Ashley A. Dayer

Concepts for Exploring the Social Aspects of Human–Wildlife Conflict in a Global Context

This article develops an approach for exploring the social and cultural aspects of human–wildlife conflict in a global context. The proposed micro-macro level model integrates the cognitive hierarchy theory of human behavior and materialist theory of culture. This model guides research of human behavior in these situations and yields information that can aid conflict prevention and mitigation on the local level and offer suggestions for effective coordinated global, national, or regional efforts. Past applications of the micro (individual level) component and preliminary research and potential areas of future exploration for the macro (cultural level) component are discussed. Cross-cultural research will be highly useful in advancing an understanding of human–wildlife conflict.

Stories about Wildlife: Developing an Instrument for Identifying Wildlife Value Orientations Cross-Culturally

The need for cross-cultural research to better understand the relationships between humans and wildlife was one of the driving factors in the instigation of the Wildlife Values Globally project. A fundamental challenge in fulfilling this need is developing appropriate methods that can elicit thoughts about wildlife from people in a variety of cultures. As such, a key goal of this project was to develop a basic cross-cultural instrument that would reveal wildlife value orientations (WVOs). A semi-structured interview instrument was developed using emotional prompts to elicit stories about wildlife. This instrument was tested in the United States and the results were compared to those of a previously developed quantitative survey of WVOs. The interview instrument was successful in revealing WVOs comparable to those identified by the survey instrument and was deemed promising for use cross-culturally.

Comparative Analysis and Assessment of Forest Landowner Typologies

Landowner typologies help researchers and practitioners understand similarities and differences among landowners, allowing more targeted education and communications. These typologies have rarely been rigorously assessed before recommended for use. We assessed three typologies created with one data set using three methods: reliability through split halves, predictive validity using external variables, and application of quality typology criteria. We conducted the work using a New York State landowner survey data set about early successional habitat management behavior. According to the assessment, none of the three typologies stood out as clearly the best—each had its strengths and weaknesses. The assessment provided a more complete understanding of different approaches and will allow researchers to be more informed when they select a typology to use to inform education and communications.

Developing Tools to Encourage Private Forest Landowners to Participate in Early Successional Forest Habitat Management

Wildlife organizations often engage landowners in habitat management. Landowner typology research can provide suggestions for how to work with diverse types of landowners. We explored how typologies can inform selection of tools to engage landowners in early successional habitat (ESH) management. Using a survey, effectiveness of three kinds of tools were assessed: (a) basic needs, (b) learning, and (c) social. Across all types and typologies, learning tools were most likely to influence landowner behavior, whereas social tools (e.g., recognition) were least likely. Continuing adopters were the only type of landowners that reported basic needs tools would influence them at the same level as learning tools. In each typology, landowner types with higher behavioral intention were more likely to be influenced by all of the tools. Thus, tools may reinforce behaviors, rather than engage the unengaged. We suggest learning tools be initially prioritized to encourage ESH management.

Landowner behavior can determine the success of conservation strategies for ecosystem migration under sea-level rise

Significance Key questions remain about the role of social factors, especially the behavior of private landowners, in determining the outcome of strategies for conservation under climate change. We surveyed the behavioral intentions of coastal landowners in the northeast United States, where extreme sea-level rise threatens tidal marsh persistence unless private landowners allow landward marsh migration. Our results identify (i) conservation strategies currently being implemented that may not have enough support among target populations to mitigate losses from sea-level rise, and (ii) beliefs and attitudes that may be effective targets for outreach aimed at increasing participation in these strategies. The importance of these social factors as constraints on marsh migration highlights the need for wider integration into planning for coastal adaptation. The human aspects of conservation are often overlooked but will be critical for identifying strategies for biological conservation in the face of climate change. We surveyed the behavioral intentions of coastal landowners with respect to various conservation strategies aimed at facilitating ecosystem migration for tidal marshes. We found that several popular strategies, including conservation easements and increasing awareness of ecosystem services, may not interest enough landowners to allow marsh migration at the spatial scales needed to mitigate losses from sea-level rise. We identified less common conservation strategies that have more support but that are unproven in practice and may be more expensive. Our results show that failure to incorporate human dimensions into ecosystem modeling and conservation planning could lead to the use of ineffective strategies and an overly optimistic view of the potential for ecosystem migration into human dominated areas.

