Source: NORTH CENTRAL RESEARCH STATION submitted to NRP
WE NEED TO RESPOND TO CHANGE IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS ACROSS URBAN AND URBANIZING AREAS
Sponsoring Institution
Forest Service/USDA
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
USDA INHOUSE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0197235
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Feb 7, 2000
Project End Date
Feb 7, 2005
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
NORTH CENTRAL RESEARCH STATION
1992 FOLWELL AVENUE
ST PAUL,MN 55108
Performing Department
FORESTRY SCIENCES LAB - EVANSTON, IL
Non Technical Summary
We need to better anticipate and respond to the widespread change and increasing pressures affecting natural environments within and across urban and urbanizing areas. This is critical to helping us to address crucial issues concerning the management of forests, prairies, rivers, and other natural landscapes in urban and urbanizing areas that are being generated by significant physical, biological, and social changes.
Animal Health Component
85%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
5%
Applied
85%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1230599301010%
1230699307010%
1236099308010%
1240530311115%
1240699307020%
1246099308015%
1310599308010%
1310699311110%
Knowledge Area
124 - Urban Forestry; 123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources; 131 - Alternative Uses of Land;

Subject Of Investigation
0599 - Recreational resources, general/other; 6099 - People and communities, general/other; 0530 - Parks and urban green space; 0699 - Trees, forests, and forest products, general;

Field Of Science
3070 - Psychology; 3111 - Landscape architecture; 3010 - Economics; 3080 - Sociology;
Goals / Objectives
To develop policies for the management of forests, prairies, rivers, and other natural landscapes in urban and urbanizing areas.
Project Methods
To more clearly define the approach needed to solve the problem, three research elements are described. Describe current and possible future patterns of landscape change caused by urban development and redevelopment. To better understand and help plan for the changes occurring in urban and urbanizing areas will involve integrating available information on both human populations and natural resources from current geographic data bases, generating new data, and developing procedures and models to forecast how landscape change will be influenced by the choices of citizens and decisions of policy makers. Identify the effects of urban landscape change on people. To develop more effective resource management policies, we must identify the effects that landscape change is expected to have on people living in these areas undergoing change. People's perceptions, behavior, feelings, and health, as well as communities' stabilty and livability may all be affected by these changes. Predict and assess the consequences of alternative strategies for dealing with urban landscape change. This will entail assembling existing information and gathering new information. This information will be packaged into user-friendly reports and interactive computer applications targeted on important landscape change issues facing urban policy makers and managers.

Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The objectives of this research are to describe current and possible future patterns of landscape change caused by urban development and redevelopment; identify the effects of urban landscape change on people; and predict and assess the consequences of alternative strategies for dealing with urban landscape change. Research and development to better understand and help plan for landscape changes occurring in urban and urbanizing areas will involve integrating available information on both human populations and natural resources from current geographic data bases, generating new data, and developing procedures and models to forecast how landscape change will be influenced by the choices of citizens and decisions of policy makers. This information will be synthesized into readily interpretable formats that can be used by policy makers to guide urban development and open-space decisions. In order to develop more effective resource management policies, we must identify the effects that landscape change is expected to have on people living in areas undergoing change. People's perceptions, behavior, feelings, and health, as well as communities' stability and livability may all be affected by these changes. A wide range of research methods and theories from the social sciences will be used to capture the complexity and diversity of the processes by which landscape change impacts urban people. This information will be synthesized into readily interpretable formats that can be used by managers, planners, and policy makers to help predict the effects of urban landscape change on people. Research and development to assess consequences of alternative strategies for dealing with landscape change will entail assembling existing information and gathering new information which will be packaged into user-friendly reports and interactive computer applications targeted on important landscape change issues facing urban policy makers and managers. PARTICIPANTS: Unit scientists involved: Westphal, L. M.; McCaffrey, S. M.; Schroeder, H. W.; Stewart, S. I., Gobster Paul. Each served as a PI or consultant on one or more research projects within this problem area. partner organizations include the University of Illinois, U. Wisconsin, U. Michigan, and more. Our partnerships with Universities also provide training and professional development opportunities for graduate students working on projects. TARGET AUDIENCES: Urban planners, land managers, government officials, NGOs interested in land managmeent issues. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: NA

Impacts
In developing policies for the management of forests, prairies, rivers, and other natural landscapes in urban and urbanizing areas, significant issues concerning people/natural resource interactions must be addressed. As urban populations increase and diversify, resources in and around urban areas are subject to a broadening range of demands and are impacted by a spectrum of physical, biological, and social changes.

