Parcel size related to household behaviors affecting carbon storage in exurban residential landscapes

We investigated whether exurban parcel size might be related to homeowners' behaviors that could affect carbon balance in residential landscapes. Based on data drawn from in-depth interviews and field surveys in 26 southeast Michigan exurban households, we conclude that an approximately 1-acre (0.45 ha) size may be a critical threshold for certain behaviors, such as leaving a portion of an exurban parcel in forest or old field or retaining leaf litter on the property. Tree planting is a relevant behavior that may increase when parcels are larger than 0.5 acres (0.20 ha). Yard style of adjacent properties also appears to be related to homeowners' landscape management behaviors: conventional turf-dominated yards prevail adjacent to parcels smaller than one-acre. We used our analysis of these data to develop an exurban homeowner typology to be employed in agent based models in which homeowners' behaviors that may affect carbon balance are linked to parcel size.