Ecotourism contributes to conserving natural resources and promoting natural and cultural resources stewardship. However, without the strong support and involvement of local people, it is not easy to achieve the stated goals. This study aimed to understand the local people’s perception of the impacts and importance of ecotourism. We conducted a semi-structured interview of 167 respondents from Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nepal’s prime center for ecotourism. The result revealed that more than 70% of respondents are interested in ecotourism activities, and their interests are significantly affected by their age, academic qualification, and occupation. Local people from the study area perceived that infrastructure development and increase in the knowledge base are significant impacts of ecotourism. The study showed that local people’s socioeconomic and demographic characteristics significantly influenced their perceived impacts of ecotourism. Detailed understanding and consideration of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics can contribute to effective outreach and planning process, potentially resulting in the higher promotion of ecotourism.
Forest landowner activities change over the lifespan of the forest and ownership cycle. Patterns of change emerge which suggest the evolving nature of forest landownership and Non-industrial Private Forest (NIPF) landowners’ interest in their land. The objective of this study was to examine trends in NIPF landowners’ distribution of forestry expenses in their management activities over time. First, 2010 Mississippi NIPF landowners were randomly selected from a property tax roll list. Our analysis compared study results of Arano et al. (2002) with a 2016 survey that was conducted by the authors of this paper. Both studies drew on assessments of timber management expenditures that were conducted on behalf of a state government department of revenue to determine ad valorem taxes for forest land. As such, both studies contained similar survey questions with 12 forestry-related activities grouped into four major categories: (1) Fees for Professional Services (e.g., consulting foresters, surveyors), (2) Timber Management Expenditures (e.g., site preparation, planting), (3) Other Management Expenditures (e.g., road construction), and (4) Property Taxes. Like the 2002 article, results here are presented as descriptive statistics. In both survey cycles, Timber Management Expenditures represented the largest component of annual expenditures in both the 1990s and 2015. The largest decrease in reported expenditures occurred for Other Management Expenditures. By broadly describing differences in expenditures over time, this study provides insights into the involvement of NIPF landowners in management activities on forest land such as reforestation after final harvest, thinning, and timber stand improvement, which can impact forest products’ supply over time.
Forests owned by individuals and family landowners account for about two-thirds of Georgia’s private forests. This study provides a snapshot of the status and trend of forest management practices of Georgia family forest landowners and the unit costs associated with significant management activities through a survey of the consulting foresters practicing in the state. Family forest landowners increasingly managed pines intensively with various management regimes. Hardwood and mixed forests accounted for more than half of Georgia’s private forests, but they were mainly managed in a custodial manner. Besides receiving revenue from timber sales, many landowners in Georgia received additional income from hunting leases and selling pine straw. The results have important implications for the financial returns of timber investment and the long-term timber supply of the state. It also provides essential information to county assessors for fair and equitable timberland valuation for property tax purposes.
The construction sector contributes significantly to global greenhouse gases, accounting for 39% of worldwide emissions. Multi-story wood buildings (MSWBs) present a sustainable alternative to traditional emissions-intensive construction materials like concrete and steel. However, only a few studies have investigated how potential customers perceive MSWBs, which influences their acceptance and demand. This study uses a concept-driven scoping review to explore perceptions and concerns about living in MSWBs and to understand barriers to their adoption. Through a narrative synthesis of 20 peer-reviewed articles, this study uncovered five key themes: environmental sustainability, fire safety, human well-being, structural durability, and costs. These findings highlight opportunities and challenges for MSWBs’ market growth and inform future communication strategies to enhance public acceptance and promote sustainable construction and the built environment.
21 April 2022 in Journal of Forest Business Research
Arkansas’ forestlands are largely owned by private landowners: family, industrial or corporate forest landowners (5.1 million hectares; 67%). Family forest landowners own 4.4 million hectares of forestland (58%). The costs of forestry practices influence landowners’ decisions in forest management. However, state-specific costs for forestry activities are not readily available. The study aims to compare the forest management objectives between family and industrial or corporate forest landowners and also provide robust information about forest management intensity and the unit cost associated with those activities. We employed an online survey to 318 consulting foresters working in the state. In addition, we used Forest Inventory and Analysis dataset in ArcMap (10.8.1) to validate the survey result. Among various forestry practices, landowners requested various services from consulting foresters, including chemical site preparation, thinning, timber cruising and marking, and timber inventory. The unit cost for mechanical site preparation was the highest among several forestry practices, and these costs varied based on forest types. Various stakeholders can utilize the study findings from landowners, forest industries, and policymakers in forest investment decision-making, which can improve sustainable forest management.
1 September 2021 in Journal of Resources and Ecology
Forests are major sources of energy, timber and non-timber forest products, medicinal and aromatic plants, hydrological functions, biodiversity conservation, and also fundamental sources of revenue collection to the nation. Studies indicate that forests could significantly enhance economic growth and create employment opportunities for local communities under intensive management. This paper aims to predict the contribution of the forest sector to the national economy. The economic facets of forestry considered in this paper are revenue generated from timber, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), and protected areas. The ARIMA model was used to forecast the economic contribution of the forestry sector. The study found that the total revenue generated from the selling of timber and fuelwood (USD 50.19 million) was higher than the total revenue collected from protected areas (USD 37.58 million) and NTFPs/MAPs (USD 6.9 million) in the past 15 years. The model projected that the mean revenue for the timber and fuelwood sale will USD 3.5 million for the next ten years. Similarly, the mean revenue will be generated about USD 0.5 million and USD 6.2 million from NTFPs/MAPs and protected areas, respectively, for the next ten years. The study limits to take account the in-kind use of forest products such as timber, fodder, fuelwood, etc., as used by community people within a forest users' groups. Thus, practicing sustainable forest management, enabling policy documents, establishing forest-based industries, establishing forestry nurseries, conducting agroforestry practices, and tenure security could enhance the forestry sector's economic aspects.