Abstract
With structural changes in agriculture, new types of forest owners have become increasingly important. This article develops an empirically-based typology of forest owners in Austria. Based on a representative survey and by means of cluster analysis, seven types of forest owners are identified. These types form a sequence, ranging from forest owners with a strong agricultural background to forest owners with no agricultural background at all. The latter exhibit markedly different behaviour in various respects, e.g. in their interest in forest-related information. The increasing number of ‘new’ forest owners raises important questions for forest policy, especially how policy instruments can reach these owners and how extension services can address them.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Becker, G., Borchers, J. and Mutz, R. (2000), ‘Die Motive der Privatwaldbesitzer in NRW’, Allgemeine Forst Zeitschrift, 55(22): 1181–1183.
Boon, T.E., Meilby, H. and Thorsen, B.J. (2004), ‘An empirically based typology of private forest owners in Denmark: improving communication between authorities and owners’, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 19(4): 45–55.
Creighton, J.H., Baumgartner, D.M. and Blatner, K.A. (2002), ‘Ecosystem management and nonindustrial private forestlandowners in Washington State, USA’, Small-Scale Forest Economics, Management and Policy, 1(1): 55–69.
Elwood, N.E., Hansen, E.N. and Oester, P. (2003), ‘Management plans and Oregon’s NIPF owners: a survey of attitudes and practices’, Western Journal of Applied Forestry, 18(2): 127–132.
Erickson, D.L., Ryan, R.L. and De Young, R. (2002), ‘Woodlots in the rural landscape: landowner motivations and management attitudes in a Michigan (USA) case study’, Landscape and Urban Planning, 58(2–4): 101–112.
Härdter, U. (2003), ‘Nichtbäuerliche Waldbesitzer - Strukturierung und Charakterisierung im Kontext gesellschaftlicher Entwicklungstrends’, in U. Schraml and K.-R. Volz (eds), Urbane Waldbesitzer, Studien zur Beratung und Betreuung im nichtbäuerlichen Kleinprivatwald, Verlag Dr. Kessel, Remagen-Oberwinter, pp. 25–83.
Härdter, U. (2004), Waldbesitzer in Deutschland - zwischen Tradition und Moderne, Freiburger Schriften zur Forst- und Umweltpolitik, Verlag Dr. Kessel, Remagen-Oberwinter.
Hogl, K., Pregernig, M. and Weiß, G. (2003), Wer sind Österreichs Waldeigentümer Innen?, Discussion Paper P/2003-1, Institute of Forest Sector Policy and Economics, Vienna.
Jacobson, M.G. (2002), ‘Ecosystem management in the southeast United States: Interest of forestlandowners in joint management across ownerships’, Small-scale Forest Economics, Management and Policy, 1(1): 71–92.
Jones, S.B., Luloff, A.E. and Finley, J.C. (1995), ‘Another look at NIPFs: facing our ‘myths’’, Journal of Forestry, 93(9): 41–44.
Karppinen, H. (1998a), ‘Objectives of non-industrial private forest owners: differenes and future trends in southern and northern Finland’, Journal of Forest Economics, 4(2): 147–173.
Karppinen, H. (1998b), ‘Values and objectives of non-industrial private forest owners in Finland’, Silva Fennica 32(1): 43–59.
Karppinen, H. (2005), ‘Forest owners’ choice of reforestation method: an application of the theory of planned behaviour’, Forest Policy and Economics, 7(3): 393–409.
Kline, J.D., Alig, R.J. and Johnson, R.L. (2000), ‘Forest owner incentives to protect riparian habitat’, Ecological Economics, 33(1): 29–43.
Kurtz, W.B. and Lewis, B.J. (1981), ‘Decision-making framework for nonindustrial private forest owners: an application in the Missouri Ozarks’, Journal of Forestry, 79(5): 285–288.
Kuuluvainen, J., Karppinen, H. and Ovaskainen, V. (1996), ‘Landowner objectives and nonindustrial private timber supply’, Forest Science, 42(39): 300–309.
