Landowners’ Engagement with Forest Land Predicts Improved Affect: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study in the Great Northwoods Region, USA

Although forest-based ecosystem services are well-documented, limited research has examined the role of forest ownership in human well-being. We conducted an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of evaluative and experienced subjective well-being (i.e., affect) among private landowners in the Great Northwoods region of Michigan and Wisconsin, USA. The amount of land people owned, whether that land was forested, and how often and in what ways respondents engaged with their land was not related to life satisfaction or eudaimonic well-being (i.e., worth and meaningfulness of life). In contrast, landowners who engaged with their land and had visited, recreated, or thought about their land in the 24-h period before assessment had increased positive affect (i.e., “happiness”). Negative affect (specifically “depression”) was found to be negatively related to land engagement. These results suggest that experienced measures of subjective well-being, when included in EMAs, have potential for illuminating the relation between land ownership, land use, and human well-being.