What is the problem with absentee landowners? Invasive plant management by residential and absentee amenity rural landowners

Abstract

Landowners interested in rural lifestyles rather than primary production, are a significant group of rural landowners in many countries. Among these landowners, distinctions are made between the management practices and motivations of absentee and resident landowners. Absentee landowners are not uncommonly depicted as poor land managers and as not meeting their responsibilities. Evidence, however, on this is mixed. With a focus on invasive plant management in Australia, we compare the motivations, attitudes, and practices of absentee and resident landowners in two high amenity areas of New South Wales, Australia. We found that attitudes and practices surrounding invasive plant management were very similar between absentee and resident landowners, but that there are some key differences surrounding motivations and barriers to invasive plant management. Our data suggests that difference between absentee and residential landowners, therefore, may be overstated with respect to invasive plant management.