Eli S. Sagor

Skeletochronology and Geographic Variation in Age Structure in the Wood Frog, Rana sylvatica

Age structure of a breeding population of Rana sylvatica from southwestern Quebec, Canada, is described based on the enumeration and analysis of Lines of Arrested Growth (LAGs) in phalanges. Analyzed using skeletochronology, ages ranged from 1-4 yr among 98 males and from 2-4 yr among 33 females. Females were on average slightly older than males, but the difference was not significant. Mean snout-vent length was 43.6 mm ? 2.0 (SD) among 179 males and 48.8 mm ? 2.7 among 33 females; the difference between the sexes was significant. Endosteal resorption completely destroyed LAG 1 in 6.1% of frogs, about twice as frequently in males as in females. A minimum of three LAG enumeration readings by two observers differed for 24.4% of preparations and independent readings by the same observer differed for 15.3% of preparations, highlighting the importance of reducing subjectivity in skeletochronological anal- yses. This was accomplished, in part, by plotting LAG diameters on a histogram whereby outliers from an expected normal distribution indicated loss of inner LAGs via endosteal resorption. Consistent with pre- dictions regarding environmental influences on anuran populations, southern Quebec R. sylvatica matured later and were larger than more southerly conspecifics from a low-elevation area, but matured earlier and were smaller than southerly frogs from a high-elevation area. Interpopulational variation in life history

Learning from Landowners: Examining the Role of Peer Exchange in Private Landowner Outreach through Landowner Networks

More than one-third of forested land in the United States is owned by individuals or families, making these lands a significant source of the nations forest resources and services. Yet investments in traditional expert-led outreach efforts, including financial incentive programs and technical assistance for management plan development, have failed to engage the vast majority of U.S. forest landowners. Through case studies of five diverse landowner networks, this study explored peer exchange among landowners as an alternative means of fostering engagement. Sixty-one in-depth interviews revealed common themes across cases that contributed to landowner participation and learning, including maintaining an atmosphere conducive to social learning, emphasis on local information and hands-on learning, and access to rich networks that include both practical peer-derived information and trusted technical expert-derived information. These findings enrich existing landowner engagement theory by offering insight into landowner networks as an avenue for serving an ever-growing population of family forest owners.

Personal networks and private forestry in Minnesota

Personal networks affect the flow information and behavior through social groups. We investigated the role of personal relationships in the flow of information and adoption of sustainable forest management behavior by private forest landowners. Among the 1767 owners of 20 or more acres of Minnesota forest land surveyed, 90% have received forestry information from at least one source including 65% from a peer and 53% from a professional forester. Forestry information personal network size ranged from 0 to 14 with a mean of 2.92. Network diversity, expressed as the number of different types of information sources within the network, was relatively high relative to network size, suggesting that most landowners value diverse perspectives, despite reporting fairly small networks. Larger acreage owners, management plan holders, and frequent visitors to their forest land had significantly larger and more diverse networks. Network size and diversity were statistically unrelated to ownership tenure, landowner age, and resident/absentee status. Significantly more respondents named a peer or a professional as their most helpful source than other source categories. Satisfaction with forestry information networks was positively associated with network size and diversity, further suggesting that landowners prefer information from a variety of different sources. The results suggest that landowner education designed to foster peer learning and relationship building between landowners, foresters, loggers, and other groups may promote adoption of sustainable forest management practices.

The Effect of Data Collection Technique on Estimated Landowner Personal Network Attributes

AbstractSocial network analysis, focusing on the role of interpersonal relationships on the flow of information, trust, and service delivery, is increasingly recognized as a valuable approach to understanding landowner behavior. Landowner personal networks are central to Diffusion of Innovations theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, both of which are commonly invoked in the design of interventions to encourage sustainable private forest management. However, personal network data can be difficult to obtain for a large sample. We tested the effect of three different personal network name generators on estimates of Minnesota landowners’ forestry information networks: a list of generic alter categories, an open-ended written survey, and a combination of written survey and follow-up telephone survey. Generic network data provided a relatively accurate baseline. Personal network data from a written survey provided more detailed data but underestimated network diversity and failed to account for potentially influential weak ties. A combination of written and follow-up telephone survey both doubled estimated average network size from 2.8 to 5.5 alters and increased estimated network diversity from 2.3 alter categories per respondent to 3.7. Network data from the written survey revealed a bias in favor of strong ties that was largely overcome through additional prompting during the telephone survey. A combination of written surveys and telephone or in-person interviews may be the best strategy to balance the benefit of a large sample with the cost of more intensive, yet more reliable, data collection methods.