What influences farmers to keep trees?: A case study from the Brigalow Belt, Queensland, Australia

Landscape change is driven by economic, demographic and cultural factors operating at a range of spatial and temporal scales. However, landscapes developed for agriculture often retain some wooded areas or paddock trees. The study aimed to identify the relationships between, and influence of, the demographic, economic and cultural values of landholders on the retention of native trees on farms in the Brigalow Belt, Queensland. Two response variables were tested: the proportion of total tree cover on all soil types, and the proportion of tree cover on fertile soils most suitable for agriculture. Explanatory variables were grouped into five conceptual areas: economic factors, demographic characteristics, cultural/social values, attachment to property, and opinions about vegetation management control. Principal components analysis and generalised linear models were used to select and assess the influence of the explanatory variables. An economic factor, farm size, had the strongest influence on both response variables, although the effect was less strong for tree cover on fertile soils. Agreement that tree cover was attractive (a cultural value) and attendance on training courses (a demographic characteristic) were also influential, together with other economic factors recognising production benefits from wooded areas. We conclude that a better understanding of social, economic and cultural factors that influence landholders’ decisions about how much tree cover to retain on their property is a prerequisite to targeting passive landscape restoration in areas where over-clearing is threatening landscape health.