Research Papers
Hardwood Rangeland Landowners in California from 1985 to 2004: Production, Ecosystem Services, and Permanence

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Abstract

A longitudinal study of California hardwood rangelands shows significant change in landowner characteristics and goals. Results of three studies spanning 1985 to 2004 were used to develop and evaluate a multiagency research and extension program known as the Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program. Program-sponsored education and research aimed at encouraging landowners to change woodland management has been reflected in a significant reduction in oak cutting and an increase in oak planting. Recent changes have come with the times: landowners were as likely to have consulted land trusts about oaks as Cooperative Extension, and the number engaged in production of crops or livestock continued to decline. On the other hand, the proportion of landowners, including ranchers, reporting that they live in the oak woodland to benefit from ecosystem services such as natural beauty, recreation, and lifestyle benefits significantly increased. Though owners of large properties and ranchers were more strongly against regulation and “government interference” than other respondents, this did not appear to affect oak values and management. Property size remained significantly related to landowner goals, values, and practices, with those producing livestock owning most of the larger properties. There has been a decline in the number of properties being studied due to conversion of some from oak woodland to other uses, though the remaining respondents still own at least 10% of the woodlands. Landowners with conservation easements or those who are willing to consider them, who believe oak recruitment is inadequate, or who use advisory services were significantly less likely to cut oaks and more likely to plant them. Policy, management, and outreach that support synergies between production and conservation activities, and that combine ecosystem service-based income streams that encourage keeping land intact and increased land-use stability, are needed to support conservation of private rangelands.

Resumen

Un estudio longitudinal en California de pastizales asociados con bosques dotados de especies de madera dura indica un cambio significativo en las características y metas de los propietarios de la tierra. Los resultados de los tres estudios que abarcan los años 1985 a 2004 se utilizaron para desarrollar un programa interinstitucional conocido como el Programa de Manejo Integral de los Pastizales asociados a Bosques de Especies de Madera Dura. Este proyecto implementó programas de investigación y extensión con el objetivo de promover cambios en el la gestión del monte que reflejan en una disminución significativa en la tala de Quercus, y un alzo en la superficie plantado a especies quercineas. Otros cambios son el reflejo de los tiempos actuales: la probabilidad de que los propietarios realizaran consultas sobre la gestión del monte a fundaciones para la conservación de la tierra o al servicio de Extensión Cooperativa fue similar, mientras que la proporción de propietarios involucrados en la producción de cultivos o ganado continúa declinando. Por otra parte, se aumenta el porcentaje de propietarios, incluyendo productores, que viven en áreas de monte quercinea para beneficiarse de servicios ambientales como la belleza natural, la recreación, y los beneficios del estilo de vida. Aunque los dueños de propiedades más grandes y los productores en general mostran una oposición más enérgica a la regulación y la “interferencia por parte del gobierno,” aparentemente esta actitud no estuvo asociada con los valores de conservación y gestión del monte. El tamaño de las propiedades continuó estando significativamente asociada con las metas, valores, y prácticas realizadas por los propietarios; quienes producían ganado poseían las propiedades más grandes. Ha habido una reducción en el número de la muestra de propiedades por la conversión del quercineas a otros usos, si bien los respondientes que permanecieron en el estudio poseen al menos un 10% del área de monte. Propietarios que poseían comodatos de conservación de la tierra, o que estaban dispuestos a considerar dichos comodatos, o quienes pensaban que el reclutamiento de robles es inadecuado, eran significativamente menos proclives a talar quercineas y más proclives a plantar quercineas. Es deseable sotener una politica, gestión, e consultas con expertos que enlacen conservación y provalucción, crear una sistema que favorece pago a propriatarios para servicios ambientales, ye mantner intacto sus propriedades y no vender sus terrenos.

Section snippets

INTRODUCTION

Development of programs for influencing management of private rangelands should be based on a strong understanding of landowner goals, needs, and circumstances (Coppock and Birkenfield 1999). A survey approach is often chosen for such an assessment, and for understanding the factors that influence manager decisions. Previous rangeland survey research has linked management practices and goals to aspects of property or operation size (Huntsinger and Fortmann 1990; Rowe et al. 2001; Kreuter et al.

Survey Design

Sampling and methodology is consistent for all three surveys, but in 2004 questions were added about conservation easements and land trusts because of their high visibility in oak woodland conservation. Surveys were pretested, and then owners of hardwood rangeland throughout the state were surveyed by mail, using the standard four-wave technique described by Dillman (1978) to achieve a high response rate. The greater the response rate, the less “self-selection” bias influences responses and

Owner Characteristics and Rangeland Use

There has been no significant change in landowner demographics, but significantly fewer owners are earning their income from ranching, and more are relying on “other sources” of income, such as investments, pensions, and self-employment (Table 1). In 2004, respondents owned a total of 272 000 ha. Using the weighted sample, an estimated 20% of the woodlands belong to absentee owners, and 17% belong to landowners with a paid property manager.

There have been significant changes in land use since

DISCUSSION

Overall, relationships between property size and the goals, attitudes, and practices of landowners remain consistent with the simple typology developed from the 1985 survey, where properties < 80 ha, 80 ha to 2008 ha, and > 2 008 ha were compared (Huntsinger and Fortmann 1990). Summarizing the results for then and now, owners of larger properties usually produce livestock and live in the woodlands primarily because of a family business, participate in voluntary land conservation programs such as

IMPLICATIONS

Programs that will help livestock producers to jointly produce ecosystem services and livestock products are needed to conserve unfragmented private rangelands. This includes developing management strategies that create production and conservation synergies, and developing income streams for ecosystem service provisioning that increase as the area conserved increases. Hardwood rangeland landowners and rangeland landowners in much of the West have demonstrated a willingness to financially

Acknowledgments

Thanks are especially due to the landowners of California's oak woodlands, especially those who have stalwartly participated in this survey over the years. Adriana Sulak, Jose Oviedo-Pro, and Adina Rissmann all contributed their expertise to aspects of the research and write-up. Thanks to the journal reviewers and Paul F. Starrs for their very helpful reviews.

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    Research was funded by the Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program of the University of California, the California Agricultural Experiment Station, and the California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources CORE grant program.

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