Perceived Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Private-Sector Urban and Community Forestry in the Southern United States

Rajan Parajuli; Stella Zucchetti Schons; Puskar Khanal; P. Eric Wiseman; Stephanie Chizmar; Austin Lamica; Jason Gordon; Thomas Ochuodho; James E. Henderson; Sayeed Mehmood; Lara Johnson

doi:10.48044/jauf.2023.020

Perceived Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Private-Sector Urban and Community Forestry in the Southern United States

Rajan Parajuli
, Stella Zucchetti Schons
, Puskar Khanal
, P. Eric Wiseman
, Stephanie Chizmar
, Austin Lamica
, Jason Gordon
, Thomas Ochuodho
, James E. Henderson
, Sayeed Mehmood
, Lara Johnson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Private-sector urban and community forestry (U&CF) is a major segment of the green industry with substantial socio-ecological and economic contributions to urban and sub-urban communities. The COVID-19 pandemic reportedly caused heterogeneous impacts on businesses, the workforce, and various sectors of the overall economy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on private businesses carrying out U&CF activities in the Southern United States. Methods: Using data collected through an online survey distributed across the Southern USA in 2021, we developed and estimated an empirical model to evaluate the factors describing the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U&CF businesses in the region. Results: Results suggest that COVID-19 had, on average, a neutral impact on the U&CF activities performed by the private sector in the study region, but the perceived impacts varied by the industry types. Results from the ordered logistic regression suggest that nursery and garden supply stores were more likely than other businesses to have a positive impact of COVID-19 on the U&CF segment of their business. Similarly, business metrics such as the size of the company in terms of annual sales and revenues or longevity in the business were found to be significant factors explaining the COVID-19 impacts on U&CF business. Conclusions: Our study findings are useful for U&CF decisionmakers for better planning, preparedness, and programming of U&CF activities and businesses in the southern USA.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	283-298
Number of pages	16
Journal	Arboriculture and Urban Forestry
Volume	49
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2023.020
State	Published - Nov 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
©2023 International Society of Arboriculture

Funding

This research is funded by the Virginia Department of Forestry as a part of the US Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Grant (Agency reference number: RFP 411.A2000-05). We would like to acknowledge urban forestry coordinators from all 13 southern states for their assistance in survey administration and for providing inputs in various stages of this study. Additionally, we would like to appreciate the comments and suggestions from anonymous reviewers in the earlier version of the manuscript. This research was also supported in part by the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (Chizmar’s official time). The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or US government determination or policy. This research is funded by the iV rginia Department of Forestry as a part of the US Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Grant (Agency reference number: RFP 411.A2000-05). eW would like to acknowledge urban forestry coordinators from all 13 southern states for their assistance in survey administration and for providing inputs in various stages of this study. Additionally, we would like to appreciate the comments and suggestions from anonymous reviewers in the earlier version of the manuscript. This research was also supported in part by the US Department oI $Jriculture )orest 6erYice (&hi]mar’s oI¿cial time 7he ¿ndinJs and conclusions in this puElication are those oI the authors and should not Ee construed to represent any oI¿cial USDA or US government determination or policy.

Funders	Funder number
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service	RFP 411.A2000-05
iV rginia Department of Forestry

Keywords

COVID-19 Pandemic
Green Industry
Ordered Logistic Regression
Private Businesses

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Forestry
Ecology

Access to Document

10.48044/jauf.2023.020

Cite this

Parajuli, R., Schons, S. Z., Khanal, P., Wiseman, P. E., Chizmar, S., Lamica, A., Gordon, J., Ochuodho, T., Henderson, J. E., Mehmood, S., & Johnson, L. (2023). Perceived Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Private-Sector Urban and Community Forestry in the Southern United States. Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, 49(6), 283-298. https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2023.020

