Harvard Forest Symposium Abstract 2016

Title: Change in a provisioning ecosystem service over time and across a rural-suburban interface
Primary Author: David Kittredge (University of Massachusetts - Amherst )
Additional Authors: Lucy Hutyra (Boston University); Luca Morreale (Boston University); Anne Short Gianotti (Boston University); Jonathan Thompson (Harvard Forest)
Abstract:
Approximately 70% of all forest in Massachusetts is owned by private families and individuals. Thus, the future of a supply of timber to meet provisioning ecosystem service needs (e.g., timber products, thermal fuel) as well as support local economies depends on decisions made by thousands of families and individuals who own the land. We explore regulatory timber harvest data from 1984 to 2013 for 351 communities in Massachusetts and explore shifts in timber harvest through time by various characteristics of communities, such as affluence, population density, real estate values, and extent of forest. We also access data on licensed timber harvesters through time and by Massachusetts county to further investigate the change in the access to timber. Preliminary results suggest that the probability of harvest on private forest is related to the extent of forest in a community (e.g., it % forested land use), as well as expressions of relative affluence (e.g., median home value) and development (e.g., newly issued building permits).
Research Category: Conservation and Management

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