The Florida Panhandle is undergoing rapid land-use and ownership changes resulting from the sales of St. Joe’s Lumber Company properties.  From the turn of 20^th century to the mid-1980s, St. Joe’s managed over 800,000 acres of forest lands for forest products.  Currently much of this land is being sold for urban development (commercial and residential) because of rising land prices and failing timber markets. The resulting changes, both positive and negative, will significantly affect natural ecosystems and the cultural and economic attributes of the landscape. This research project will help to develop an integrated approach to monitoring changes from urbanization to ecological and social systems in this region.  From this work we will develop best management practices that promote the positive attributes of urbanization while minimizing its negative effects.  The protocols developed with this research can be used in other regions to assess urban effects.