Publications

  • Gonzalez-Abraham, C. E.; Radeloff, V. C.; Hammer, R. B.; Hawbaker, T. J.; Stewart, S. I.; Clayton, M. K. 2007. Effects of building density, landownership, and land cover on landscape fragmentation in northern Wisconsin, USA. Landscape Ecology. 22(2): 217-230.
  • Hammer, R. B.; Radeloff, V. C.; Fried, J. S.; Stewart, S. I. 2007. Wildland urban interface housing growth during the 1990s in California, Oregon, and Washington. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 16(3): 255-265.
  • Johnson, K. M.; Stewart, S. I. 2007. Demographic trends in national forest, recreational, retirement, and amenity areas. In Kruger, L. E.; Mazza, R.; Lawrence, K., eds. Proceedings: National workshop on recreation research and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-698. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 187-199.
  • Lepczyk, C. A.; Hammer, R. B.; Stewart, S. I.; Radeloff, V. C. 2007. Spatiotemporal dynamics of housing growth hotspots in the North Central U.S. from 1940 to 2000. Landscape Ecology. 22(6): 939-952.
  • McCaffrey, S.; Graham, R. 2007. Science information for informing forest fuel management in the dry forests of the Western United States. Journal of Forestry. 105(2): 73-76.
  • Nassauer, J. I. 2006. Landscape planning and conservation biology: Systems thinking revisited. Conservation Biology. 20(3): 677-678.
  • Nassauer, J. I.; Corry, R. C.; Cruse, R. M. 2007. Alternative scenarios for future Iowa agricultural landscapes. In Nassauer, J. I.; Santelmann, M. M.; Scavia, D., eds. From the Corn Belt to the Gulf: Societal and environmental implications of alternative agricultural futures. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future Press: Chapter 14.
  • Bengston, D. N.; Youn, Y. C. 2006. Urban containment policies and the protection of natural areas: The case of Seoul's greenbelt. Ecology and Society.11(1):3-14. Available online at: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol11/iss1/art3/.
  • Nassauer, J. I.; Santelmann, M. M.; Scavia, D., eds. 2007. From the Corn Belt to the Gulf: Societal and environmental implications of alternative agricultural futures. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future Press. 260 pp.
  • Paull, E.; De Sousa, C. 2007. Economic and Environmental Benefits of Brownfields Development. Unpublished briefing report for the Northeast-Midwest Institute, Washington, DC
  • Santelmann, M. V.; White, D.; Lindsay, K. F.; Nassauer, J. I.; Eilers, J. M.; Vache, K. B.; et al. 2007. An integrated assessment of alternative futures for Iowa watersheds. In Nassauer, J. I.; Santelmann, M. M.; Scavia, D., eds. From the Corn Belt to the Gulf: Societal and environmental implications of alternative agricultural futures. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future Press: Chapter 14.
  • Scavia, D.; Nassauer, J. I. 2007. Policy insights from alternative futures and integrated assessments. In Nassauer, J. I.; Santelmann, M. M.; Scavia, D., eds. From the Corn Belt to the Gulf: Societal and environmental implications of alternative agricultural futures. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future Press: Chapter 1.
  • Stewart, S. I. 2006. Sprawl Pastiche (book review). Conservation Biology. 20(6): 1825-1828.
  • Stewart, S. I.; Radeloff, V. C.; Hammer, R. B. 2006. The wildland-urban interface in the United States. In McCaffrey, S., ed. The public and wildland fire management: Social science findings for managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-GTR-1. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 197-202.
  • Stewart, S. I.; Radeloff, V. C.; Hammer, R. B.; Hawbaker, T. J. 2007. Defining the wildland-urban interface. Journal of Forestry. 105(4): 201-207.
  • Wagner, M. M.; Gobster, P. H. 2007. Interpreting landscape change: Measured biophysical change and surrounding social context. Landscape and Urban Planning. 81(1-2): 67-80.
  • White, R.; McCaffrey, S. 2007. Fuels planning: Science synthesis and integration. In Powers, R. F., ed. Restoring fire-adapted ecosystems: Proceedings of the 2005 national silviculture workshop. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-203, Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 35-40.


Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06

Outputs
NRS4902 Attainment Item - Problem 1 The redevelopment of brownfield sites has become a central focus of government efforts aimed at developing and revitalizing urban areas in the U.S. Although brownfield initiatives have evolved separately from more traditional green space planning, the two have started to converge as governments, local communities and other stakeholders begin to consider brownfields as potential locations for green space. A barrier to this convergence, however, has been the focus of brownfield efforts on redevelopment that garners direct economic benefits, as well as the lack of information regarding the full range of social benefits that brownfield-to-green space projects can bring about. Examination of government data and interviews with key stakeholders in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, reveals that, although government is becoming more effective at tackling the barriers to private-sector redevelopment, progress in redeveloping brownfields is still being measured primarily in terms of economic development outcomes rather than in terms of the broader social, economic, and environmental objectives. Utilization and quality of life impacts of brownfield-to-green space projects in Chicago and Minneapolis were assessed from the perspective of those using them and the affected communities. The results indicate that most of those surveyed felt that green space was a good use for brownfields, that these projects quickly achieve regular use, and that users partake in a vast array of active and passive recreational activities on these sites. The projects also contribute in many ways to personal and community quality of life, particularly in terms of enhancing scenic beauty and neighborhood appeal, improving access to trails, recreation space, and nature, boosting community pride, removing blight, improving physical fitness and raising property values.

Impacts
Impact Statement Brownfield redevelopment initiatives have become an important focus in the effort to revitalize urban areas. Measures of the progress of these initiatives still tend to be limited to economic development outcomes, however. The convergence of brownfield redevelopment and green space initiatives makes it essential to consider the full range of social and environmental benefits that brownfield-to-green-space projects contribute to urban quality of life.

