Cork oak forest management in Spain and Tunisia: two case studies of conflicts between sustainability and private income

Abstract

SUMMARY Two management scenarios are simulated: a cork oak stand with regeneration treatments (sustainable scenario) and, a cork oak stand with no-regeneration treatment (unsustainable scenario), which leads the cork oaks to age until they eventually disappear. The aim of the paper is to compare the present value of income changes from the sustainable and unsustainable management scenarios in Cadiz (Spain) and Ain Snoussi (Tunisia), considering the multiple commercial uses and forest amenities enjoyed by private owners (only in Cadiz) of cork oak forests. The results show that the sustainable cork oak forest management in Ain Snoussi generates a higher present value of aggregated labour and capital incomes and leads to a capital loss when compared to the current cork oak depletion scenario. In addition, the sustainable scenario in Ain Snoussi would reduce the total self-employed income for households that depend on open-access grazing resources. In Cadiz, the cork oak forest sustainable management scenario leads to a significant capital loss for private forest owners given current cork prices and government aid to forest natural regeneration.