This review article deals with the evolution of academic small-scale forestry research in Sweden and the USA from its early focus on timber supply to present-day interest in stewardship objectives, characteristics and attitudes. Aiming at identifying fresh opportunities for research on small-scale forestry, it reflects on the questions that have dominated the literature over the past quarter of a century, the socioeconomic conditions under which those questions arose, and their influence on the evolution of the field. The goal was to explore key drivers for research over the past 25 years and identify emerging research themes, and by that provide insight into what developments may make the research enterprise more fruitful. With some exceptions, it is based on articles in refereed journals and to academic theses covering the time span 1985Á2010. It reflects a reappraisal of the subject of the research and corresponding policies. Similar research tendencies are evident in both countries. Research historically focused on the practical problem of efficient production using a weak theoretical foundation. More recently, researchers have focused on understanding diverse motivations and roles that can be played. It is argued that the field of small-scale forestry research is ripe for new multidisciplinary approaches.
In the past decade ownership of the corporate forestry sector in the USA has undergone remarkable transformation. Corporate consolidation, separation of processing capacity ownership from timberland ownership, and disinvestment from timberland ownership altogether have occurred rapidly and on a global scale. Vertically-integrated forest products companies, once the standard model for publically-traded corporations, have all but disappeared. A new class of timberland investors now dominates the timberland estate. These new owners can be viewed as the most recent manifestation of capital from the core seeking rent in the distant periphery. While in this respect they resemble their industrial forestry predecessors, they differ markedly with regard to landholding objectives, time horizons, management capacities and other characteristics. This transformation has created new challenges and opportunities for other forest owners and for rural communities. Many timber processing mills have closed, restricting markets for smallholder wood. While much former industrial timberland remains in industrial-style timber management, some has been subdivided for 'highest and best use,' and conservation buyers have assumed control of a few large blocks. Further fragmentation of the industrial forest estate is anticipated, presenting both challenges and opportunities to small-scale forest owners and rural communities. This paper outlines the dynamics of forest ownership restructuring, posits alternative future scenarios for small-scale forestry, and points to potentially useful future research.
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