Effects of preference heterogeneity among landowners on spatial conservation prioritization

The participation of private landowners in conservation is crucial to efficient biodiversity conservation. This is especially the case in settings where the share of private ownership is large and the economic costs associated with the public land acquisition are high. We examine the revealed participation choice of Danish forest owners in a voluntary conservation program, and use the results to spatially predict the likelihood of participation for the full population of Danish forest owners. The outcome is included in a probability model for species survival. Uninformed and informed (includes land owner characteristics) models are then incorporated into a spatial prioritization analysis of setting aside unmanaged forest. The choice models are based on socio-demographic data on the entire population of Danish forest owners and historical data on their participation in conservation schemes. The results show a significant efficiency may be gained through including information on private landowners’ willingness to supply land for conservation. The landowner choice model provides an example of moving towards more implementable conservation planning. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved