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We determine the economic revenues and optimal forest management of uneven-aged loblolly pine, longleaf pine, and slash pine forests considering timber and carbon benefits in the southeastern United States. Our results show that uneven-aged management of southern pines generates positive total revenues, with the exception of those stands managed with high residual basal areas and long cutting cycles. The uneven-aged management of pine forests is economically more attractive with loblolly pine stands than with longleaf pine or slash pine for all cutting cycles and residual basal areas; on average, loblolly pine returns $1389.60*[ha.sup.-1] more than slash pine and $1500.70*[ha.sup.-1] more than longleaf pine for all cutting cycles. For uneven-aged loblolly pine forests, our results suggest that landowners should experience highest profits with the shortest viable cutting cycle (10 years) and a medium-high residual basal area (11.5 [m.sup.2]*[ha.sup.-1]). For uneven-aged longleaf pine forests, landowners would be economically better off with a longer cutting cycle (20years) and a lower residual basal area (6.9 [m.sup.2]*[ha.sup.-1]). Notably, uneven-aged management of longleaf pine and slash pine for timber production becomes unprofitable with low-medium or high residual basal areas (9.2-11.5 [m.sup.2]*[ha.sup.-1]). Key words: uneven-aged silviculture, cutting cycle, residual growing stock, southern pines, land expectation value Nous determinons les revenus economiques et la gestion forestiere optimale des forets inequiennes de pins a encens, de pins a longues feuilles et de pins d'Elliott en tenant compte des benefices en termes de bois et de carbone dans le sud-est des Etats-Unis. Nos resultats montrent que la gestion inequienne des pins du sud genere des revenus totaux positifs, a l'exception des peuplements geres avec des zones basales residuelles elevees et des cycles de coupe longs. La gestion inequienne des forets de pins est economiquement plus interessante avec les peuplements de pin a encens qu'avec ceux de pin a longues feuilles ou de pin d'Elliott pour tous les cycles de coupe et toutes les zones basales residuelles ; en moyenne, le pin a encens rapporte 1389,60 $*[ha.sup.-1] de plus que le pin d'Elliott et 1500,70 $*[ha.sup.-1] de plus que le pin a longues feuilles pour tous les cycles de coupe. Pour les forets de pin a encens d'age irregulier, nos resultats suggerent que les proprietaries fonciers devraient realiser les profits les plus eleves avec le cycle de coupe viable le plus court (10 ans) et une zone basale residuelle moyennement elevee (11,5 [m.sup.2]*[ha.sup.-1]). Dans le cas des forets inequiennes de pins a feuilles longues, les proprietaires fonciers seraient economiquement mieux servis avec un cycle de coupe plus long (20 ans) et une zone basale residuelle plus faible (6,9 [m.sup.2]*[ha.sup.-1]). Notamment, la gestion inequienne du pin a feuilles longues et du pin d'Elliott pour la production de bois devient non rentable avec des zones basales residuelles moyennes ou elevees (9,2-11,5 [m.sup.2]*[ha.sup.-1]). Mots-cles: sylviculture inequienne, cycle de coupe, materiel vegetal residuel, pins du Sud, valeur attendue des terres, 1. Introduction Uneven-aged forest management has recently gained traction in the southeastern United States (US) as a strategy to meet simultaneous management objectives, such as timber production, non-timber benefits, and [...]

