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The Right Tree for the Job? Perceptions of Species Suitability for the Provision of Ecosystem Services

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Abstract

Stakeholders in plantation forestry are increasingly aware of the importance of the ecosystem services and non-market values associated with forests. In New Zealand, there is significant interest in establishing species other than Pinus radiata D. Don (the dominant plantation species) in the belief that alternative species are better suited to deliver these services. Significant risk is associated with this position as there is little objective data to support these views. To identify which species were likely to be planted to deliver ecosystem services, a survey was distributed to examine stakeholder perceptions. Stakeholders were asked which of 15 tree attributes contributed to the provision of five ecosystem services (amenity value, bioenergy production, carbon capture, the diversity of native habitat, and erosion control/water quality) and to identify which of 22 candidate tree species possessed those attributes. These data were combined to identify the species perceived most suitable for the delivery of each ecosystem service. Sequoia sempervirens (D.Don) Endl. closely matched the stakeholder derived ideotypes associated with all five ecosystem services. Comparisons to data from growth, physiological and ecological studies demonstrated that many of the opinions held by stakeholders were inaccurate, leading to erroneous assumptions regarding the suitability of most candidate species. Stakeholder perceptions substantially influence tree species selection, and plantations established on the basis of inaccurate opinions are unlikely to deliver the desired outcomes. Attitudinal surveys associated with engagement campaigns are essential to improve stakeholder knowledge, advancing the development of fit-for-purpose forest management that provides the required ecosystem services.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the many individuals who responded to the survey, and the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association, the New Zealand Forest Owners Association, and the New Zealand Institute of Forestry and Brent Apthorp for their assistance in distributing the survey to stakeholders. We thank Future Forests Research Limited, and Kit Richards in particular, for their support and feedback on the results. We thank Martin Bader and Heidi Dungey for their comments on the manuscript and Loretta Garrett for initial support and help with the survey. We thank the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their suggestions regarding initial versions of the manuscript. The research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Contract CO4X0806).

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  1. Scion, P.O. Box 29237, Fendalton, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Simeon J. Smaill, Karen M. Bayne, Graham W. R. Coker & Peter W. Clinton

  2. Scion, P.B. 3020, Rotorua, 3046, New Zealand

    Thomas S. H. Paul

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  1. Simeon J. Smaill
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Smaill, S.J., Bayne, K.M., Coker, G.W.R. et al. The Right Tree for the Job? Perceptions of Species Suitability for the Provision of Ecosystem Services. Environmental Management 53, 783–799 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0239-5

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