Kvarda, E. (2000), Urbane WaldbesitzerInnen: Einstellungen und Verhaltensdispositionen ‘traditioneller’ und ‘neuer’ WaldbesitzerInnen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Sanierung degradierter Waldökosysteme, Project Report, Institute of Forest Sector Policy and Economics, Vienna.
Kvarda, E. (2004), ‘Non-agricultural forest owners’ in Austria -a new type of forest ownership’, Forest Policy and Economics, 6(5): 459–467.
Lönnstedt, L. (1997), ‘Non-industrial private forest owner’s decision process: a qualitative study about goals, time perspective, opportunities and alternatives’, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 12(3): 302–310.
Langenheder, W. (1975), Theorie menschlicher Entscheidungshandlungen, Enke, Stuttgart.
Madsen, L.M. (2003), ‘New woodlands in Denmark: the role of private landowners’, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 1(3): 185–195.
Norušis, M.J. (2002), SPSS Base 11.5 User’s Guide, SPSS Inc., Chicago.
Plochmann, R. (1976), ‘Untersuchungen im Kleinprivatwald in nichtbäuerlicher Hand: Teilergebnisse einer Befragung im Landkreis Rosenheim’, Forstwissenschaftliches Centralblatt, 95: 60–71.
Pregernig, M. (1999), Die Akzeptanz wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse. Determinanten der Umsetzung wissenschaftlichen Wissens am Beispiel der österreichischen Forschungsinitiative gegen das Waldsterben, Lang, Frankfurt.
Pregernig, M. (2001), ‘Values of forestry professionals and their implications for the applicability of policy instruments’, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 16(3): 278–288.
Puschko, S. (2002), Waldeigentümer in Österreich. Eine repräsentative Telefonbefragung, Masters Thesis, the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna.
Schraml, U. and Härdter, U. (2002), ‘Urbanität von Waldbesitzern und Personen ohne Waldeig entum - Folgerungen aus einer Bevölkerungsbefragung in Deutschland’, Allgemeine Forst- und Jagdzeitung, 173(7–8): 140–146.
Schraml, U. and Volz, K.-R. (eds) (2003), Urbane Waldbesitzer. Studien zur Beratung und Betreuung im nichtbäuerlichen Kleinprivatwald, Freiburger Schriften zur Forst- und Umweltpolitik, Bd. 1, Verlag Dr. Kessel, Remagen-Oberwinter.
Schur, G. (1990), Umweltverhalten von Landwirten, Campus, Frankfurt.
Statistics Austria (2001), Agrarstrukturerhebung 1999. Gesamtergebnisse, Statistics Austria, Vienna.
Suda, M., Schaffner, S. and Beck, R. (2001), ‘Kleinprivatwaldforschung - quo vadis?’, paper presented at the Meeting of German-speaking Forest Policy Scientists, 4–6 April 2001, Göttingen, Germany.
Voitleithner, J. (1998), Wiederbewaldung im Kleinprivatwald des oberösterreichischen Alpenvorlandes nach den Frühjahrsorkanen von 1990, Masters Thesis, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna.
Volz, K.-R. (2003), ‘Empfänger unbekannt! Zur aktuellen Entwicklung der Privatwaldberatung’, Allgemeine Forst Zeitschrift, 58(3): 150–153.
Volz, K.-R. and Bieling, A. (1998), ‘Zur Soziologie des Kleinprivatwaldes’, Forst und Holz, 53(3): 67–71.
Ziegenspeck, S., Härdter, U. and Schrmaml, U. (2004), ‘Lifestyles of private forest owners as an indication of social change’, Forest Policy and Economics, 6(5): 447–458.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hogl, K., Pregernig, M. & Weiss, G. What is new about new forest owners? A typology of private forest ownership in Austria. Small-scale Forestry 4, 325–342 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-005-0020-y
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-005-0020-y