The role of private landowner in sustaining ecosystem services in California

Ferranto, S., L. Huntsinger and M. Kelly. 2014. Sustaining ecosystem services from private lands in California: the role of the landowner. Rangelands 36(5): 44-51

Forty percent, 13 million ha, of California’s forests and rangelands are privately owned. Deserts and forests are mostly in government ownership, while the state’s Mediterranean rangelands are largely in private hands: more than 80% of hardwood rangelands and annual grasslands are in private ownership. Landowner participation in sustaining ecosystem services means conservation initiatives need to build on landowner management objectives, practices, and goals. Moreover, private landscapes are often fragmented into multiple parcels where decisions are made by numerous individuals with diverse goals, and this fragmentation is increasing. These trends influence the capacity of the ecosystem to provide ecosystem services, and increase the need for outreach and cooperative management. Journal link.

Keywords: land tenure, fragmentation, landowner behavior, advisory services, Cooperative Extension, income, working landscapes, property size, long- term outlook, California rangelands