Sustainability Frames in the Context of the Energy Wood Conflict in Germany

Abstract

Abstract:Interpretations of the concept of sustainability vary substantially in relation to forests and their management, and they are usually present in conflicts about forest use. In this article, we consider underlying interests relating to conflicts of forest use as a given. Our aim is therefore not to reveal those interests, but rather to explore understandings of sustainability hiding behind them-sustainability frames. To this end, we use frame theory to investigate the following research question: How are different sustainability frames of interest groups reflected in a forest use conflict situation in Germany? The energy wood conflict serves as the example for our research, as it is currently the most prominent forest management conflict in Germany. Using 12 stakeholder interviews within three interest groups as the empirical data basis, it becomes clear that sustainability understandings reflect particular positionings in conflicts, or vice versa. In the energy wood conflict, the classic dichotomy between forestry and conservation groups becomes a trichotomy in which the forestry group splits into an interest group that profits from energy wood production and one that competes with it. We suggest that sustainability understandings do not represent worldviews that guide how actors understand conflicts, but rather that they are shaped according to actors' particular interests in conflicts.

Small-scale private forest owners and the European Natura 2000 conservation network: perceived ecosystem services, management practices, and nature conservation attitudes

“…An influence of the former "wake theory" could be assumed. This approach suggested that forestry focusing on wood production fulfils all other ecosystem services automatically in the wake (Peters and Schraml 2015). Further, high personal costs are associated with a promotion of ecosystem services that are of common interest (Kline et al 2000).…”

Does Aiming for Long-Term Non-Decreasing Flow of Timber Secure Carbon Accumulation: A Lithuanian Forestry Case

“…Aiming to secure and increase diverse forest ecosystem services, forestry usually faces conflicts, but also synergies, in relation to forest management [3][4][5]. Even though there are theories stating that sustainable wood production automatically secures the desirable delivery of other forest ecosystem services [6,7], this has been challenged by numerous studies. There are reports suggesting that under sustainable forest management, there may be almost no reduction or even some gain in biodiversity with an increase in wood production [4,5,8,9]; however, the prevailing opinion is that the intensified forestry required for wood production is responsible for habitat loss and the declining delivery of certain ecosystem services [10][11][12].…”