Publications

  • Bengston, David N.; Youn, Yeo-Chang. 2005. Seouls Greenbelt: an experiment in urban containment. In: Bengston, David N., ed. Policies for managing urban growth and landscape change: a key to conservation in the 21st century. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-265. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 27-34. NRS-4902, 3.23
  • Bengston, David N.; Youn, Yeo-Chang. 2006. Urban containment policies and the protection of natural areas: the case of Seoul's Greenbelt. Ecology and Society. 11(1): 3. [15 p]. [Published online at http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol11/iss1/art3]. NRS-4902, 3.23
  • City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development. 2005. Calumet open space reserve plan. Chicago, IL: City of Chicago, Department of Planning and Development. 26 p. + pullout maps. NRS-4902, 3.43
  • De Sousa, Christopher. 2005. Policy performance and Brownfield redevelopment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Professional Geographer. 57(2): 312-327. NRS-4902, 3.44
  • Gonzalez-Abraham, Charlotte E. 2005. Building density and landscape pattern in northern Wisconsin, USA; an interaction of geography, environment, time, and human legacies. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Madison. 77 p. M.S. thesis. NRS-4902, 3.43
  • Gonzalez-Abraham, Charoltte E.; Radeloff, Volker C.; Hammer, Roger B.; Hawbaker, Todd J.; Steward, Susan I.; Clayton, Murray K. 2006. Building patterns and landscape fragmentation in northern Wisconsin, USA. Landscape Ecology. [DOI 10.1007/s10980-006-9016-z].
  • Hawbaker, Todd. J.; Radeloff, Volker C. 2004. Roads and landscape pattern in northern Wisconsin based on a comparison of four road data sources. Conservation Biology. 18(5): 1233-1244. NRS-4902, 3.43
  • Hawbaker, Todd J.; Radeloff, Volker C.; Clayton, Murray K.; Hammer, Roger B.; Gonzalez-Abraham, Charlotte E. 2006. Road development, housing growth, and landscape fragmentation in northern Wisconsin: 1937-1999. Ecological Applications. 16(3): 1222-1237. NRS-4902, 3.44
  • Johnson, Kenneth M.; Voss, Paul R.; Hammer, Roger B.; Fuguitt, Glenn V.; McNiven, Scott. 2005. Temporal and spatial variation in age-specific net migration in the United States. Demography. 42(4): 791-812. NRS-4902, 3.44
  • Kramer, Daniel Boyd; Polasky, Stephen; Starfield, Anthony; Palik, Brian; Westphal, Lynne; et al. 2006. A comparison of alternative strategies for cost-effective water quality management in lakes. Environmental Management. 38(3): 411-425. NRS-4902, 3.43
  • Radeloff, Volker C.; Hammer, Roger B.; Stewart, Susan I. 2005. Rural and suburban sprawl in the U.S. Midwest from 1940 to 2000 and its relation to forest fragmentation. Conservation Biology. 19(3): 793-805. NRS-4902, 3.??
  • Radeloff, V.C.; Hammer, R.B.; Stewart, S.I.; Fried, J.S.; Holcomb, S.S.; McKeefry, J.F. 2005. The wildland-urban interface in the United States. Ecological Applications. 15(3): 799-805.
  • Westphal, Lynne M.; Ostry, Michael E. 2006. Decision at the waters edge: sustaining riparian landscapes in the Midwest. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-247. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 31 p. NRS-4902, 3.23
  • Westphal, Lynne M.; Levengood, Jeffrey M.; Wali, Alaka; Soucek, David; Stotz, Douglas F. 2004. Brownfield redevelopment: a hidden opportunity for conservation biology. In: Bengston, David N., tech. ed. Policies for managing urban growth and landscape change: a key to conservation in the 21st century. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-265. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 21-26. NRS-4902, 3.23


Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05

Outputs
Natural resources are directly affected by where people build homes. For example, patterns of commuting, use of natural areas for recreation, and proximity of people to wildlife habitat all have impacts on natural resources. Demographic research found that during the first half of the 20th Century, population was becoming more concentrated as people moved into cities, but by the 1970s, movement out of urban centers and into suburban areas and some rural areas, or selective deconcentration, had begun. Rural counties with recreational and amenity resources lost fewer young adults and gained older adults moving in around retirement age; later in the period (1970s, and again in the 1990s) these migrants were joined by middle-aged adults, and to some extent, by young families as well. This contrasts sharply with the historic trend toward rural decline, giving some rural communities another chance at viability, but also pressuring natural resources and creating a complex mix of old and new residents for resource managers to work with. Analytical methods were vastly improved in development of the 1990 net migration rates, increasing their accuracy and expanding their utility in interdisciplinary landscape change research. Understanding migration patterns helps us understand, predict, and plan for landscape change.

Impacts
Over the past few decades, a combination of demographic changes has resulted in more people living in the outer edges (versus the urban centers) of metropolitan areas, and in some attractive rural areas. Because the areas that new suburban and rural home buyers often choose are also forested areas that society relies on for outdoor recreation, timber, wildlife habitat, and clean water, resource managers will be faced with difficult conflicts and trade-offs if these demographic patterns persist.

Publications

  • Kaplan, Stephen 2004. Some hidden benefits of the urban forest. In: Konijnendijk, Cecil C.; et al., eds. Forestry serving urbanised [urbanized] societies; 2002 August 27-30; Copenhagen, Denmark. Vienna, Austria: IUFRO World Series. 14: 221-232. NC-4902, 3.23
  • Klenosky, David B. 2005. The impact of negative environmental factors on recreation choice behavior. In: Bricker, Kelly, comp., ed. Proceedings of the 2004 Northeastern recreation research symposium; 2004 March 31-April 2; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-326. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 272-280. NC-4902, 3.42
  • Westphal, Lynne M. 2004. Case study: restoring the rustbelt: social science to support Calumet's ecological and economic revitalization. In: Ewert, Alan W.; et al., eds. Integrated resource and environmental management: the human dimension. Cambringe, MA: CABI Publishing: 119-127. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Dwyer, John F.; Klenosky, David B.; LeBlanc, Cherie L. 2005. Explaining patterns of choice among outdoor recreation sites in metropolitan areas. In: Bricker, Kelly, comp., ed. Proceedings of the 2004 Northeastern recreation research symposium; 2004 March 31-April 2; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-326. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 295-301. NC-4902, 3.42
  • Dwyer, John F.; Klenosky, David. 2004. The implications of demographic change in metropolitan areas for the use of recreation sites. In: Murdy, James J., comp., ed. 2004. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-317. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 2-10. NC-4902, 3.42
  • Kaplan, Rachel. 2004. The social values of forests and trees in urbanised [urbanized] societies. In: Konijnendijk, Cecil C.; et al., eds. Forestry serving urbanised [urbanized] societies; 2002 August 27-30; Copenhagen, Denmark. Vienna, Austria: IUFRO World Series. 14: 167-178. NC-4902, 3.23
  • Schroeder, Herbert W. 2005. The way the world should be: order, cleanness, and serenity in the experience of special places. In: Bricker, Kelly, comp., ed. Proceedings of the 2004 Northeastern recreation research symposium; 2004 March 31-april 2; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-326. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 52-56. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Sommer, Robert. 2003. Trees and human identity. In: Clayton, Susan; et al., eds. Identity and the natural environment: the psychological significance of nature. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press: 179-204. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Ryan, Robert L. 2005. Exploring the effects of environmental experience on attachment to urban natural areas. Environment and Behavior. 37(1): 3-42. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Dwyer, John F.; Chavez, Deborah J. 2005. The challenges of managing public lands in the wildland-urban interface. In: Vince, Susan W.; et al., eds. Forests at the wildland-urban interface: conservation and management: Boca Raton, [FL]: CRC Press LLC: 269-283. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Nassauer, Joan Iverson. 2004. Monitoring the success of metropolitan wetland restorations: cultural sustainability and ecological function. Wetlands. 24(4): 756-765. NC-4902, 3.43


