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Abstract
Acre for acre, oak woodlands provide habitats for a greater range of wildlife species than grasslands and irrigated agricultural lands. Oak woodlands also are highly valued as open space around residential development. The rich habitat diversity and the physical attractiveness drives residential interest in living in or adjacent to oak woodlands as well as preservation interest in maintaining oak woodlands without an overlay of residential land uses. Numerous state and local regulations are being implemented to balance these competing goals. California’s growing metropolitan population will continue to drive both the demand for new housing sites as well as more permanent open space near metropolitan areas. This paper analyses the spatial patterns of residential conversions to identify the key economic drivers behind residential conversion in the oak woodlands at the regional level. Using spatially explicit Census and land cover data, we mapped current residential densities within oak woodlands and other vegetation types for 1990 and 2000. We combined these data with real estate sales data to map regional patterns of high- and low-cost residential areas, grazing land, and public open space. Land surrounding San Francisco Bay, while highly desirable to potential residents, will not absorb much additional residential development as most is protected as public or privately owned open space. It is more probable that the growth pressures will be realized in areas further away from the San Francisco Bay in areas currently characterized by low-density residential development or smaller ranches. Keywords: Demographics, economics, oak woodlands, real estate, residential land use.
Parent Publication
Citation
Stewart, William; Spero, James; Saving, Shawn. 2008. The economic drivers behind residential conversion in the oak woodlands. In: Merenlender, Adina; McCreary, Douglas; Purcell, Kathryn L., tech. eds. 2008. Proceedings of the sixth California oak symposium: today's challenges, tomorrow's opportunities. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-217. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: pp. 165-172
