Expert Evaluation of Subsidies for the Management of Fragmented Private Forest in Regards to National Biodiversity Goals—The Case of Kochi Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

This paper presents an expert evaluation of the subsidy scheme for private forest plantations in Kami City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan, to determine whether the twelve currently available subsidies are designed to realize national biodiversity goals. Subsidies for forestry practices are often criticized for rarely achieving planned outcomes and for environmental threats. Threats to natural balance of private forest have been observed in Kochi Prefecture, suggesting that current forestry subsidies may not be achieving national objectives. The utilization objectives, type of management, requirements, area, intensity, and subsidy rates were contrasted to the three forest multifunctionality objectives of the National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan (NBSJ) 2012-2020, to identify subsidy weaknesses. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in the study site, as well as Bavaria, Germany and Steiermark, Austria, to get a big picture of how experts in these comparable management areas evaluate the Kochi subsidy scheme. Analyses were performed based on a combination of framework analysis and constant comparison analysis. It was found that realization of vertical multifunctionality is hindered due to lack of site-specific management. A six-point proposal for restructuring the subsidy scheme, leaned on results, and the Bavarian subsidy scheme was made. To improve vertical multi-functionality, subsidy schemes should focus on forest owner integration and site-specific, long-term oriented forest works.

Actual and Balanced Stand Structure: Examples from Beech-Fir-Spruce Old-Growth Forests in the Area of the Dinarides in Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…The old-growth forests of the Dinarides in Bosnia-Herzegovina are extremely important for naturalistic, cultural and scientific purposes, not only at the regional scale but also at the continental scale (species, forest types). Furthermore, forestry sectors in many states are adapting policy and management instruments towards the multi-functional use of forests [63,64]. In the future, the interest in the research of old-growth forests will increase as the processes taking place in them can serve as recommendations for the future sustainable development of forest ecosystems.…”

Labor off‐farm employment and household forest management investment in Jiangxi, China: A perspective from gender influence of rural labor

“…Following earlier studies, we also controlled for the influences of policy factors, household demographic factors, and forestry resource factors (Gain & Watanabe, 2017;Li, Bluemling, & Dries, 2016;Qin & Xu, 2013;Xie et al, 2016;Yu, Yao, & Zhang, 2014). We selected five policy factors: forestry subsidies received by household (Subsidy); acquisition of forest rights mortgage loans (Loan); access to science and technology training services (Training); access to forestry cooperative organizations (Coop); and attitude to the logging quota system (Logging).…”