Kalhygge eller hyggesfritt skogsbruk? - Faktorer som påverkar privata skogsägares val av avverkningsmetod Kandidatuppsats i

Abstract

The forest industry is one of Sweden's most important industries, providing high economic growth for the country. The most common harvesting method is clear cutting, which is both efficient and cost-effective. However, this method has several negative consequences on ecosystem services such as biodiversity, carbon stocks and other social services in the form of recreational purposes. Based on these problems, the purpose of the essay was formulated. The focus has been to investigate private forest owners' preferences regarding harvesting methods and to examine what underlying factors that are the reason for clear cutting being the most used method. Selective cutting is presented as an alternative method that could possibly replace clear cutting. Based on the purpose and problem formulated, the wish has been to provide information that can inspire legislators, companies and forest owners to act, understand each other and collaborate towards a more sustainable future within the forest industry. Our research question follows: What factors are behind clear cutting being the dominant logging method over selective methods for private individual forest owners in Sweden? To answer this, a qualitative essay was conducted where several private forest owners as well as two employees at the forest owner associations Södra and Mellanskog were interviewed. The study has also involved using secondary sources to collect important information about earlier research as well as relevant facts about the forest industry. Through analysing the results by using the theoretical framework, we have been able to identify a number of factors that underlie why clear cutting is the dominant method and several difficulties in executing selective cutting. Above all, the financial incentive is the central factor and driving force for private forest owners to execute clear cutting. Also selective methods are less productive and less efficient. They are more costly and the transition from todays clear cutting is both hard and time consuming. The study also concludes that more research is needed to develop better knowledge, machines, education and cost efficient methods regarding selective harvesting for it to be able to compete with clear cutting as the most used logging method for private forest owners in Sweden.