Characterizing the historical process of private forestland ownership parcelization and aggregation in the Missouri Ozarks, USA, from 1930 to 2000

In recent decades, forestland ownership parcelization in the US has dramatically increased caused by a variety of social and demographic forces. It is generally accepted that increased parcelization in forestland ownership can cause a variety of problems, such as diminished timber supply, greater development pressure to previously intact forestlands, and the reduction of habitat quality of forest ecosystems. However, the spatial and dynamic complexities of the phenomenon have been generally ignored, as the diversity in parcel sizes and acquisitions are rarely considered. In this study, we use transition matrix models to characterize the dynamics of the forestland ownership parcelization and evaluate its implications, based on the changes from 1930 to 2000 in the Southeast Missouri Ozarks. Transition matrices are constructed based on transitions between public, private-industrial and private-non-industrial ownerships recorded in historical plat books. All transitions made by the Pioneer Forest (LAD foundation) were identified as a special case: although industrial scale purchases were made, its management objective to restore oak-hickory forests is unique. Results confirm parcelization had occurred in the Ozarks, resulting in greater proportion of parcels smaller than 100 ha. However, our study also reveals that parcelization is a complex process; its intensity depends on the size of the parcels, and significant amount of aggregation was also observed, particularly by acquirements made by the Pioneer Forest. Results also suggest that the spatial characteristics of parcelization may be strongly associated with the underlying pattern laid out by the PLSS (Public Land Survey System).

► A transition matrix model of parcelization is constructed from historical records.
► Private landownership dynamics comprises of both parcelization and aggregation.
► The intensity of ownership parcelization is dependent on specific parcel sizes.
► The spatial aspects of parcelization reflect the historical public land survey system.