Progress 02/07/00 to 02/07/05

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Outputs: Along with a significant level of peer review journal publications listed elsewhere, our research findings were delivered via web site; through conferences with other researchers, practitioners and professionals; and through one on one consultations. One example of our output is the housing density and wildland urban interface datasets that can be found at http://silvis.forest.wisc.edu/projects/WUI_Main.asp. This web site serves data to policy makers, reporters, land mangers, NGOs, and others, providing current information upon which fire and other policy can be soundly based. PARTICIPANTS: INDIVIDUALS (1) principal investigator(s) Unit research staff involved: Susan I. Stewart, Paul H. Gobster, Herbert W. Schroeder, Sarah M. McCaffrey, Lynne M. Westphal, John F. Dwyer (retired). (2) Others: In addition to the above scientists: Cherie LeBlanc Fisher, Sherry Griffith, and various student interns. (3) Partner Organizations We partnered with many different researchers at many academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, state or local governments, industrial or commercial firms, schools, or school systems. Thes einclude: Volker Radeloff, University of Wisconsin; Roger Hammer, Oregon State University; Kenneth Johnson, University of New Hampshire; Alaka Wally, Field Museum; William Stewart, University of Illinois at Urbana; Greg Winter, Cornerstone Strategies; Robert Marans, University of Michigan; Southeast Environmental Task Force; Cith of Chicago Departments of Environment and Planning. (4) Collaborators and contacts include David Nowak, Brian Sturtevant, Pamela Jakes, Robert Haight, Pat Zollner and others from the former North Central Research Station. (5) We provided training opportunites for at least 50 graduate students at various univbersities across the country through funding of Research Joint Venture Agreements. TARGET AUDIENCES: We had a number of target audiences, including other researchers, public land managers in both rural and urban areas, environmental and community development NGOs, state and local governments, planners, landscape architects, fire management officials, teachers, and general lay audiences. Our unit has always focused on the needs of population groups such as racial and ethnic minorities and those who are socially, economically, or educationally disadvantaged, including Latino and African American residents in Chicago, small family loggers in Wisconsin, and more. Our efforts to deliver science-based knowledge to people included formal and informal educational programs. Our staff guest lectured in university classes, participated in on-site practicum experiences, provided internships to undergraduate and graduate students, facilitated workshops, and taught citizen forester classes, among other efforts. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
A model for understanding landscape change, focusing on the processes of urbanization and fragmentation, framed our work in this problem. The model identifies the patterns and trends of land use change, its social and economic drivers, its human and ecological impacts, and the effectiveness of strategies to stem the negative consequences of landscape change. We explored new approaches to managing landscape change, like the open space neighborhood. This research suggested guidelines for policy makers in 5 categories: connectivity and coordination, inter-governmental cooperation, natural resource management, equal access to nature and recreation, and developer incentives. With expanding development came growth of housing in wildfire prone areas. Nearly one third of all homes in the U.S are now located in the wildland urban interface. Although often portrayed as a "western" problem, we have found that wildfire is a concern to homeowners throughout the U.S. Our research indicates that agency efforts to increase public understanding of wildland fire mitigation efforts are worthwhile from a variety of perspectives. Response to fuels treatments also is often shaped by issues not directly related to wildfire, including concern about forest health and personal importance of maintaining privacy. Where people live have impacts on ecosystems; even houses in forests reduce habitat in swaths surrounding the development. Migration in and out of rural areas thus has far reaching impacts on the sustainability of forests. Research on demographic changes occurring between 1950 and 2000 showed that net migration rates by age rose over this period in some rural counties. Counties with recreational and amenity resources gained older adults moving in around retirement age; later in the period (1970s, and again in the 1990s) these migrants were joined by middle-aged adults, and to some extent, by young families as well. This contrasts sharply with the historic trend toward rural decline, giving some rural communities another chance at viability, but also pressuring natural resources and creating a complex mix of old and new residents for natural resource managers to work with. Land use change is not limited to urbanizing areas. In cities, the redevelopment of brownfield sites has become a central focus of government efforts. Although brownfield initiatives have evolved separately from green space planning, the two have started to converge. Utilization and quality of life impacts of brownfield-to-green space projects in Chicago and Minneapolis were assessed. The results indicate that most felt that green space was a good use for brownfields, that these projects quickly achieve regular use, and that users partake in a vast array of active and passive recreational activities on these sites. The projects also contribute in many ways to personal and community quality of life, including enhanced scenic beauty, improved access to recreation, and increased property values. Through these and other studies, we made significant progress under this problem area.

