TY - JOUR

T1 - Reviving wood-pastures for biodiversity and people

T2 - A case study from western Estonia

AU - Roellig, Marlene

AU - Sutcliffe, Laura M E

AU - Sammul, Marek

AU - von Wehrden, Henrik

AU - Newig, Jens

AU - Fischer, Joern

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - Wood-pastures are associated with high cultural and biodiversity values in Europe. However, due to their relatively low productivity, large areas of wood-pastures have been lost over the last century. In some areas, incentive schemes have been developed to revive wood-pastures. We investigated the effects of one such scheme in western Estonia. We compared the structure of grazed wood-pastures (old and restored) to those of abandoned wood-pastures and ungrazed forest stands to explore the effects of management, and conducted interviews with 24 farmers to investigate their motivations to carry out the management. We found a positive influence of active management on the semi-open structure of wood-pastures. Financial support was vital for management, but personal values related to tradition also played an important role. The interviewees differed widely in their range of motivations, suggesting that other strategies in addition to financial incentives would further improve the management of wood-pastures in the region.

AB - Wood-pastures are associated with high cultural and biodiversity values in Europe. However, due to their relatively low productivity, large areas of wood-pastures have been lost over the last century. In some areas, incentive schemes have been developed to revive wood-pastures. We investigated the effects of one such scheme in western Estonia. We compared the structure of grazed wood-pastures (old and restored) to those of abandoned wood-pastures and ungrazed forest stands to explore the effects of management, and conducted interviews with 24 farmers to investigate their motivations to carry out the management. We found a positive influence of active management on the semi-open structure of wood-pastures. Financial support was vital for management, but personal values related to tradition also played an important role. The interviewees differed widely in their range of motivations, suggesting that other strategies in addition to financial incentives would further improve the management of wood-pastures in the region.

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - social-ecological systems

KW - agri-environment schemes

KW - Silvopastoral systems

KW - semi-natural habitas

KW - Farmer motivations

KW - Agroforestry

KW - Restoration

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84958120117&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/5285ead8-09a2-3281-af52-8007a8fc2d13/

U2 - 10.1007/s13280-015-0719-8

DO - 10.1007/s13280-015-0719-8

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 26458391

AN - SCOPUS:84958120117

VL - 45

SP - 185

EP - 195

JO - Ambio

JF - Ambio

SN - 0044-7447

IS - 2

ER -