SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL CAPACITY OF SMALL AND MEDIUM FORESTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Forests provide diverse ecosystem services that humans rely on for economic and cultural well-being. Family-owned forests smaller than 200 acres represent the largest forestland ownership type in the United States. Yet there is a lack of guidance for these small and medium-sized private forest landowners to manage their forests for multiple ecosystem services they deem desirable. We propose to fill this gap through stakeholder engagement and use of Penn State's forestlands. We will answer the question: What is the potential of small and medium private forests to meet ecosystem service needs of landowners and society? Specifically, our objectives are to: 1) evaluate small private forest landowner's desire and capacity to manage for multiple ecosystem services using focus groups and surveys, 2) quantify the biophysical capacity of small forests to provide ecosystem services of timber and non-timber forest products, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat with empirical data and forest ecosystem models, and 3) combine social and ecological data to identify forest management and landowner assistance strategies suited for ecosystem service provision.This project addresses the AFRI Small and Medium-Sized Farms Program priority area to 'develop effective strategies and tools to assist small and medium-sized forest/woodland owners in managing and sustaining their timberland'. Small private forest landowners face many challenges in sustaining their forests. The proposed project will test the feasibility of managing forests less than 200 acres for timber and non-timber forests products, carbon, and wildlife habitat to deliver concrete guidance to forest landowners on how they can achieve their goals.