Publication

An analysis of losses to the southern commercial timberland base

Munn, I. A. and D. Cleaves

Demographic and physical factors influencing the conversion of commercial timberland in the south to non-forestry uses between the last two Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) surveys were investigated. GIS techniques linked Census data and FIA plot level data. Multinomial logit regression identified factors associated with losses to the timberland base. Conversion to agricultural uses represented the largest loss (1.48%) to the commercial timberland base. Slope, forest size, distance to the nearest city, as weIl as median income and education level were all negatively related to the probability a plot would be converted from forestry to agricultural uses. Conversion to urban uses (1.13%) represented the second largest loss. Forest size, distance to developed areas and distance to the nearest city were all negatively related to the probability a plot would be converted to urban uses. Conversions to a number of miscellaneous uses accounted for an additional 0.38% loss.

Fiscal Year: fy99 ·  Problem Area: pa98-2 ·  Theme: cctrgnas ·  Source: extra   <== Explain

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