Women's identity as forest owners
Exploring perceptions and responses to forest management amidst changing climate
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24214867 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kripa Neupane (0000-0002-8342-5711), Melissa M Kreye (0000-0002-8006-1262) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 128 |
| Pages | 104418 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Rural Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0743-0167 • E-ISSN: 1873-1392 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104418 |
| OpenAlex | W7214682333 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 44 |
Background Women in the United States are increasingly acquiring forest land through inheritance and/or direct purchase. This trend presents an opportunity for women to contribute meaningfully to climate change solutions through effective forest management. However, historical gender discrimination in landownership has left women with limited opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills needed to manage land, farm, and forests. Research is thus, needed to better understand the role women play in supporting forests and climate change solutions. Methods Using the sociological framework of Community Identity and Response to Threats , this qualitative study drew on in-depth interviews with 20 women forest owners across three states (Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Maine) to explore their sense of community, perceptions of climate change, approaches to forest management, barriers to implementing climate-smart forestry practices, and pathways for engagement in climate-adaptive stewardship. Results Findings reveal a sense of community identity rooted in shared forest values and connections, involvement in forestry organizations, and a perceived commonality of experiences with other women forest owners. However, this shared identity did not translate into a unified stance on climate change. Although concern for forests and future generations was expressed by all participants, the nature and intensity of that concern varied considerably, encompassing sadness, anger, hope, proactive adaptation, and, in some cases, skepticism. Rather than an established practice, climate-smart forest management emerged more as an aspiration, constrained by technical, institutional, financial, and social barriers. Despite these challenges, peer learning, flexible and accessible education, women-specific learning environments, and greater recognition of women's contributions emerged as meaningful pathways to participation in climate-adaptive forest stewardship. Implications These findings can inform the development of programs, resources, and support systems tailored to women forest owners experiences, needs, and leadership potential in forest and climate stewardship.
climate change perception · climate change skepticism · climate-smart forestry · community identity · Peer learning · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Forest Management and Policy
Exercise of Human Agency Through Collective Efficacy
Gender Equality and Economic Growth
Revisiting methodological issues in transcript analysis
Women Empowerment and Economic Development
Risk Perceptions, General Environmental Beliefs, and Willingness to Address Climate Change
Climate of silence
The Social Self
Is member checking the gold standard of quality in qualitative research
Power, Quiescence, and Pollution
United States agricultural stakeholder views and decisions on climate change
On entrepreneurship in forestry
Dimensions of community identity
The discursive construction of community identity
Because they can do the work’
Women on the Land
The Role of Community Identity in Cattlemen Response to Florida Panther Recovery Efforts
Community Activeness in Response to Forest Disturbance in Alaska
Shifting forest landownership interests over the life-course of female forest landowners in rural Georgia, United States
Power dynamics of the non-operating landowner-renter relationship and conservation decision-making in the Midwestern United States
The effects of gender on climate change knowledge and concern in the American public
Collective Identity and Memory
Contested Environmental Hazards and Community Conflict Over Relocation
How Many Interviews Are Enough
Reliability in Coding Open-Ended Data
Coding In-depth Semistructured Interviews
Conservation Intentions and Place Attachment among Male and Female Forest Landowners
Collective Identity and Hazardous Waste Management
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |