Louise Eriksson

Exploring Underpinnings of Forest Conflicts: A Study of Forest Values and Beliefs in the General Public and Among Private Forest Owners in Sweden

Drawing on a hierarchical cognitive structure, the aim of this study was to compare forest values and beliefs in the general public and among forest owners in Sweden. Based on questionnaire data (n = 1,805), intergroup differences were identified on different cognitive levels. For example, while the forest owners emphasized production values more than the general public, the difference was smaller regarding more specific beliefs concerning profitability in forestry. In contrast, the general public emphasized recreation more than the forest owners, although the divide was mainly evident for certain recreation activities. While results demonstrated overlapping beliefs concerning owners’ right to decide over their forest, larger differences were found regarding the rights of other actors (e.g., the general public). Furthermore, a cluster analysis based on forest values and forest-specific beliefs demonstrated heterogeneous groups cutting across the original group dichotomy. The implications for understanding underpinnings of forest conflicts are discussed.

Risk Perception and Responses Among Private Forest Owners in Sweden

Forest risk management influences economic, recreation, and ecological values in the forest. To improve the understanding of forest risk management among private forest owners, in-depth interviews were carried out with 20 individual private forest owners in Sweden. Within an environmental stress framework, the forest owners’ overall perception of a range of risks, or threats, that they perceive may damage their forest or harm them as a forest owner was uncovered. Overall, results revealed that the owners generally were not very concerned about forest risks. Nevertheless, natural hazards, such as storms and fires, and societal processes including political decisions concerning for example environmental regulations were mentioned among the most serious threats. Proactive as well as reactive strategies were used to deal with the risks—for example, insurance and forest management strategies. Because climate change is a potentially new risk that may affect forest owners, the owners’ climate change perceptions were explored. The owners emphasised uncertainties and displayed a rather optimistic view of the impacts of climate change on their forests now and in the future. Two dimensions—risk tolerance and perceived control over risks—characterised forest owners’ risk perception and responses. In addition, the susceptibility of the forest, previous risk experience, forest values, and the extent to which the owner is dependent on the forest—for example, economically—were relevant for understanding how risks are evaluated.

Reducing the risk of invasive forest pests and pathogens : Combining legislation, targeted management and public awareness

Intensifying global trade will result in increased numbers of plant pest and pathogen species inadvertently being transported along with cargo. This paper examines current mechanisms for prevention and management of potential introductions of forest insect pests and pathogens in the European Union (EU). Current European legislation has not been found sufficient in preventing invasion, establishment and spread of pest and pathogen species within the EU. Costs associated with future invasions are difficult to estimate but past invasions have led to negative economic impacts in the invaded country. The challenge is combining free trade and free movement of products (within the EU) with protection against invasive pests and pathogens. Public awareness may mobilise the public for prevention and detection of potential invasions and, simultaneously, increase support for eradication and control measures. We recommend focus on commodities in addition to pathways, an approach within the EU using a centralised response unit and, critically, to engage the general public in the battle against establishment and spread of these harmful pests and pathogens.

The general public's support for forest policy in Sweden: a value belief approach

In the present study, the legitimacy of the forest policy in Sweden was explored. Based on a value belief approach, the general publics support for forest policy was examined by means of a questionnaire (n = 796). Results demonstrated that the respondents believed ecological principles, such as sustaining natural conditions for native plants and animals, were most important in forest policy, but preservation of social values and using the forest efficiently to maintain high market value were also emphasised. Although socio-demographic variables (i.e. gender and age) had some impact on support for the policy, different values and beliefs reflecting ecological, social and economic interests were more important. By considering different values and beliefs, as well as policy support explicitly, the study provides a multifaceted account of the publics viewpoint regarding forest issues.

The importance of threat, strategy, and resource appraisals for long-term proactive risk management among forest owners in Sweden

In natural hazards management, it is important to understand what motivates people to act when they or their property are threatened by natural hazards. Despite the importance of both threat and coping appraisals for responses to threats, less is known about the relations between threat and coping appraisals when risk management is long term. The present study examined appraisals of threat (cognitive and emotional), personal resources (cost and self-efficacy), and strategies (response-efficacy) as predictors of proactive management responses (past behavior and future intention) among forest owners in Sweden by means of a questionnaire (n = 1482). A path analysis revealed that threat appraisals and response-efficacy were direct predictors of past risk management behavior and the intention to respond in the future. Appraisals of resources, including cost and self-efficacy, were indirectly – via forest susceptibility and threat appraisals – related to threat responses. Although the model displayed reasonable fit for both owners more and those less involved in forestry, the cognitive appraisals variable was not a significant predictor of responses among owners less involved in forestry. In the full sample, the examined model explained approximately 50% of the variance in threat appraisals, and 28 and 17% in future intention and past behavior, respectively. Theoretical implications for how threat and coping appraisals are related during long-term risk management, and practical implications for forest risk management, are discussed.

A study of forest values and management attitudes in the general public in Germany and Sweden: does context matter?

Based on the reasoning that contextual variations are important for understanding differences in forest cognitions, this study examined forest values and management attitudes in the general public in Germany (n = 1135) and Sweden (n = 1311) by means of a questionnaire. Results indicated that the public in both countries emphasised similar forest values, and the overall pattern was comparable for different types of forest, although certain differences based on forest type and country were evident. For example, the German public was more ecologically oriented, whereas the Swedish public was more production oriented in its forest values and management attitudes. Furthermore, ecological and various anthropocentric forest values were perceived to be quite compatible, with the Swedish respondents perceiving this to a greater extent than the German. The overall cognitive structure of forest values and management attitudes was similar in both countries, although differences were revealed, particularly regarding attitudes.

Components and Drivers of Long-term Risk Communication: Exploring the Within-Communicator, Relational, and Content Dimensions in the Swedish Forest Context:

Risk communication is important for a sustainable management of natural resources. Even though risk management is ideally ongoing, studies of long-term risk communication from the perspective of the communicator are lacking. This case study examined the preparation and implementation of forest risk communication in Sweden. Interviews were conducted with advisors at the Swedish Forest Agency, responsible for providing information to forest owners and professional foresters dealing with risks damaging the forest (e.g., storms and forest management damaging ecological values). The communicator’s perspective was analyzed based on a conceptual framework describing risk communication by means of the components: within-communicator, relational, and content. Potential drivers of the preparation and implementation of risk communication in this context, intersecting the three components, included the policy and regulatory framework, the management of the agency, the location of the agency, and the balancing of different interests.

Individual Forest Owners in Context

In this chapter, changes that have taken place on an overarching level in society, such as globalisation, supranational agencies, privatisation and restitution, are discussed from the forest owners’ perspective. The forces influencing forest owners and forest ownership as described in Chap. 2 in this volume are scrutinised and interpreted here on a micro level. Urbanisation, economic restructuring, demographic change and new ownership constellations are both drivers and consequences of changes in lifestyles, forest owner identity, place attachment and attitudes to the forest resource.

Effects of Policy Measures and Moderating Factors on Climate Change Adaptation Among Private Forest Owners in Sweden

ABSTRACT Threats associated with climate change may damage forests. To encourage adaptation in countries with a lot of privately owned forest, policy measures directed at private forest owners may be implemented. By means of policy scenarios, the present study examined the effects of two hypothetical policies: an advice and an economic incentive, on climate change adaptation among private forest owners in Sweden (n = 753 and n = 729). Both policies strengthened the intention to adapt although results also revealed that individual variables (i.e., forest values) and a contextual variable (i.e., being in an encouraging social risk management context) were important for the owners’ response. Production forest values and social risk management context furthermore moderated the effect of policy on intention to adapt, suggesting that the economic incentive was mainly more effective than the advice among owners with strong production values and among owners in less encouraging social risk management contexts.

Explaining gender differences in private forest risk management

ABSTRACT In many countries, lower levels of forest management activities have been observed among female forest owners compared to male owners. The present study examined potential explanations for gender differences in private forest risk management among forest owners in Sweden (n = 1482) using a questionnaire. Results from this study confirmed a slightly lower level of forest risk management among female owners in proactively combating damage caused by climate change and animal browsing when compared to their male counterparts. Further gender differences were revealed on a structural level. For example, female owners displayed higher levels of education and were more often non-resident owners and urban owners, as compared to their male counterparts. In addition, female and male owners differed regarding social-psychological variables (e.g. forest values and threat and coping appraisals). However the greatest gender difference was found in involvement in forest planning and forestry work. Even though gender differences were evident on multiple levels, involvement in forest issues and forest planning were found to be most important for explaining gender differences in forest risk management. By disentangling predictors of gender differences in private forest risk management, this study may contribute to a more strategic gender approach to forest risk governance.