Innovativeness of Japanese Forest Owners Regarding the Monetization of Forest Ecosystem Services

Abstract

The monetization of forest ecosystem services requires actors to innovate and tackle difficulties. We conducted a questionnaire survey with forest owners—important actors in implementing monetization—to investigate their innovativeness in Japan. We measured innovativeness regarding monetization by asking whether the owner was interested in, planning for, or had implemented four types of monetization: (i) multifunctional payments, (ii) habitat payments, (iii) nonwood forest product (NWFP) sales, and (iv) forest service industries. Based on the ordered probit analyses of 312 responses, we find that ownership type, age, holding size, and the purpose of forest ownership are associated with owners’ innovativeness indices. Private and corporate owners, ones in their thirties, forties, or fifties, and with larger holding sizes are more innovative than others. Regional characteristics are not relatively important in terms of innovativeness. However, clear ownership purposes, such as investment and non-wood forest products (NWFP), are positively correlated with the indices. These findings shed new light on the entire process of innovation from conceptualization to implementation, as well as practices in under-researched geographical areas in Asia.