Landowners’ decisions on participating in a voluntary riparian tree-planting project in Norway: A qualitative study using the theory of planned behaviour

Tree planting has the potential to reduce the effect of agricultural runoff and stop biodiversity decline in agricultural landscapes. The aim of the article is to improve the understandings of individual landowners’ decision making regarding participation in riparian tree-planting projects. Walking interviews and the theory of planned behaviour (TBP) were used to investigate a project in Norway. It was found that the informants differed in their views on the consequences of tree planting and the problem of agricultural runoff, which affected their attitudes towards the project. Some focused on the local effects on their farming operations and favoured other interventions. The informants had different farming motivations, which affected their priorities between economic gains, food production, and the environmental value of riparian woodland. In conclusion, landowners’ motivations and perceptions vary, and project managers should take this into account. While ecological engineering may appeal to practically oriented farmers, education and pilot projects could help to shift perceptions, and community-wide engagement could enhance the effect of norms. The authors suggest that future TPB studies of landowners and riparian tree planting should include problem understanding, social identity, and farming motivation as additional factors, and consider potential overlaps between perceived consequences and perceived behavioural control.