Forest advisors’ perceptions of non industrial private forest owners’ diverse motivations in forestry
(2025) In Student thesis series INES NGEM01 20251Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
- Abstract
- The coupled climate and nature crisis requires rapid mitigation that does not compromise biodiversity. Forests have the potential to improve environmental objectives in synergies depending on management. To better understand the motivations behind forest management practices among non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in Sweden, this study conducted a cross-sectional comparative analysis with quantitative and qualitative elements. Structured interviews were carried out with two distinct groups of forest advisors, separated by belonging to either the traditional, production-orientated forestry dominated by even-aged forestry (EAF), or the alternative, more ecologically based forestry dominated by continuous-cover forestry (CCF). The... (More)
- The coupled climate and nature crisis requires rapid mitigation that does not compromise biodiversity. Forests have the potential to improve environmental objectives in synergies depending on management. To better understand the motivations behind forest management practices among non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in Sweden, this study conducted a cross-sectional comparative analysis with quantitative and qualitative elements. Structured interviews were carried out with two distinct groups of forest advisors, separated by belonging to either the traditional, production-orientated forestry dominated by even-aged forestry (EAF), or the alternative, more ecologically based forestry dominated by continuous-cover forestry (CCF). The informants shared their perceptions of prevailing motivations in forestry among associated forest owners, focused on economic gain, nature’s contribution to people – with emphasis on mitigation and biodiversity, ownership feelings, sense of place and social norms. To complement the findings with observed trends, a temporal GIS analysis was conducted on two forest management indicators, dead wood and mixed-forests distribution, due to their relevance for biodiversity. An overall increase in environmental awareness was reported across both target groups from observed and measured data. A shared key motivation in forestry was the desire to maintain personal connections to the forests, in turn preserving both social and natural values. However, a lack of large-scale efforts to improve environmental objectives was identified among EAF-associated forest owners. This tendency was considered in light of implicatory climate denialism as a potential underlying driving force that hinders action. Ultimately, this research highlights the complex mix of emotional, cultural, and economic motivations that shape forestry in Sweden, and the need for policies that support forest owners in aligning their values with climate and biodiversity goals. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- As the global climate and biodiversity crises intensify, it is more important than ever to find ways to reduce environmental degradation without sacrificing nature. Forests play a vital role in this effort depending on how they are managed. In Sweden, a large share of the forest is owned by individuals and families, referred to as non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners, whose decisions directly influence the landscape. This thesis explores what motivates these forest owners in their management choices. To gain insight, I interviewed forest advisors from two different forestry practices: one group working with traditional, production- oriented methods like clear-cutting (even-aged forestry), and another group working with more... (More)
- As the global climate and biodiversity crises intensify, it is more important than ever to find ways to reduce environmental degradation without sacrificing nature. Forests play a vital role in this effort depending on how they are managed. In Sweden, a large share of the forest is owned by individuals and families, referred to as non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners, whose decisions directly influence the landscape. This thesis explores what motivates these forest owners in their management choices. To gain insight, I interviewed forest advisors from two different forestry practices: one group working with traditional, production- oriented methods like clear-cutting (even-aged forestry), and another group working with more ecologically based methods that avoid clear-cuts (continuous-cover forestry). The advisors shared their views on why private forest owners choose to manage their land in certain ways. Key motivations included economic gain, caring for nature’s contributions to society (especially in terms of climate regulation and biodiversity), maintaining a personal connection to the forest (often tied to heritage, identity, and a sense of place) and social norms. To support the interview results, I also conducted a map-based (GIS) analysis of forest indicators related to biodiversity: dead wood and mixed tree species. The results showed a general increase in environmental awareness, but also revealed that more could be done – especially among the forest owners associated with production forestry. Some of this hesitation to take stronger environmental action may be explained by social norms and what is known as implicatory climate denial – a way of acknowledging climate change without changing behavior. Moreover, strong personal connections to the forest were identified as a key driver of management across both groups. Ultimately, this research highlights the complex mix of emotional, cultural, and economic motivations that shape forestry in Sweden, and the need for policies that support forest owners in aligning their values with climate and biodiversity goals. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9206722
- author
- Åsnes, Helene LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- NGEM01 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Physical Geography and Ecosystem analysis, Critical Physical Geography, Forestry, Mitigation, Biodiversity, Nature’s Contributions to People, Ecosystem Services
- publication/series
- Student thesis series INES
- report number
- 736
- language
- English
- id
- 9206722
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-27 16:25:40
- date last changed
- 2025-06-27 16:25:40
@misc{9206722,
abstract = {{The coupled climate and nature crisis requires rapid mitigation that does not compromise biodiversity. Forests have the potential to improve environmental objectives in synergies depending on management. To better understand the motivations behind forest management practices among non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in Sweden, this study conducted a cross-sectional comparative analysis with quantitative and qualitative elements. Structured interviews were carried out with two distinct groups of forest advisors, separated by belonging to either the traditional, production-orientated forestry dominated by even-aged forestry (EAF), or the alternative, more ecologically based forestry dominated by continuous-cover forestry (CCF). The informants shared their perceptions of prevailing motivations in forestry among associated forest owners, focused on economic gain, nature’s contribution to people – with emphasis on mitigation and biodiversity, ownership feelings, sense of place and social norms. To complement the findings with observed trends, a temporal GIS analysis was conducted on two forest management indicators, dead wood and mixed-forests distribution, due to their relevance for biodiversity. An overall increase in environmental awareness was reported across both target groups from observed and measured data. A shared key motivation in forestry was the desire to maintain personal connections to the forests, in turn preserving both social and natural values. However, a lack of large-scale efforts to improve environmental objectives was identified among EAF-associated forest owners. This tendency was considered in light of implicatory climate denialism as a potential underlying driving force that hinders action. Ultimately, this research highlights the complex mix of emotional, cultural, and economic motivations that shape forestry in Sweden, and the need for policies that support forest owners in aligning their values with climate and biodiversity goals.}},
author = {{Åsnes, Helene}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{Student thesis series INES}},
title = {{Forest advisors’ perceptions of non industrial private forest owners’ diverse motivations in forestry}},
year = {{2025}},
}