production and who are business-oriented are more likely to manage and harvest their stands. No research focusing on the link between owners’ objective and wider entrepreneurial activity in forests was found.

Site index of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) in relation to different measures of site quality in Ireland

To examine the relationships between Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) site index and site quality variables, we sampled 201 Sitka spruce stands covering the entire range of sites supporting the growth of the species in Ireland. Site index varied significantly with climate and climate surrogate variables, some site quality variables, soil physical and chemical properties, edatopes (combinations of soil nutrient and moisture regimes), rotation types, provenance, and fertilizer regimes. We developed a series of models to predict site index using climate, site, soil physical and chemical properties, edaphic variables, and management factors as predictor variables. Soil nutrient regime (SNR) exhibited the strongest relationship of all variables examined in the study, explaining 51% of the variation in site index, with site index increasing with increasing SNR. We found that edaphic variables of soil moisture regime and SNR produced the best prediction of site index. The species showed the best dev...

Joint Ventures in Private Forestry in Ireland

A study was conducted with the objective of obtaining a profile of farmers who have participated in the Farm Partnership Scheme in Ireland. This scheme is a joint venture between Coillte (The Irish Forestry Board) and farmers. Under the terms of the scheme, Coillte is responsible for the establishment, management and harvesting of the forest plantation on the farmer’s land. The farmer retains ownership of the land, receives premium payments and shares in the harvesting profits. Fifty farmers who joined the Farm Partnership Scheme between 1993–1997 were interviewed in 1999 and a detailed questionnaire was completed. Survey results indicate that the typical farm partner was male, married and aged 50 years or older. Over half of those surveyed had an off-farm job. The most popular reason for farmers opting to participate in the Farm Partnership Scheme was that they did not have sufficient time to undertake the establishment and management of a forest plantation themselves. The average size of forest established under the scheme was 23.7 ha, with Sitka spruce the most popular species planted. The average annual payment under the scheme was €8077. For 46% of those surveyed, the returns from the Farm Partnership Scheme comprised all of their farm income.

The economic impact of forestry in the Ballyvourney area of County Cork, Ireland

Abstract Little is known about the impact of forestry on local development in Ireland. This paper describes one of the first attempts to evaluate the economic activity and employment generated by forestry and to relate it to local development. The study determined the economic activity generated from plantation management and timber production from four forests owned by Coillte Teoranta (the State Forestry Board which is a commercial state-owned company established in 1988 to manage public forests) located in south-west Ireland. The technique used was input–output analysis with the data on the direct economic activities being sourced from Coilltes management information system and from surveys. The indirect economic activities were estimated using an existing input–output model of the region. The data on the direct employment generated were derived from the data collected on the economic activity with additional data being obtained from surveys. To link these data to the concept of local development, the location of the economic activity and employment was related to the centre of the study area. In this way it was possible to determine what areas and communities benefited from the operation of forestry within the study area and consequently to show the benefits that the community local to the forest were gaining from those forests.

Are Forest Attitudes Shaped by the Extent and Characteristics of Forests in the Local Landscape

Forest policy is increasingly accounting for public attitudes and preferences. However, attitudes vary across the population and are linked to the characteristics of individuals and their relationship to forests. This study examines whether the extent, ownership, and composition of forests in respondents’ localities influence their expressed attitudes and rankings of forest outputs from a household survey. Forest cover in a 5-km buffer surrounding respondents was identified using a geographic information system (GIS) and the effects of forest cover and other key respondent variables were tested using ordered logit models. The results suggest that forest cover does influence attitudes and that the nature of the effects differs based on composition and ownership. A division in attitudes was also identified between members of farming households and urban areas. In addition to describing the potential formation of attitudes, the results highlight the trade-off between commercial and noncommercial management that may be required to improve attitudes toward forestry.

New Forest Owners – Small-Scale Forestry and Changes in Forest Ownership

Families and individuals own 82% of the European private forest area (data derived from 11 countries). These forests are typically small in scale and are increasing in number as a result of fragmentation. Coincident with these developments is a change in the ownership structure. In the past owners were typically farmers who lived close to their forest, and who relied on their forests for income. In recent decades, the number of non-farmer owners has increased and many now live in urban areas. The new owners tend not to be economically dependent on their forests, nor have timber production as a primary goal, and are instead likely to hold amenity and conservation objectives. This trend, coupled with the increasing fragmentation of small-scale forests, is likely to have negative consequences for timber supply and the sustainable management of these forests. The changing objectives of owners may, on the other hand, have positive impacts on landscape, nature conservation and recreation. However, these may be counteracted by increasing fragmentation.