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School of Environment and Natural Resources

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Graduate Exit Seminar - Ahmed Saad Hussain

Plan to join Ahmed Saad Hussain's graduate exit seminar on July 15, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. Ahmed will present, "Private Woodlands In Ohio: Understanding Landowners' Decision to Sell Woodlands and Participation in Forest Conservation Programs."

Abstract:
The population of the Central Ohio region is increasing because of better economic prospects. The need for housing and related developments will likely go up as the population grows. Most of Ohio's forests are privately owned, and the anticipated developments could impact the current environment by altering the land use of privately owned woodlands. Landowner-level factors impacting changes in land cover and use are largely neglected while predicting these trends. In the first study, private woodland owners were surveyed in multiple counties in Central Ohio on their ownership characteristics, motivations for owning woodlands, demographic factors, and familiarity with ecosystem services account for those factors. The second study surveyed private woodland owners to determine their preferences for a hypothetical conservation program utilizing binary choice experiments and best-worst choice profiles. Woodland owners were asked to select the best and worst attributes of different programs and their willingness to enroll. Best-Worst scores, Conditional logistic, and Random Effects logistic regression were used to explain woodland owners' priorities. Based on these findings of the first study, landowner groups who are more likely to sell their lands can be identified. The results of the second study can benefit policymakers in planning new conservation programs that ensure the supply of vital ecosystem services through private woodlands in Ohio.

Advisor: Dr. Sayeed R. Mehmood