Abstract:

Forest management issues have received attention in the new round of the collective forest property right system reform. This research was conducted in Shaowu city and Youxi county of Fujian province. Based on a questionnaire from 156 farmers about their managing activities of plantation, weeding, fertilizing and protection, we analyzed impacts of 17 variables of 5 factors including family, forest land, non-forestry production, forestry production, and institution, on farmers' forest management behaviors by employing the Probit regression model and the profit-maximization theory. The result showed that farmers' participation rates of plantation, thinning, fertilizer, and protection were 64.1%, 36.5%, 33.3% and 46.2%, respectively. The plantation behaviors were significantly affected by educational level, and whether or not engaging in agriculture and forestry management over 10 years of head of the household, percentage of timber forests to total forestland owned by family, whether or not the farmers conducted afforestation before the forest right reform,cropland area owned by family,and percentage of off-farm income to total income of family. The thinning behaviors were significantly affected by age of head of the household, number of family labor, whether or not the forest land was far away from family house, whether or not the farmers conducted afforestation before this right reform, and whether the farmer was satisfied to the management system reform. The fertilizer behaviors were significantly affected by whether head of the household was engaged in agriculture and forestry over 10 years, number of family labor, whether the forest land was far away from family house, percentage of off-farm income to total income of the family, whether the farmer was satisfied to the taxation system reform, and whether satisfied to the management system. The protection behaviors were significantly affected by percentage of the newly obtained forest land from the new round of reform to total forest land owned by family,whether the forest land was far away from family house, and whether planning to construct a forest road. In order to inspire farmers' forest management willingness, the characteristics of farmers' family, forest land, non-forestry and forestry production should be taken into account and then the institution measures should be improved to facilitate farmers gain higher benefit and take lower cost.

Key words: farmer, forest management, influential factors, the reform of collective forest property right system, Fujian Province