Browsing by Subject "forest valuation"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Piedmont Longleaf Pine Restoration: A Management Plan for the Private Landowner
    (2016-04-27) Worthington, Cakey
    Once abundant across the southeastern United States, longleaf pine communities now cover only 3-5% of their native range. Much of this land has been converted to fire-excluded loblolly pine plantations to supply the South's burgeoning timber market. Ecosystems dominant in longleaf pine provide valuable habitat to many unique and threatened southern species as well as financial gain from timber and alternative uses such as leasing for pine straw or hunting. Restoration efforts are currently being implemented on a variety of public and private lands, bringing a heightened awareness and scrutiny of the management practices necessary to bring back this important species. This study examines the potential for restoration of longleaf pine habitat on 3300 acres of private land in the central Piedmont of North Carolina. The intent of this management plan is to provide: a historical background on management of the property, current ecological and site conditions, a projection of future forest growth and value, and recommendations for restoration and future management in accordance with the landowner’s vision for the property. The study included collection and compilation of data on site qualities, an assessment of the current remaining timber stock, a forecast of the potential longleaf pine growth including the impact from fire management, and the potential economic value of the forest conservation investment. Major findings of the study include that fire is beneficial for competition control and that the potential for ecological and economic gain from this effort is dependent on selection of appropriate management techniques and alternative uses.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Stakeholder Perceptions of Mexico’s Payment for Environmental Services Program: A Comparative Study of Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts in Oaxaca and Yucatán
    (2012-04-27) Rice, Jane; Baker, Rachel
    This study evaluates the impacts of Mexico’s national Payment for Environmental Services- Hydrological program (PSA-H), which has been touted as one of the most successful payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs worldwide. Survey and interview data was collected in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Yucatán in order to assess stakeholder perceptions of PSA-H on the ground. These stakeholders consist of professionals who have worked closely in the design or implementation of PSA-H, and both program beneficiary and non-beneficiary private property owners and community members. We analyzed this data by comparing stakeholder perceptions to PSA-H design assumptions for the following themes: forest valuation, the potential for ecosystem service market development, and poverty alleviation. Discrepancies that arise through this comparison help to illuminate how PSA-H design and implementation could be improved so as to generate greater and more sustainable socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Furthermore, contrasts drawn between the states of Oaxaca and Yucatán demonstrate different obstacles to successful implementation that the national program may encounter depending on underlying social, economic, or environmental conditions. Not only are these findings useful for informing PSA-H design as the program continues to evolve, but they are also applicable to the design and implementation of PES programs worldwide.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Stakeholder Perceptions of Mexico’s Payment for Environmental Services Program: A Comparative Study of Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts in Oaxaca and Yucatán
    (2012-04-27) Baker, Rachel; Rice, Jane
    This study evaluates the impacts of Mexico’s national Payment for Environmental Services- Hydrological program (PSA-H), which has been touted as one of the most successful payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs worldwide. Survey and interview data was collected in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Yucatán in order to assess stakeholder perceptions of PSA-H on the ground. These stakeholders consist of professionals who have worked closely in the design or implementation of PSA-H, and both program beneficiary and non-beneficiary private property owners and community members. We analyzed this data by comparing stakeholder perceptions to PSA-H design assumptions for the following themes: forest valuation, the potential for ecosystem service market development, and poverty alleviation. Discrepancies that arise through this comparison help to illuminate how PSA-H design and implementation could be improved so as to generate greater and more sustainable socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Furthermore, contrasts drawn between the states of Oaxaca and Yucatán demonstrate different obstacles to successful implementation that the national program may encounter depending on underlying social, economic, or environmental conditions. Not only are these findings useful for informing PSA-H design as the program continues to evolve, but they are also applicable to the design and implementation of PES programs worldwide.