The forest-grassland ecotone in the southcentral US is the tension zone between two major biomes and provides a number of important provisioning ecosystem services. Active management in the region using prescribed fire, forest thinning/harvesting, grazing, and herbicides can optimize desired benefits for landowners with a variety of management objectives. However, periodic severe droughts that plague this area and increasing climate variability will profoundly affect the productivity, resilience, and stability of ecosystems. We aim to facilitate sustainable management of the forest-grassland ecotone for different combinations of objectives such as timber, grazing, and wildlife habitat based on recent conditions and to adapt management to mitigate the negative effects of future drought and potential climate change. Using a long-term study in southeastern Oklahoma that contains managed ecosystems ranging from savanna to closed-canopy forest, we are assessing the value of timber, cattle forage, and deer habitat. Timber value was determined by integrating price data with Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) results. Annual herbaceous productivity was used to calculate cattle forage and carrying capacity. The willingness to pay for deer habitat is being quantified by conducting a choice experiment model.
Results/Conclusions
The preliminary findings suggest that a cumulative impact of management intensity, market value of natural resource commodity, and the production potential determine the economic value. In addition, landowner perception concerning environmental stressors including climate variability impact their willingness to pay. Tailoring research findings with the appropriate outreach materials will help educate traditional and non-traditional forest stewards in the region.