FARM WOODLOTS IN THE SOCIAL LANDSCAPE: HUMAN AGENCY IN A STRUCTURED LANDSCAPE

by Miller, Michael R.

How did the social landscape influence the historical distribution of woodlots in Wayne County, Ohio? Using GIS software, historical maps, and census schedules, this thesis examines the relationship between farm woodlots and the physical and social features of the nineteenth century agricultural landscape. In Wayne County, woodlots are found adjacent to parcel boundaries, not near streams or soils with wetness problems, and at distances greater than 1,000 feet from the farmstead core. The standard layout of the farm is for the woodlot to be on the opposite side of the property from the house. In terms of agricultural variables, there is a positive correlation between farm acreage and the total wooded acreage. It is suggested that the existence of farm woodlots was the result of farmers having more acreage than they needed to run a profitable farm operation, which they then were able to use less intensively.