Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Land Use Change Effects on Non-Timber Forest Products and Local Livelihoods in Central and Southern Appalachia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Land Use Change Effects on Local Livelihoods in Central and Southern Appalachia
Wild-harvesting of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has been always been important to rural Appalachian livelihoods (Chamberlain et. al. 1998; Greene et al. 2000; Davis 2000). Access often depends on harvesters’ local knowledge, social networks, and land ownership status (c.f. Emery 1996). Researchers have quantified the demand for commercially important Appalachian NTFPs, particularly ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and goldenseal (Hydrastis candensis) protected and tracked under CITES (Chamberlain 2015). Most other commercially traded NTFPs, such as bloodroot and black cohosh, are not tracked and the degree of livelihood contribution remains unknown ( Chamberlain et al. 2015). Overall demand for NTFPs has increased over the last 20 years, while local access to these resources has decreased due to changes in land use, such as mountaintop removal. In this paper we explore the economic value of NTFPs to rural Appalachian livelihoods and the impact that mountaintop removal has had on these informal economies and practices. We do this by conducting informal interviews with harvesters living near MTR sites, identified through snowball interviews of harvesters. Extreme changes in a landscape affect not only the local ecology but also local economies and livelihoods. Our goal is to quantify the impact of land use change on local economies toward informing land use planning instruments such as environmental impact statements (EIS) to increase harvester voices in decision making about local landscape changes such as MTR, and also siting issues surrounding planned natural gas pipelines, and more.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
I have long had an interest in non-timber forest products and how these create opportunities for people often marginalized and vulnerable. I have a masters degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon and a masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida Atlantic University, where I also earned my doctorate in Geoscience, researching the saw palmetto berry industry and local livelihoods.
Land Use Change Effects on Non-Timber Forest Products and Local Livelihoods in Central and Southern Appalachia
Land Use Change Effects on Local Livelihoods in Central and Southern Appalachia
Wild-harvesting of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has been always been important to rural Appalachian livelihoods (Chamberlain et. al. 1998; Greene et al. 2000; Davis 2000). Access often depends on harvesters’ local knowledge, social networks, and land ownership status (c.f. Emery 1996). Researchers have quantified the demand for commercially important Appalachian NTFPs, particularly ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and goldenseal (Hydrastis candensis) protected and tracked under CITES (Chamberlain 2015). Most other commercially traded NTFPs, such as bloodroot and black cohosh, are not tracked and the degree of livelihood contribution remains unknown ( Chamberlain et al. 2015). Overall demand for NTFPs has increased over the last 20 years, while local access to these resources has decreased due to changes in land use, such as mountaintop removal. In this paper we explore the economic value of NTFPs to rural Appalachian livelihoods and the impact that mountaintop removal has had on these informal economies and practices. We do this by conducting informal interviews with harvesters living near MTR sites, identified through snowball interviews of harvesters. Extreme changes in a landscape affect not only the local ecology but also local economies and livelihoods. Our goal is to quantify the impact of land use change on local economies toward informing land use planning instruments such as environmental impact statements (EIS) to increase harvester voices in decision making about local landscape changes such as MTR, and also siting issues surrounding planned natural gas pipelines, and more.
