A socio-ecological analysis of the value of forest patches in the southern Piedmont

Background/Question/Methods

In the last four decades, the southeastern United States has experienced a regional land-cover transformation of forest-cover loss, driven by urban development and land-use demands, with the Piedmont region experiencing the greatest net change. Thus, novel conservation solutions are needed to optimize multiple benefits and articulate these benefits to users and decisions makers. In this project we assessed the value of pine forest patches embedded in different land use and land covers along an urban-rural gradient for species conservation, ecosystem services, and perception of value. Specifically we conducted avian point counts to estimate species richness and abundance, quantified the economic and ecological value of trees in these patches for a diversity of services, and used mixed methods to measure perceived value to stakeholders. 

Results/Conclusions

Our data show that there are conservation opportunities along the urban-rural gradient. For example, greater abundance of Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) in patches beyond protected suggests that many patches are of unexpected high quality and may provide an important refugia for biodiversity. However, correlating the benefit of species conservation to the health of ecosystem services proved more nebulous. In particular, there was no measured relationship between species richness and carbon sequestration, storm water regulation, or property value. The variability in these measures of conservation value may be reflected in the articulated value of these forest patches by users and stakeholders. More specifically, most stakeholders undervalued these forest patches for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Together these data highlight the complexity of conservation in human-natural systems and provide a framework for future work.