Abstract We classified NALC (North American Landscape Characterization) imagery to forest-nonforest and examined forest change between 1972 and 1992 in theKlamath-Siskiyou ecoregion (USA) in relation to land ownership and fifth levelwatersheds. We also analyzed changes in forest patterns by land ownership forthree major river basins within the ecoregion (Eel, Klamath, and Rogue) usingFRAGSTATS. Overall, forests covered 66.8% of the ecoregion in 1972 and 62.1% in1992. Approximately 10.5% of the forest area was