Forest disturbances and nonindustrial forest landowners: Management of invasive plants, fire hazards and wildlife habitats after a hurricane

There is limited research about the interacting impacts of hurricane damage and forest disturbances like invasive species and wildfires on nonindustrial forest land management. We administered a mail survey to 1,000 randomly selected nonindustrial private forest landowners in the Panhandle of Florida who owned forestlands in the counties most severely affected by Hurricane Michael. Results show that most landowners did little to no forest management to prepare for the hurricane. Following Hurricane Michael, 34% of respondents reported increased invasive plants whereas 82% experienced timber loss, 62% had damaged wildlife habitats, and 53% had increased vulnerability to wildfire hazards. Landowners who experienced timber damage from Hurricane Michael were more likely to reduce fire hazard, eliminate or reduce invasive plants, perform road and trail maintenance, improve wildlife habitat, reforest both salvage harvested and areas that were not salvage harvested, search for information on the internet about forest management, and pass their forestland to family.

Study Implications: Forest disturbances such as hurricanes, invasive species, and wildfires are predicted to increase in severity and frequency, consequently affecting forest productivity, sustainability, and management. Despite significant impacts on forest lands, there is limited understanding of how these disturbances may affect nonindustrial private forest landowner management behaviors. This article highlights the attitudes, experiences, and perceptions of nonindustrial private forest landowners, including their awareness and overall forest management plans regarding invasive species control, wildlife habitat improvement, and reducing wildfire hazards after a hurricane. We assessed the important factors that contribute to landowners’ willingness to take action to address these interacting forest disturbances.