PROFILE OF THE GALICIAN INDIVIDUAL FOREST OWNER:
FOREST MANAGEMENT AIMS AND PRACTICES
IN THE COMMUNITY NORTHEAST

Manuel Francisco Marey Pérez / Verónica Rodríguez Vicente /
Rafael Crecente Maseda

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Received: 6 september 2005
Aceppted: 21 april 2006

Abstract: Woodlands have expanded greatly in Galicia during the last few decades, in terms of forest area and economic value. This forest development has been broadly documented on inventories and census related with the forest production and timber supply. Nevertheless, the circumstances which support this success are not so studied, this is, the forest holding structure and its owner profile are practically unknown. With this premise, knowing the issues that determinate the forest behaviour is the basis to understand this forest success and, therefore, to simulate the future subsector evolution that allows to plan public measures of supporting. This paper is part of a broader study, which develops a new methodology for surveying and characterising private forest owners in Galicia. Here, we present results from a questionnaire survey carried out with a total of 103 landowners who had over 1 ha of productive forest land in the Barreiros municipality, located in Northern of Lugo province, with the aim of characterizing the individual property and understanding the owners’ decision-making in forestry. The analysis shows that forestry can be an interesting economic activity, although it is not seen as such today. Take into account the partial success of measures exclusively forest or agrarian, to ensure the future of Galician property will necessitate public tools or programmes orientated to integrate the set of agroforestry activities on family farm. Therefore, it will motivate the generational continuity of the farm by means of agroforestry practices.
Keywords: Forest economy / Land uses / Individual forest owner / Small-scale forestry.