Forest ownership diversity and forest cover diversity in the Oregon Coast Range

Ln this research project we will attempt to integrate landscape ecology with natural resource social science by looking at social and spatial interactions between forest ownership and forest cover in the Oregon Coast Range. By linking existing spatial relationships to the management behavior of forest owners, we hope to enrich our understanding of both topics. Our specific research objectives are to 1) Characterize spatial relationships between forest ownership diversity and forest cover diversity in the Oregon Coast Range, and, 2) Characterize historical interactions between social, economic, and ecological factors and different forest ownership types in the Big Elk Creek Watershed. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and landowner interviews will be employed to test hypotheses related to the interactions between forest ownership diversity and forest cover diversity.