UNDERSTANDING LAND USE AND CLIMATE CHANGES ON CONSERVED FARMLANDS IN NORTHEASTERN OHIO THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

Land use changes leave lasting impacts on the environment. The Killbuck Watershed Land Trust (KWLT) in Wooster, OH aims to conserve land and prevent development. KWLT emphasizes protecting farmland as a majority of this region’s soils are considered prime by the USDA, however, they also manage prairies, wetlands, and woodlands. We examined how converting pre-settlement forests into agricultural land had consequences on the region by reconstructing past human interaction at two properties under easement with KWLT, the Biggio and Holtman properties.

We accomplished this with LiDAR mapping, field investigations, and tree ring analysis of trees from the properties. The tree ring data was compared with regional tree ring chronologies from NE Ohio and a barn sampled on the Biggio property. Our chronology shows most living trees dated to the early 1900s, whereas the barn ring-width series ends in 1840. This data also revealed a spike of growth in 1904, which is not seen in the Northeast Ohio chronology, indicating a logging event unique to the Wooster area. Also, on the Biggio property, we found evidence of a mill pond using LiDAR to identify a dam structure. The sediments are from the 1800s when early settlers primarily used mill ponds for hydropower, altering natural stream flow. These legacy sediments impounded by dams can give us clues to past land use, and the type of soil is key information for KWLT to know. The soil on the properties is prime agricultural soil and is well suited for crops, valuable to the region, and vital to conserve. KWLT preserves land because developments, buildings, logging, and land use change can disrupt the environment and surrounding climate. To investigate the climate, we correlated our tree ring chronology with records from the Ohio Agricultural & Research Development Center, with negative correlations for high summer temperatures, and positive correlations for high spring and summer precipitation. This indicates growth of these trees is limited by heat stress but benefits from wetter climate.

Through tree and sediment samples, we see effects of past human interaction with the landscape and climate of the area. Human actions and development interact with climate to generate records found in the soils and trees. It is beneficial to have organizations like KWLT to preserve land and prevent development.