ForestSim Model of Impacts of Smallholder Dynamics: Forested Landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Many forested landscapes in the United States contain a large number of small private landowners (smallholders). The individual decisions of these smallholders can collectively have a large impact on the structure, composition, and connectivity of forests. While models have been developed to try to...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2013-01-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Forestry Research |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/520207 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850210201661079552 |
|---|---|
| author | Audrey L. Mayer Mark D. Rouleau |
| author_facet | Audrey L. Mayer Mark D. Rouleau |
| author_sort | Audrey L. Mayer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many forested landscapes in the United States contain a large number of small private landowners (smallholders). The individual decisions of these smallholders can collectively have a large impact on the structure, composition, and connectivity of forests. While models have been developed to try to understand this large-scale collective impact, few models have incorporated extensive information from individual decision-making. Here we introduce an agent-based model, infused with sociological data from smallholders, overlaid on a GIS layer to represent individual smallholders, and used to simulate the impact of thousands of harvesting decisions. Our preliminary results suggest that certain smallholder characteristics (such as relative smallholder age and education level as well as whether a smallholder is resident or absentee) and information flow among owners can radically impact forests at the landscape scale. While still in its preliminary stages, this modeling approach is likely to demonstrate in detail the consequences of decision-making due to changing smallholder demographics or new policies and programs. This approach can help estimate the effectiveness of programs based on landscape-scale programmatic goals and the impact of new policy initiatives. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-94dd9b6efeaa4466901e495c959ea01c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1687-9368 1687-9376 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Forestry Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-94dd9b6efeaa4466901e495c959ea01c2025-08-20T02:09:48ZengWileyInternational Journal of Forestry Research1687-93681687-93762013-01-01201310.1155/2013/520207520207ForestSim Model of Impacts of Smallholder Dynamics: Forested Landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of MichiganAudrey L. Mayer0Mark D. Rouleau1Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USASchool of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USAMany forested landscapes in the United States contain a large number of small private landowners (smallholders). The individual decisions of these smallholders can collectively have a large impact on the structure, composition, and connectivity of forests. While models have been developed to try to understand this large-scale collective impact, few models have incorporated extensive information from individual decision-making. Here we introduce an agent-based model, infused with sociological data from smallholders, overlaid on a GIS layer to represent individual smallholders, and used to simulate the impact of thousands of harvesting decisions. Our preliminary results suggest that certain smallholder characteristics (such as relative smallholder age and education level as well as whether a smallholder is resident or absentee) and information flow among owners can radically impact forests at the landscape scale. While still in its preliminary stages, this modeling approach is likely to demonstrate in detail the consequences of decision-making due to changing smallholder demographics or new policies and programs. This approach can help estimate the effectiveness of programs based on landscape-scale programmatic goals and the impact of new policy initiatives.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/520207 |
| spellingShingle | Audrey L. Mayer Mark D. Rouleau ForestSim Model of Impacts of Smallholder Dynamics: Forested Landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan International Journal of Forestry Research |
| title | ForestSim Model of Impacts of Smallholder Dynamics: Forested Landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan |
| title_full | ForestSim Model of Impacts of Smallholder Dynamics: Forested Landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan |
| title_fullStr | ForestSim Model of Impacts of Smallholder Dynamics: Forested Landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan |
| title_full_unstemmed | ForestSim Model of Impacts of Smallholder Dynamics: Forested Landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan |
| title_short | ForestSim Model of Impacts of Smallholder Dynamics: Forested Landscapes of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan |
| title_sort | forestsim model of impacts of smallholder dynamics forested landscapes of the upper peninsula of michigan |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/520207 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT audreylmayer forestsimmodelofimpactsofsmallholderdynamicsforestedlandscapesoftheupperpeninsulaofmichigan AT markdrouleau forestsimmodelofimpactsofsmallholderdynamicsforestedlandscapesoftheupperpeninsulaofmichigan |