Application of a Stated Choice Approach to Assessing Public Preferences for Wildlife Conservation Funding

ABSTRACT Limited funds for wildlife conservation require difficult choices about allocation of resources. One consideration is public preferences. While traditional attitudinal approaches can provide information about preferences for conservation efforts aimed at individual species, stated choice models offer a more suitable approach for exploring the complexity of public support across multiple species, through an examination of individuals’ choices in tradeoff situations. Using a survey in the American Southwest, we explored residents’ preferences for allocating funds for species based on factors that describe those species; species status, origin, and use. Species origin (native or non-native) and use (game or non-game) were more important as a whole than species status (declining, common, or extirpated). Further, respondents generally prioritized native (over non-native), game (over non-game), and declining (over common or extirpated). We discuss the implications of these findings for communication efforts aimed at generating public support and conservation decisions with complex tradeoffs.

Effects of biological monitoring and results outreach on private landowner conservation management

Sustained management efforts by private landowners are crucial for the long-term success of private land natural resource conservation and related environmental benefits. Landowner outreach is a primary means of recruiting private landowners into voluntary conservation incentive programs, and could also help sustain conservation behaviors through time. However, evaluation of outreach targeting landowners during or after participation in natural resource conservation incentive programs is lacking. We assessed two methods of landowner outreach associated with a Natural Resources Conservation Service incentive program targeting effective management of early successional forest habitat on private land in the Appalachians and Upper Great Lakes regions of the United States. While early successional forest habitat benefits many wildlife species, the program target species were the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and American Woodcock (Scolopax minor). After habitat management through the program occurred, biological technicians monitored wildlife and vegetation on enrolled properties and results were communicated to landowners in mailed packets. Our research focused on whether landowner interactions with technicians or receipt of result mailings could influence landowner post-program management intentions and management-related cognitions (e.g., agency trust, perceptions of outcomes). We conducted a telephone survey with landowners from January to May 2017, and analyzed survey data using quantitative group comparisons and qualitative coding methods. Landowners that accompanied biological technicians on monitoring site visits had higher agency trust and more positive perceptions of program outcomes. Result mailings did not improve landowner perceptions of program outcomes or agency trust, but did provide benefits such as increased landowner knowledge about birds. Neither outreach method was associated with more positive landowner post-program management intentions. Our findings underline the importance and potential of direct interactions between conservation biologists and landowners. These two forms of non-traditional outreach administered by biologists could be a worthwhile component of future conservation program evaluations on private lands.

Blaming threatened species: media portrayal of human–wildlife conflict

Recent literature has urged the conservation science community to distinguish between human–wildlife and human–human conflict. Mislabelling conflicts is thought to constrain problem definition and hinder appropriate solutions. New to this discussion, we studied how the media is framing conflict. The focus of our research was conflict surrounding conservation of a protected species. The piping plover Charadrius melodus is federally listed as threatened on the Atlantic coast of the USA. Our research focused on characterizing the tone and framing in media coverage of the plover and its conservation. We were interested in how the source of the conflict was framed: are the species itself, policies, or the government agencies administering legal restrictions blamed for the conflict? We analysed 725 articles (199 unique articles, not including those run by multiple media sources) written about the plover in the region during January 2014–September 2015. Articles were analysed qualitatively by two coders. We found the overall tone of the unique articles was most frequently positive towards the bird and/or its conservation (48%), followed closely by neutral (or balanced) articles (46%). Few articles were negative (6%). Nonetheless, framing that blamed a source for the conflict was present in 34% of the unique articles. The plover itself was blamed in twice as many articles as the policies or government agencies enacting the regulations. This framing was also the strongest predictor of article tone. Understanding how the media portrays piping plovers can help guide organizations interested in proactive media relations and other solutions to de-escalate this conflict.