Behavioral intention to participate in carbon-based forest management: An extension of the theory of planned behavior

Afforestation on marginal lands through carbon-based forest management (CBFM) is a viable approach to sequester carbon and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The participation of private landowners is essential for CBFM implementation, as most marginal lands in the Southern United States are privately owned. This study examined private landowners' behavioral intentions (BI) toward afforestation for CBFM, with a focus on environmental psychological factors. Descriptive statistics indicated that landowners were primarily motivated to retain forestland for legacy and conservation purposes, whereas carbon market potential was not a primary motivation for forestland retention among private landowners. An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model was applied to survey data, and structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesized relationships. Results indicated that subjective norms and PBC significantly and positively influenced behavioral intention, whereas attitude did not have a direct effect. The subjective norms also emerged as a strong determinant of behavioral intention. We also examined the relationship between financial information and behavioral intention, and the results confirmed a positive association. These findings suggest that outreach strategies should combine economic incentives with capacity-building initiatives and social engagement to encourage participation. For effective carbon policy implementation, agencies, non-governmental organizations, and carbon credit firms should consider private landowners' motivations, promote trust, and design flexible programs that integrate economic incentives with carbon management objectives.