Publications

  • 3. Goldstein, Bruce Evan; Hull, R. Bruce. 2008. Socially Explicit Fire Regimes. Society and Natural Resources. 21(6):469-482.
  • 4. Gonzalez-Abraham, Charlotte E.; Radeloff, V. C.; et al. 2007. Patterns of Houses and Habitat Loss From 1937 to 1999 in Northern Wisconsin, USA. Ecological Applications. 17(7):2011-2023.
  • 5. Hawbaker, Todd J.; Radeloff, Volker C.; et al. 2008. Detection rates of MODIS active fire product in the United States. Remote Sensing of Environment. 112:2656-2664.
  • 6. Hull, R.B.; Ashton, S. 2008. Forestry Cooperatives Revisited. Journal of Forestry. 106(2):100-105.
  • 7. Johnson, Kenneth M.; Lichter, Daniel. 2008. Natural Increase: A New Source of Population Growth in Emerging Hispanic Destinations in the United States. Population and Development Review. 34(2):327-346.
  • 8. Lepczyk, Christopher; Flather, Curtis H.; et al. 2008. Human Impacts on Regional Avian Diversity and Abundance. Conservation Biology. 22(2):405-416.
  • 9. Marianov, Vladimir; ReVelle, Charles S.; et al. 2008. Selecting Compact Habitat Reserves for Species with Differential Habitat Size Needs. Computers and Operations Research. 35:475-487. [Available online at http://www.sciencedirect.com]
  • 10. Pidgeon, A. M.; Radeloff, V. C.; et al. 2007. Associations of Forest Bird Species Richness with Housing and Landscape Patterns Across the USA. Ecological Applications. 17(7):1989-2010.
  • 11. Sabor, Alexia A.; Radeloff, Volker C.; et al. 2007. Adding uncertainty to forest inventory plot locations: effects on analyses using geospatial data. Canadian Journal of Forestry. (37):2313-2325.
  • 12. Schulte, Lisa A.; Rickenbach, Mark; Merrick, Laura C. 2008. Ecological and economic benefits of cross-boundary coordination among private forest landowners. Landscape Ecology. 23(4): 481-496.
  • 13. Schulte, Lisa A.; Rickenbach, Mark; Merrick, Laura C.; Grass, Rebecca. 2006. Cross-boundary coordination among private forest owners to achieve landscape management objectives. In: Lafortezza, R.; Sanesi, G., eds. Patterns and processes in forest landscapes: Consequences of human management. Firenze: Academia Italiana di Scienze Forestali. 219-225.
  • 14. Syphard, A.; Radeloff, V.C.; Keuler, N.; Taylor, R. S.; Hawbaker, T. J ; Stewart, S. I.; Clayton, M. K. 2008. In press. Predicting spatial patterns of fire in a southern California landscape. International Journal of Wildland Fire.
  • 15. Stewart, S. I. 2008. Understand the wildland urban interface. In: Gonzales-Caban, A.; Haynes, R.; McCaffrey, S.; Mercer, E.; Watson,A., tech. eds. Fire Social Science: Selected Highlights. PNW-GTR-736. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 57-60.
  • 16. Dixon, K. K; Wolf, K.L. 2007. Benefits and Risks of Urban Roadside Landscape: Finding a Livable, Balanced Response. 3rd Urban Street Symposium, Seattle, WA, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, Washington, D.C.
  • 1. Alig, R. J.; Stewart, S. I.; Nowak, D.; Wear, D.; Stein, S. In press. 2008. Threats from conversions of forest lands: Trends, determinants, and policy considerations. In: J. Pye, ed. Proceedings, Advances in Threat Assessment and their Application to Forest and Rangeland Management. Currently available online as part of the SRS Forest Encyclopedia at http://www.forestencyclopedia.net/p/p5/p3264/p3114
  • 2. Fernandez-Juricic, Esteban; Zollner, Patrick A.; LeBlanc, Cherie L.; Westphal, Lynne M. 2007. Responses of Nestling Black-Crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) to Aquatic and Terrestrial Recreational Activities: A Manipulative Study. Waterbirds 30(4):554-565.


Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04

Outputs
Attainment: Increases in the parcelization and development of private forestlands in the U.S. and other countries have become a major concern of natural resource agencies and groups. This concern is particularly heightened in heavily forested areas such as Wisconsins Northwoods, where private lands make up a majority of the forest area and play a critical role in meeting economic, ecological, and quality of life benefits. As part of a Forest Fragmentation Education Initiative, we assisted the non-governmental group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin in identifying the range of perceptions and concerns about parcelization and development held by resource-oriented stakeholders (N = 182). Employing a qualitative methodology involving facilitated workshop discussion and thematic analysis, we identified critical themes in four main areas: 1) Patterns- parcelization and development are exhibiting a range of patterns on the forest landscape in terms of movement, distribution, size, and rate of change; 2) Drivers- the attractiveness of the Northwoods and peoples concept of the good life, combined with changes in the economic, demographic, and technological aspects of society, are seen as keys forces behind increased parcelization and development; 3) Effects- while some aspects of parcelization and development might benefit residents and nature in the Northwoods, most effects are seen as negatively impacting recreation opportunities, forest health, local communities, the timber-based economies; 4) Solutions- an integrated strategy is needed to guide future growth and ameliorate the negative impacts of parcelization and development, including planning and regulation, taxes and incentives, acquisition and funding, and education and ethics. This information is being used in the Friends education initiative and has been communicated to resource managers in local and national presentations and publications. The research is also providing hypotheses and questions for future, more targeted study. These findings and others from our Landscape Change research program were published in in a special issue of Landscape and Urban Planning (volume 69, issues 2-3, 15 August 2004), making them widely available to academic and practioner customers.