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title = "Perceived Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Private-Sector Urban and Community Forestry in the Southern United States",

abstract = "Background: Private-sector urban and community forestry (U\&CF) is a major segment of the green industry with substantial socio-ecological and economic contributions to urban and sub-urban communities. The COVID-19 pandemic reportedly caused heterogeneous impacts on businesses, the workforce, and various sectors of the overall economy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on private businesses carrying out U\&CF activities in the Southern United States. Methods: Using data collected through an online survey distributed across the Southern USA in 2021, we developed and estimated an empirical model to evaluate the factors describing the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U\&CF businesses in the region. Results: Results suggest that COVID-19 had, on average, a neutral impact on the U\&CF activities performed by the private sector in the study region, but the perceived impacts varied by the industry types. Results from the ordered logistic regression suggest that nursery and garden supply stores were more likely than other businesses to have a positive impact of COVID-19 on the U\&CF segment of their business. Similarly, business metrics such as the size of the company in terms of annual sales and revenues or longevity in the business were found to be significant factors explaining the COVID-19 impacts on U\&CF business. Conclusions: Our study findings are useful for U\&CF decisionmakers for better planning, preparedness, and programming of U\&CF activities and businesses in the southern USA.",

keywords = "COVID-19 Pandemic, Green Industry, Ordered Logistic Regression, Private Businesses",

author = "Rajan Parajuli and Schons, \{Stella Zucchetti\} and Puskar Khanal and Wiseman, \{P. Eric\} and Stephanie Chizmar and Austin Lamica and Jason Gordon and Thomas Ochuodho and Henderson, \{James E.\} and Sayeed Mehmood and Lara Johnson",

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year = "2023",

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doi = "10.48044/jauf.2023.020",

language = "English",

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AU - Parajuli, Rajan

AU - Schons, Stella Zucchetti

AU - Khanal, Puskar

AU - Wiseman, P. Eric

AU - Chizmar, Stephanie

AU - Lamica, Austin

AU - Gordon, Jason

AU - Ochuodho, Thomas

AU - Henderson, James E.

AU - Mehmood, Sayeed

AU - Johnson, Lara

PY - 2023/11

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N2 - Background: Private-sector urban and community forestry (U&CF) is a major segment of the green industry with substantial socio-ecological and economic contributions to urban and sub-urban communities. The COVID-19 pandemic reportedly caused heterogeneous impacts on businesses, the workforce, and various sectors of the overall economy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on private businesses carrying out U&CF activities in the Southern United States. Methods: Using data collected through an online survey distributed across the Southern USA in 2021, we developed and estimated an empirical model to evaluate the factors describing the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U&CF businesses in the region. Results: Results suggest that COVID-19 had, on average, a neutral impact on the U&CF activities performed by the private sector in the study region, but the perceived impacts varied by the industry types. Results from the ordered logistic regression suggest that nursery and garden supply stores were more likely than other businesses to have a positive impact of COVID-19 on the U&CF segment of their business. Similarly, business metrics such as the size of the company in terms of annual sales and revenues or longevity in the business were found to be significant factors explaining the COVID-19 impacts on U&CF business. Conclusions: Our study findings are useful for U&CF decisionmakers for better planning, preparedness, and programming of U&CF activities and businesses in the southern USA.

AB - Background: Private-sector urban and community forestry (U&CF) is a major segment of the green industry with substantial socio-ecological and economic contributions to urban and sub-urban communities. The COVID-19 pandemic reportedly caused heterogeneous impacts on businesses, the workforce, and various sectors of the overall economy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on private businesses carrying out U&CF activities in the Southern United States. Methods: Using data collected through an online survey distributed across the Southern USA in 2021, we developed and estimated an empirical model to evaluate the factors describing the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U&CF businesses in the region. Results: Results suggest that COVID-19 had, on average, a neutral impact on the U&CF activities performed by the private sector in the study region, but the perceived impacts varied by the industry types. Results from the ordered logistic regression suggest that nursery and garden supply stores were more likely than other businesses to have a positive impact of COVID-19 on the U&CF segment of their business. Similarly, business metrics such as the size of the company in terms of annual sales and revenues or longevity in the business were found to be significant factors explaining the COVID-19 impacts on U&CF business. Conclusions: Our study findings are useful for U&CF decisionmakers for better planning, preparedness, and programming of U&CF activities and businesses in the southern USA.

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KW - Green Industry

KW - Ordered Logistic Regression

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Perceived Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Private-Sector Urban and Community Forestry in the Southern United States

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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