Longleaf pine (Pinns palustris Mill.) is a keystone tree species in the Coastal Plain of the southern United States. To reverse habitat loss and restore critically important forest ecosystem services in this region dominated by private landownership, longleaf pine's economic performance must be addressed. Uneven-aged forest management has been suggested as a viable alternative for longleaf pine, but evidence of its economic performance under uneven-aged versus even-aged management is lacking. Here, we compare the economic viability of three competing longleaf pine management scenarios--thinned even-aged, unthinned even-aged (conservation and non-conservation land objectives), and uneven-aged--considering timber and nontimber benefits. We find that managing existing uneven-aged longleaf pine forests with a 10-year cutting cycle is economically preferred to even-aged management for land conservation ($1643.9 * [ha.sup.-1] versus $1548.8 to $1641.6 * [ha.sup.-1]). However, these estimates exclude costs associated with switching to uneven-aged management ($174.3 to $694.9 * [ha.sup.-1]), which are considerable. Annual subsidies of between $5 and $22 * [ha.sup.-1] for 50 years would be required to offset costs of conversion to uneven-aged management. For establishment of new longleaf pine stands, an uneven-aged scenario would be the economically preferred management approach, providing higher economic gains ($176.9 * [ha.sup.-1]) than unthinned, high-density even-aged management when the primary objective is timber production. Key words: uneven-aged management, cutting cycle, land expectation value, longleaf, nontimber benefits. Le pin des marais (Pinns palustris Mill.) est une espece d'arbre importante de la plaine cotiere du sud des Etats-Unis. On doit s'interesser a la performance economique du pin des marais pour recuperer la perte d'habitat et restaurer les services de l'ecosysteme d'une extreme importance dans cette region dominee par la propriete privee des terres. L'amenagement selon une structure de foret inequienne a ete propose comme alternative viable pour le pin des marais, mais il n'a pas ete demontre que l'amenagement inequienne permettrait d'obtenir une meilleure performance economique que l'amenagement equienne. Dans cet article, nous comparons la viabilite economique de trois scenarios concurrents d'amenagement du pin des marais : equienne avec ou sans eclaircie (objectifs de conservation ou non des terres), et inequienne en tenant compte des benefices attribuables aux ressources ligneuses et non ligneuses. Nos resultats montrent que l'amenagement des forets de pin des marais inequiennes existantes avec une rotation de 10 ans est economiquement preferable a l'amenagement equienne pour la conservation des terres (1643,90 $ contre 1548,80 a 1641,60 $). Cependant, ces estimations excluent les couts associes a la conversion a l'amenagement inequienne (174,30 a 694,90 $ * [ha.sup.-1]) qui sont considerables. Des subventions annuelles de 5 a 22 $ * [ha.sup.- 1] pendant 50 ans seraient necessaires pour compenser les couts de conversion a l'amenagement inequienne. L'amenagement inequienne serait l'approche preferee du point de vue economique pour etablir de nouveaux peuplements de pin des marais car elle genere des gains monetaires (176,90 $ * [ha.sup.-1]) plus eleves que l'amenagement equienne avec une densite elevee sans eclaircie lorsque l'objectif principal est la production de bois. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : amenagement inequienne, rotation, valeur fonciere actualisee, pin des marais, benefices issus des ressources autres que le bois., 1. Introduction Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystems once occupied an estimated 37 million hectares (ha) in the southeastern United States (US), with 23 million ha of pure longleaf pine [...]

Water-based recreation areas provide many benefits to society and the ecosystem services they provide are increasingly being considered in land planning and conservation decisions. We examine the value of the Wekiva River in central Florida using a hedonic valuation model of residential property values. We analyze how structural characteristics of single-family homes and recreation area characteristics, such as fee systems, size of the area, and activities provided, impact property values. We find that publicly owned recreation areas with both land and water-based recreation activities increased property values within 5 miles of the Wekiva River. Proximity to recreation areas marginally increased housing values, and the size of the recreation areas and ecosystem type had no impact on property values. We recommend that recreation managers and land use planners focus efforts on conserving more publicly owned conservation lands that increase recreation access to residents to promote contiguous natural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cooperative Extension Service (Extension) in the United States is well positioned to educate the public, particularly farmers and foresters, about climate change and to encourage responsible adoption of adaptation and mitigation strategies. However, the climate change attitudes and perceptions of Extension professionals have limited Extension's involvement. A survey of Extension professionals (n?=?2758) in eight southern states found several statistically significant factors correlating to different attitudes and perceptions about climate change, such as demographics and program area. Willingness to engage with climate change-related programs varies with climate change perceptions, program area, and perceptions of institutional support. This assessment explores the extent to which the climate change issue suggests different needs among Extension professionals--needs that could be addressed by diverse professional development programs. We discuss these results in the context of homophily and provide recommendations to improve climate change education.

The educational needs assessment reported here measured North Carolina Cooperative Extension (NCCE) professionals' perceptions of global warming and identified barriers to climate change programming. Survey results from 400 NCCE professionals show 70% are cautious, concerned, or alarmed about global warming. Liberal and female Extension professionals were more likely to be alarmed and concerned than their conservative and male counterparts. Respondents indicated willingness to engage in programming, but need in-service training to address conflicts, gather information, and emphasize relevancy. NCCE professionals perceive lack of audience interest, conflicts within available information, and lack of applied information as the greatest barriers to climate change programming.

We review a popular method for collecing data--Web-based surveys. Although Web surveys are popular, one major concern is their typically low response rates. Using the Dillman et al. (2009) approach, we designed, pre-tested, and implemented a survey on climate change with Extension professionals in the Southeast. The Dillman approach worked well, and we generated response rates as high as 79%. However, the method was not problem-free. We share several lessons learned and recommendations for increasing response rates with Web-based surveys and draw attention to the importance of personalized and repeated contact for improving survey response rates.