A study of the relative innovativeness of nonindustrial private forest landowners in east Texas and their use of professional forestry services

This study was conducted to determine if the innovativeness of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners varied according to their use of professional forestry services and to determine if those landowners constituted a social system. In order to accomplish these purposes, four objectives were identified. First, the distribution of their responses to the self-evaluation of innovativeness was analyzed to see if it resembled a normal distribution. Next, NIPF landowners were examined using their self-evaluation of innovativeness. Then, the data were examined to see if a relationship existed between the self-evaluation of innovativeness of NIPF landowners and contact with professional forestry services. Finally, the data were analyzed to see if there was a relationship between contact with professional forestry services and the existence of a written management plan. The data were obtained for analysis from a survey instrument produced and administered by the Forest Resources Institute at Stephen F. Austin State University. The study was conducted over a four-county area (Angelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine and Shelby) with data gathered in 2000 from a sample of NIPF landowners. The sources of contacts for this study were each of the counties' tax appraisal offices. The number of responses were 676 and there were 57 missing responses. According to the Anderson-Darling statistic, the distribution of responses where individuals rank themselves against other forest landowners concerning adoption of innovations did not follow a normal distribution. However, responses to questions related to practices used, information sources, and various socio-demographic questions indicated that NIPF landowners were behaving in a manner consistent with being members of a social system. The results indicated that a relationship did exist between the self-evaluation of innovativeness of NIPF landowners and contact with professional forestry services. There also appeared to be a relationship between having a written management plan and contact with professional forestry services. The results were summarized and recommendations were made.