Landscapes in transition: private lands oak woodland management in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion

Oak woodland restoration is increasingly prioritized in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion of northern California and southern Oregon. More than 80% of oak woodlands (genus Quercus) in this region occur on private lands, and they are unique from a restoration perspective in that they require regular disturbance regimes and active management in order to sustain them. Few studies have systematically evaluated the methods by which land managers and owners plan for and implement oak woodland restoration at the landscape scale and individual parcel scales, and the constraints that each of these stakeholders face in the management process. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of management of private oak woodlands in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion and the regional management needs of these ecosystems according to resource managers. This research attempted to identify factors likely to predict landowner engagement with oak woodland management, and the principle barriers to oak management according to both landowners and land managers. This study employed a combination of social science and GIS methodologies to survey 400 landowners and 150 professional resource managers regarding their perceptions of and management activities in oak woodlands. Survey respondents were mailed or emailed questionnaires comprised of ~70 questions regarding land stewardship and oak woodland management. The response rates were 25% (n=98) for landowners, and 44% (n=66) for land managers. Survey responses revealed that most landowners were not managing the oak trees on their properties to the extent that land managers perceived as necessary for long-term persistence of oak woodlands at the landscape scale. The survey responses indicated that significant predictors for landowner engagement in oak woodland conservation may be parcel size, participation in conservation organizations and programs, perceptions of natural and prescribed fire, occupation, and amenity-based ownership values. Landowners and land managers identified a number of impediments to oak woodland management, including: lack of awareness of restoration needs, lack of resources available for restoration, competing land uses, shifting ownership trends, unclear oak woodland policies, lack of institutional support for prescribed fire, and unrefined methods and monitoring in oak woodland restoration. These findings can inform managers' and landowners' abilities to plan for and implement oak woodland management in the future at both parcel and landscape scales.