Factors influencing private forest owners decision-making rationalities to implement salvage logging after large-scale natural disturbances in Slovenia

Stare, Darja (author), Ščap, Špela (author), Pezdevšek Malovrh, Špela (author)

This study examines the factors that influence the decision-making rationality of private forest owners (PFOs) when implementing salvage logging after large-scale natural disturbances. The literature suggests two main responses to large large-scale natural disturbances: performing salvage logging and no salvage at all. When salvage logging is carried out, two different strategies can be applied: clearing, i.e. all trees are removed, including damaged trees and standing survivors; and salvaging, i.e. damaged trees are removed but the surviving trees are left and some dead trees are left standing. In an online survey conducted in Slovenia in March and April 2022, responses were collected from 1515 forest-owning households. A logistic regression model was created to analyse the data and understand how socio-demographic characteristics, characteristics of forest property, forest management activities and the market influence their decisions. The results show that previous management activities and cooperation with service providers significantly influence PFOs' decision-making rationality to implement salvage logging. The study contributes to a nuanced understanding of the complex decision-making processes in forestry. Future research opportunities lie in investigating specific aspects of past management activities and understanding the dynamics in cooperation between different actors to develop customised policies for effective forest management after large-scale natural disturbances.

• Language: English
• Keywords: forestry, environmental disturbances, private forest owners, decision making process, post-damage management, logistic regression analysis
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 165-177
• Numbering: Vol. 46, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-166290
• UDC: 630*68
• ISSN on article: 1848-9672
• DOI: 10.5552/crojfe.2025.2825
• COBISS.SI-ID: 216519427
• Publication date in RUL: 06.01.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Croatian journal of forest engineering
• Shortened title: Croat. j. for. eng.
• Publisher: Forestry Faculty of Zagreb University, Croatian Forests, Croatian Chamber of Forestry and Wood Technology Engineers, FORMEC
• ISSN: 1848-9672
• COBISS.SI-ID: 55971331

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: gozdarstvo, okoljske motnje, zasebni lastniki gozdov, proces odločanja, upravljanje po poškodbah, logistična regresijska analiza

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: V4-2013
• Name: Učinkovitejše gospodarjenje z zasebnimi gozdovi v podporo večji mobilizaciji lesa