The forest-grassland ecotone in the southcentral US is the tension zone between two major biomes and provides a number of important ecosystem services. Active management in the region using prescribed fire, forest thinning/harvesting, grazing, and herbicides can optimize desired benefits for landowners with a variety of management objectives. However, periodic severe droughts that plague this area and increasing climate variability will profoundly affect the productivity, resilience, and stability of ecosystems. We aim to facilitate sustainable management of the forest-grassland ecotone for different combinations of objectives such as timber, grazing, and wildlife habitat based on recent conditions and to adapt management to mitigate the negative effects of future drought and potential climate change. To this end, we are assessing the value of timber, cattle forage, and deer habitat. The preliminary findings from the survey suggest that landowners’ most important land management objectives include livestock production, land investment and wildlife management. Their willingness to pay to for a deer habitat that provides opportunity to see one additional deer is around 13 dollars. The most preferred source of information to learn active management in forest and rangeland include government agencies and the fact sheets. Tailoring research findings with the appropriate outreach materials will help educate traditional and non-traditional forest stewards in the region.
Descriptions:
The south-central transitional ecotone of US provides numerous ecosystem services. However, the region is vulnerable to changing climatic conditions such as drought affecting its productivity and resiliency. This study accesses the economic return of ecosystem managed for various objectives resulting from the active management of ecosystems in the region.
Bijesh Mishra[1]*, Omkar Joshi[2], Rodney Will[3]
[1] Ph.D. Student, Department of Natural Resource Ecology & Management, Oklahoma State University.
* Bijesh Mishra is the presenter of the poster and competing in the thesis category.
[2] Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resource Ecology & Management, Oklahoma State University. Dr. Joshi is major advisor of presenter.
[3] Professor, Department of Natural Resource Ecology & Management, Oklahoma State University.
Research funding Source: Funding Source Citation: USDA NIFA Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems 2017-06177.
Disclaimer: This study complies with Oklahoma State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirement. This research was presented in Society of American Foresters National Convention 2020 Virtually.