Impacts
Increases in the parcelization and development of private forestlands in the U.S. and other countries have become a major concern of natural resource agencies and groups. As part of a Forest Fragmentation Education Initiative, we assisted the non-governmental group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin in identifying the range of perceptions and concerns about parcelization and development held by resource-oriented stakeholders. The attractiveness of the Northwoods and peoples concept of the good life, combined with changes in the economic, demographic, and technological aspects of society, are seen as keys forces behind increased parcelization and development. An integrated strategy is needed to guide future growth and ameliorate the negative impacts of parcelization and development, including planning and regulation, taxes and incentives, acquisition and funding, and education and ethics. This information is useful in education initiatives and in communicating with resource managers locally and nationally.

Publications

  • Bengston, David N.; Fletcher, Jennifer O.; Nelson, Kristen C. 2004. Public policies for managing urban growth and protecting open space: policy instruments and lessons learned in the United States. Landscape and Urban Planning. 69: 271-286. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Brown, Daniel G.; Duh, Jiunn-Der. 2004. Spatial simulation for translating from land use to land cover. International Journal of Geographical Information Science. 18(1): 35-60. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Cifaldi, Rebecca L.; Allan, J. David; Duh, J.D.; Brown, Daniel G. 2003. Spatial patterns in land cover of exurbanizing watersheds in southeastern Michigan. Landscape and Urban Planning. 66: 107-123. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Daniel, Terry C.; Weidemann, Ed; Hines, Dawn. 2003. Assessing public tradeoffs between fire hazard and scenic beauty in the wildland-urban interface. In: Jakes, P., comp. Proceedings, 9th International symposium on society and management: Homeowners, communities, and wildfires; science findings from the National Fire Plan; 2002 June 2-5; Bloomington, IN. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-231. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 36-44. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Daniel, Terry C. 2003. Social science of wildfire risk management: individual level of analysis. In: Cortner, Hanna J.; Field, Donald R.; Jakes, Pam; Buthman, James P., eds. Humans, fires, and forests: social science applied to fire management; 2003 January 28-31; Tuscon, AZ. Flagstaff, AZ: Ecological Restoration Institute: 9-15. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Dwyer, John F.; Klenosky, David B. 2003. The implications of demographic change in metropolitan areas for the use of recreation sites. In: Murdy, James, comp., ed. Proceedings of the 2003 Northeastern recreation research symposium; 2003 April 6-8; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-317. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 2-10. NC-4902, 3.44
  • Dwyer, John F.; Childs, Gina M. 2004. Movement of people across the landscape: a blurring of distinctions between areas, interest, and issues affecting natural resource management. Landscape and Urban Planning. 69: 153-164. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Robertson, David P.; Hull, R. Bruce. 2003. Public ecology: an environmental science and policy for global society. Environmental Science and Policy. 6: 399-410. NC-4902, 3.4
  • Dwyer, John F.; Childs, Gina M. 2003. Sprawl and the management of urban greenfrastructure. In: Kollin, Cheryl, ed. Proceedings of the 2003 National urban forest conference; 2003 September 17-20; San Antonio, TX: Washington, DC: American Forests: 166-169. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Dwyer, John F.; McCaffrey, Sarah M. 2004. The Wildland-Urban Interface: increasing significance, complexity and contribution. In: Manfredo, Michael J.; et al., eds. Society and natural resources: a summary of knowledge, prepared for the 10th International symposium on society and resource management; 2004 June; Rocky Mountains of Keystone, CO: 329-336. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Graham, Russell T.; McCaffrey, Sarah; Jain, Theresa B. tech.eds. 2004. Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-120. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 43 p. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Hammer, Roger B.; Stewart, Susan I.; Winkler, Richelle L.; Radeloff, Volker C.; Voss, Paul R. 2004. Characterizing dynamic spatial and temporal residential density patterns from 1940-1990 across the North Central United States. Landscape and Urban Planning. 69: 183-199. NC-4902, 3.44
  • Hull, R. Bruce; Robertson, David P.; Buhyoff, Gregory J. 2004. Boutique forestry: new forest practices in urbanizing landscapes. Journal of Forestry. 102(1): 14-19. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Kent, Brian; Gebert, Krista; McCaffrey, Sarah; et al. 2003. Social and economic issues of the Hayman Fire. In: Graham, Russell T., ed. The Hayman Fire case study. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-114. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 315-396. NC-4902, 3.4
  • Kruger, Linda E.; Agrawal, Shruti; Monroe, Martha; Lang, Erika; Nelson, Kristen; Jakes, Pamela; Sturtevant, Victoria; McCaffrey, Sarah; Everett, Yvonne. 2003. Keys to community preparedness for wildfire. In: Jakes, P., comp. Proceedings, 9th International symposium on society and management: Homeowners, communities, and wildfire: science findings from the National Fire Plan; 2002 June 2-5; Bloomington, IN. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-231. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 10-17. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Nelson, Kristen C.; Monroe, Martha C.; Johnson, Jayne Fingerman; Bowers, Alison W. 2003. Public perceptions of defensible space and landscape values in Minnesota and Florida. In: Jakes, P., comp. Proceedings, 9th International symposium on society and management: Homeowners, communities, and wildfire: science findings from the National Fire Plan; 2002 June 2-5; Bloomington, IN. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-231. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 55-62. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Palmer, James F. 2004. Using spatial metrics to predict scenic perception in a changing landscape: Dennis, Massachusetts. Landscape and Urban Planning. 69: 201-218. NC-4902, 3.23
  • Sabor, Alexia A.; Radeloff, Volker C.; Hammer, Roger B.; Stewart, Susan I. 2003. Relationships between housing density and timber harvest in the Upper Lake States. In: Buse, L.J.; Perera, A.H., comps. Meeting emerging ecological, economic, and social challenges in the Great Lakes region: popular summaries. For. Res. Inf. Pap. 155. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Forest Research Institute: 80-82. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Stewart, Susan I.; Radeloff, Volker C.; Hammer, Roger. 2003. The wildland-urban interface in U.S. metropolitan areas. In: Kollin, Cheryl, ed. Proceedings of the 2003 National urban forest conference; 2003 September 17-20; San Antonio, TX. Washington, DC: American Forests: 254-255. NC-4902, 3.24
  • Sullivan, William C.; Anderson, Olin M.; Lovell, Sarah Taylor. 2004. Agricultural buffers at the rural-urban fringe: an examination of approval by farmers, residents, and academics in the Midwestern United States. Landscape and Urban Planning. 69: 299-313. NC-4902, 3.43
  • Westphal, Lynne M. 2003. Water, water everywhere . . . integrated riparian research in the North Central Region. In: Van Sambeek, J.W.; Dawson, J.O.; Ponder, F., Jr.; Loewenstein, E.F.; Fralish, J.S., eds. 2003. Proceedings, 13th Central Hardwood Forest conference; 2002 April 1-3; Urbana, IL. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 108-113. NC-4902, 3.43


Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/03

Outputs
A critical part of the current wildfire problem is that nearly 1/3 of all homes in the U.S are now located in the wildland urban interface, where wildland fire problems most often impact people and homes. Because active citizen involvement will be central to efforts to reduce fire hazard, we need to better understand what values and beliefs shape public reaction to the wildfire problem and efforts to mitigate fire danger via fuel treatments and defensible space. Initial results from multiple studies initiated as part of a National Fire Plan research project provide new insights on this issue. Although often portrayed as a western problem, we have found that wildfire is a concern to homeowners throughout the U.S. from Massachusetts to Minnesota to Florida. Approximately 2/3 of those surveyed engaged in some defensible space activities and 3/4 supported both thinning and prescribed burning as management tools to reduce fire risk. Knowledge and familiarity with a fuel management practice was associated with increased support for the practice. Public agency information sources were judged the most useful and trustworthy and such public education efforts, if done well, can also improve trust in the agency. These findings indicate that agency efforts to increase public understanding of wildland fire mitigation efforts are worthwhile from a variety of perspectives. Response to fuels treatments also is often shaped by issues not directly related to wildfire, including concern about forest health and wildlife habitat, personal importance of maintaining privacy and wildlife viewing opportunities, and differing local concerns and notions of naturalness. Rather than focusing solely on the danger from wildfire, managers may also want to emphasize how fuel treatments can improve forest health and wildlife habitat, and how efforts to reduce fire risk can be done in a way that also maintains privacy, attracts wildlife, and addresses other local areas of concern such as decreasing potential storm damage.

Impacts
A critical part of the current wildfire problem is that nearly one-third of all homes in the US are now located in the wildland urban interface, where wildland fire problems most often impact people and homes. A better understanding of the values and beliefs that shape public reaction to the wildfire problem and efforts to mitigate fire danger via fuel treatments and defensible space is central to citizen involvement in the reduction of fire hazards.

Publications

  • Dwyer, John F.; Nowak, David J.; Watson, Gary W. 2002. Future directions for urban forestry research in the United States. Journal of Arboriculture. 28(5): 231-236.
  • Dwyer, John F.; Nowak, David J.; Noble, Mary Heather. 2003. Sustaining urban forests. Journal of Arboriculture. 29(1): 49-55.
  • Hull, R. Bruce; Robertson, David P.; Richert, David; et al. 2002. Assumptions about ecological scale and nature knowing best hiding in environmental decisions. Conservation Ecology. 6(2): 12. [online: http://www.consecol.org/vo16/iss2/art12].
  • Hull, R. Bruce; Stewart, Susan I. 2002. Social consequences of change. In: Human influences on forest ecosystems: the southern wildland-urban interface assessment. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-55. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 115-129.
  • Johnson, Kenneth M. 2002. The rural rebound of the 1990s and beyond. In: Levitt, James N., ed. Conservation in the internet age: threats and opportunities. Washington, DC: Island Press: 63-82.
  • Li, Chieh-Lu; Zinn, Harry C.; Barro, Susan C.; Manfredo, Michael J. 2003. A cross-regional comparison of recreation patterns of older hunters. Leisure Sciences. 25: 1-16.
  • Marans, Robert W. 2003. Understanding environmental quality through quality of life studies: the 2001 DAS and its use of subjective and objective indicators. Landscape and Urban Planning. 65: 73-83.
  • Patterson, Michael E.; Montag, Jessica M.; Williams, Daniel R. 2003. The urbanization of wildlife management: social science, conflict, and decision making. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 1(3): 171-183.
  • Ribe, Robert G.; Armstrong, Edward T.; Gobster, Paul H. 2002. Scenic vistas and the changing policy landscape: visualizing and testing the role of visual resources in ecosystem management. Landscape Journal. 21(1): 42-66.
  • Ribe, Robert G.; Matteson, Mollie Y. 2002. Views of old forestry and new among reference groups in the Pacific Northwest. Western Journal of Applied Forestry. 17(4): 173-182.
  • Ruliffson, Jane A.; Haight, Robert G.; Gobster, Paul H.; Homans, Frances R. 2003. Metropolitan natural area protection to maximize public access and species representation. Environmental Science & Policy. 6: 291-299.
  • Vogt, Christine A.; Marans, Robert W. 2002. Understanding landscape change in open space neighborhoods: views from developers and residents. In: Schuster, Rudy, comp., ed. Proceedings of the 2002 Northeastern recreation research symposium; 2002 April 13-16; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-302. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 72-78.
  • Zinn, Harry C.; Manfredo, Michael J.; Barro, Susan C. 2002. Patterns of wildlife value orientations in hunters families. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. 7(3): 147-162.


