Jesse Caputo

Research Interests

Private landowners — individuals, families, trusts, corporations, NGOs and other private organizations — own nearly 60% of the forested land in the U.S., and the decisions made by these landowners overwhelmingly influence the ecological trajectory of our nation’s forest resource. My research focuses on developing a better understanding of these landowners: their needs, motivations, objectives, and activities. To do so, I assist in implementing and analyzing the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS), a product of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. My research focuses on understanding what makes landowners “tick” — i.e., using social science theory and techniques in order to better understand how owning forestland influences the identity, values, and wellbeing of landowners. This includes research into the ecosystem services — or the social and physical benefits — that private forests deliver to landowners and their family, friends, and neighbors.