Seeing the owner behind the trees: A typology of small-scale private woodland owners in England

The diversity of woodland ownership in England has increased in recent decades to encompass a wide range of non-financially-oriented owners, many with little previous experience of woodland management. With public benefits such as environmental conservation, amenity and carbon sequestration being increasingly emphasised in forest policy agendas, there is a need to understand the willingness and ability of traditional and new owner groups to deliver such benefits. A quantitative typology of private woodland owners was developed through a self-completion postal survey administered in three study areas in England: the Lake District, Cornwall and the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Owners were classified using Factor, Cluster and Discriminant analysis into six owner types: the Individualist, the Multifunctional Owner, the Private Consumer, the Conservationist, the Investor and the Amenity Owner. Of all owner types, Multifunctional Owners are the most likely to deliver a range of public benefits, while Individualists are the least amenable to subsidies to encourage public good delivery. A range of policy options will be required to reflect to diverse range of objectives and goals of woodland owners, including advisory services, incentives and market mechanisms. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.