Visitor preferences of thinning practice in young even-aged stands of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.): comparing the opinion of forestry professionals in six European countries

TY - JOUR

T1 - Visitor preferences of thinning practice in young even-aged stands of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.)

T2 - comparing the opinion of forestry professionals in six European countries

AU - Petucco, Claudio

AU - Jensen, Frank Søndergaard

AU - Meilby, Henrik

AU - Skovsgaard, Jens Peter

PY - 2018/1/2

Y1 - 2018/1/2

N2 - This study compared visitor preferences of forestry professionals across six European countries (Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, Austria, Romania and Portugal) using a questionnaire survey. The 598 interviewees were asked to rank photographs depicting recently thinned experimental plots in a 13-year old stand of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) according to the criterion: “Which forest environment do you prefer as a visitor?” The plots represented five different residual stem densities: 7000 (no thinning, very high stem density), 5300 (heavy thinning, high stem density), 1000 (very heavy thinning, medium stem density), 300 (extremely heavy thinning, low stem density/open stand) and 100 (solitary trees, very low stem density/very open stand) stems ha−1. The results indicated geographical variation in the preferences for different thinning practices in young stands of oak. Portuguese, Austrian and Romanian respondents generally favoured thinned, but dense stands, whereas Danish and British respondents preferred very heavily thinned stands. Swedish respondents preferred open stands resulting from extremely heavy thinning. Photographs taken along rows were favoured to photographs across rows, indicating a preference for scenes offering perspective and accessibility. The results indicate a variation of visitor preferences among forestry professionals for different silvicultural regimes. We interpret this in the context of national traditions and forestry paradigms that influence the shaping of preferences.

AB - This study compared visitor preferences of forestry professionals across six European countries (Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, Austria, Romania and Portugal) using a questionnaire survey. The 598 interviewees were asked to rank photographs depicting recently thinned experimental plots in a 13-year old stand of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) according to the criterion: “Which forest environment do you prefer as a visitor?” The plots represented five different residual stem densities: 7000 (no thinning, very high stem density), 5300 (heavy thinning, high stem density), 1000 (very heavy thinning, medium stem density), 300 (extremely heavy thinning, low stem density/open stand) and 100 (solitary trees, very low stem density/very open stand) stems ha−1. The results indicated geographical variation in the preferences for different thinning practices in young stands of oak. Portuguese, Austrian and Romanian respondents generally favoured thinned, but dense stands, whereas Danish and British respondents preferred very heavily thinned stands. Swedish respondents preferred open stands resulting from extremely heavy thinning. Photographs taken along rows were favoured to photographs across rows, indicating a preference for scenes offering perspective and accessibility. The results indicate a variation of visitor preferences among forestry professionals for different silvicultural regimes. We interpret this in the context of national traditions and forestry paradigms that influence the shaping of preferences.

KW - Discrete choice analysis

KW - forest accessibility

KW - forest aesthetics

KW - forest recreation

KW - precommercial thinning

KW - scenic beauty

KW - silviculture

KW - slash

KW - stem density

U2 - 10.1080/02827581.2017.1329455

DO - 10.1080/02827581.2017.1329455

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85021101369

SN - 0282-7581

VL - 33

SP - 81

EP - 90

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research

IS - 1

ER -