Platsanknytningens betydelse för hyggesfritt skogsbruk. En studie av förhållandet mellan enskilda skogsägares platsanknytning och deras inställning till hyggesfritt skogsbruk

Abstract

The way forestry is practiced today in Sweden has shown to be insufficient in relation to the country’s national environmental goals, especially the goal Living Forests, which is showing a negative trend. To support more sustainable forestry, alternative methods have been discussed, with continuous-cover forestry being one of the most prominent. Many studies suggest that the ecological benefits of continuous-cover forestry are greater than those of clear-cutting, but it is still only used to a limited extent. Since half of Sweden’s productive forest land is owned by private forest owners, who have a high degree of freedom in choosing forest management methods, it is important to understand what influences their choices. Place attachment is a concept that is increasingly used in research on land ownership and how it affects forest owners’ decisions. The aim of this study is to examine how private forest owners’ place attachment influences their attitude towards, and willingness to use continuous cover forestry. The theoretical framework of the study is based on a three-part model of place attachment, which includes the dimensions: person, place, and relationship. To answer the research question, qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with private forest owners. The results show that the different dimensions of place attachment influence forest owners’ attitudes and use of continuous-cover forestry in different ways. A strong influence was seen from the physical appearance of the forest. At the same time, the results indicate that values play a greater role in the choice of forestry method than the forest’s physical form—if the values around climate and environmental goals are strong enough. Viewing the forest as an economic resource, along with forestry knowledge, also proved to shape these values. Overall, values appear to be the strongest driving force behind forest owners’ practical decisions.