Sustainable Land Management in South Carolina: A Focus on Landowner Perceptions, Challenges, and the Implementation of Forestry and Agriculture Best Management Practices
This study provides a holistic overview of a variety of different methods for land management and a framework for implementations of these methods. Many of these management practices for agriculture and forestry are labor intensive, provide long term benefits, and require significant expertise for implementation. This thesis will detail a variety of alternative and environmentally sound methods and funding streams to aid in implementation of management practices for agriculture and forestry land. Not only are these practices aimed at protecting the environment, they also contribute to increased yields for agriculture lands and provide co-benefits to the environment (i.e. increased water quality, sediment retention, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat and connectivity).
The first study details how forest landowners can utilize funding from the California Carbon Market to enhance carbon sequestration on their lands. Because of this, land use change can be minimized because there are incentives to keep forests as forests. Furthermore, two surveys were distributed to agriculture and forestry landowners, with the goal of eliciting their perceived benefits, challenges, and desire to implement cover crops and forestry best management practices, respectively. With this data, we hope to be able to provide better information to educators, federal agents, and Cooperative Extension agents on what educational methods work best for helping landowners implement these practices and how to work to overcome barriers that are stopping them from implementation, including funding streams