Progress 10/01/01 to 09/30/02

Outputs
Volunteer groups play a key role in helping land managers cope with the effects of changing development patterns on natural resources across metropolitan areas. In city centers, neighborhood disinvestments can result in dilapidated parks and vacant, untended lots. On the urban fringe, development threatens remaining natural areas and introduces exotic plant species that overrun and destroy native habitat. Tasked with counteracting these negative effects of landscape change, often with little money and staff, land managers are learning how to best use the power of volunteers to help maintain the benefits open spaces can provide. Past research has shown how to make effective use of volunteers in urban and community forestry and ecosystem restoration efforts. Results provide managers with new insights on how to recruit, retain, and increase this force by identifying important factors that shape volunteer motivation and commitment. In central city neighborhoods, volunteers are often motivated by desires to improve the community, both its appearance and residents' quality of life. In parks, river corridors, and forest preserves at the developing fringe, volunteers are more often motivated by a desire to help the environment. Because motivations to continue volunteering exist on multiple levels, managers need to recognize and incorporate opportunities for volunteers to realize other motives like meeting people and finding time for reflection. In both urban neighborhoods and more natural areas, volunteers are interested in learning and in sharing their expertise; they can also be critical links between program managers and a wider local audience. By understanding volunteer motivations more clearly, policy makers and managers can create more effective programs that enhance the volunteer experience, and through that, enhance their ability to maintain a healthy ecosystem and the many benefits it can provide to urban populations.

Impacts
(N/A)

Publications

  • Westphal, Lynne M.; Isebrands, J.G. 2001. Phytoremediation of Chicago's brownfields: consideration of ecological approaches and social issues. In: Brownfields 2001 proceedings; Chcago IL. (Online: http://www.brownfields2001.org/proceedings/BB-11-02.pdf).
  • Austin, Maureen E. 2002. Partnership opportunities in neighborhood tree planting initiatives: building from local knowledge. Journal of Arboriculture. 28(4): 178-186.
  • Hammitt, William E. 2002. Urban forests and parks as privacy refuges. Journal of Arboriculture. 28(1): 19-26.
  • Ryan, Robert L.; Kaplan, Rachel; Grese, Robert E. 2001. Predicting volunteer commitment in environmental stewardship programmes. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. 44(5): 629-648.
  • Tinsley, Howard E.A.; Tinsley, Diane J.; Croskeys, Chelsey E. 2002. Park usage, social milieu, and psychosocial benefits of park use reported by older urban park users from four ethnic groups. Leisure Sciences. 24: 199-218.
  • Vogt, Christine A.; Marans, Robert W. 2001. The role, use and benefits of natural recreation areas within and near residential subdivisions. In: Todd, Sharon, comp., ed. Proceedings, 2001 Northeastern recreation research symposium; 2001 April 1-3; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-289. [Newtown Square, PA]: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 208-213.
  • Watson, Gary. 2001. A study of CTLA formula values. Journal of Arboriculture. 27(6): 289-297.
  • Watson, Gary. 2002. Comparing formula methods of tree appraisal. Journal of Arboriculture. 28(1): 11-18.
  • Dwyer, John F.; Barro, Susan C. 2001. Linkages in the use of recreation environments across the urban to ex-urban spectrum by urban residents. In: Todd, Sharon, comp., ed. Proceedings, 2001 Northeastern recreation research symposium; 2001 April 1-3; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-289. [Newtown Square, PA]: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 202-207.
  • Dwyer, John F.; Nowak, David J.; Watson, Gary W. 2001. Urban forestry research in the United States: the state of the art and future prospects. In: Sievanen, Tuija; Konijnendijk, Cecil C.; Langner, Linda; Nilsson, Kjell, eds. Proceedings, IUFRO research groups 6.01, 6.11.04 and 6.14, sessions in the 21st IUFRO World Congress 2000; [2000 August 7-12]; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Res. Pap. 815. [Helsinki, Finland: Finnish Forest Research Institute]: 109-122.
  • Gobster, Paul H. 2002. Ervin Zube and landscape architecture. Landscape Architecture. 92(8): 62, 64-65, 92-93.
  • Gobster, Paul H. 2002. Managing urban parks for a racially and ethnically diverse clientele. Leisure Sciences. 24: 143-159.
  • Gobster, Paul H.; Hull, R. Bruce. 2001. Restoring nature: continuing the conversation. Ecological Restoration. 19(4): 225-226. [Commentary].
  • Nowak, David J.; Crane, Daniel E.; Dwyer, John F. 2002. Compensatory value of urban trees in the United States. Journal of Arboriculture. 28(4): 194-199.
  • Nowak, David J.; Dwyer, John F.; Crane, Daniel E. 2002. Assessing the value of urban forests in the United States. In: Forestry at the great divide: Proceedings of the Society of American Foresters 2001 national convention; 2001 September 13-17; Denver, CO. SAF Publ. 02-01. Bethesda, MD: Society of American Foresters: 237-241.
  • Ruliffson, Jane A.; Gobster, Paul H.; Haight, Robert G.; Homans, Frances R. 2002. Niches in the urban forest: organizations and their role in acquiring metropolitan open space. Journal of Forestry. 100(6): 16-23.