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- All Subjects: conservation
Description
Current conservation practices are substantially biased towards large, charismatic animals and are influenced by public perceptions of different animals. Therefore, it is important to understand how these perceptions are formed and what factors influence them in order to promote equitable conservation for all species. This study examines the effect of attending a park education program on public values, knowledge of, and attitudes towards a noncharismatic species. Data was collected from May through October 2016 at the Usery Mountain Regional Park "All About Scorpions" program. A four page, onsite, self-administered pre- and post-program survey was given to program attendees. An identical survey was given to hiking park visitors who had never attended the program as the control sample. Survey statements addressed participant's demographics, value of bugs, knowledge about scorpions, and attitudes toward scorpions. Data analysis was completed using paired t-tests to analyze any statistically significant changes in values, knowledge, and attitudes between pre- and post-participants. Independent sample t-tests were used to analyze the same between the control and pre-participants. The results showed no difference in the value of bugs for any of the survey participants. However, the program attendees had more positive attitudes and greater knowledge of scorpions than general park visitors, and attending the program further increased positive attitudes and knowledge. Contributions of the study are twofold: First, the results provide Usery with information regarding the influence of their public programs, along with how these programs can be improved to make a greater impact. Second, findings serve to extend the literature on what alters public perceptions and how educational programs can be used to change the current conservation mindset.
ContributorsKallman, Nicole Marie (Author) / Minteer, Ben (Thesis director) / Budruk, Megha (Committee member) / Pratt, Stephen (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
This 15-week long course is designed to introduce students, specifically in Arizona, to basic sustainability and conservation principles in the context of local reptile wildlife. Throughout the course, the students work on identifying the problem, creating visions for the desired future, and finally developing a strategy to help with reptile species survival in the valley. Research shows that animals in the classroom have led to improved academic success for students. Thus, through creating this course I was able to combine conservation and sustainability curriculum with real-life animals whose survival is directly being affected in the valley. My hope is that this course will help students identify a newfound passion and call to action to protect native wildlife. The more awareness and actionable knowledge which can be brought to students in Arizona about challenges to species survival the more likely we are to see a change in the future and a stronger sense of urgency for protecting wildlife. In order to accomplish these goals, the curriculum was developed to begin with basic concepts of species needs such as food and shelter and basic principles of sustainability. As the course progresses the students analyze current challenges reptile wildlife faces, like urban sprawl, and explore options to address these challenges. The course concludes with a pilot pitch where students present their solution projects to the school.
ContributorsGoethe, Emma Rae (Author) / Brundiers, Katja (Thesis director) / Bouges, Olivia (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Invasive plants harm the ecological properties of natural systems, human health,
and local economies. However, the negative impacts of invasive species are not always
immediately visible and may be disregarded by local communities if social benefits of
control efforts are not clear. In this dissertation, I use a mixed-methods approach to
investigate the drivers of invasive plant distribution, potential financially feasible
management techniques to control invasion, and community forest user perceptions of
those techniques. In this work, I aim to incorporate the diverse perspectives of local
people and increase the long-term success of invasive species control activities in socio
economically vulnerable populations.
Integrating a spatially and temporally diverse data set, I explore the social and
ecological drivers of invasive plant abundance across 21 buffer zone community forests
in the Western Chitwan Valley of Nepal. I evaluate to what extent forest user and
collective manager activities, the legacies of historic activities, and ecological properties
influence present-day invasive plant abundance. I built upon this study to identify areas
with critically high levels of invasion then initiated a three-year, community-based
management intervention to evaluate traditional and adaptive land management
approaches to control invasive plants. I found that both approaches reduced invasive
plant abundance relative to the surrounding, untreated forest. I then interviewed focus
groups to investigate their perceived efficacy of the various treatment types and found
that almost all forest users and managers preferred the adaptive approach over the
traditional management approach. Notably, forest users cited the importance of the
availability of forest resources and lack of harmful plants in the plots that had undergone
this method. Understanding how forest users relate to and experience invasive plants has
been relatively understudied but can influence forest user engagement in different
management approaches. For this reason, I performed in-depth ethnoecological
interviews to explore how forest users perceive, how they utilize, and to what extent they
value invasive plants. This mixed-methods approach contributes to a more holistic
understanding of the role that local people play in invasive plant management and
restoration activities.
and local economies. However, the negative impacts of invasive species are not always
immediately visible and may be disregarded by local communities if social benefits of
control efforts are not clear. In this dissertation, I use a mixed-methods approach to
investigate the drivers of invasive plant distribution, potential financially feasible
management techniques to control invasion, and community forest user perceptions of
those techniques. In this work, I aim to incorporate the diverse perspectives of local
people and increase the long-term success of invasive species control activities in socio
economically vulnerable populations.
Integrating a spatially and temporally diverse data set, I explore the social and
ecological drivers of invasive plant abundance across 21 buffer zone community forests
in the Western Chitwan Valley of Nepal. I evaluate to what extent forest user and
collective manager activities, the legacies of historic activities, and ecological properties
influence present-day invasive plant abundance. I built upon this study to identify areas
with critically high levels of invasion then initiated a three-year, community-based
management intervention to evaluate traditional and adaptive land management
approaches to control invasive plants. I found that both approaches reduced invasive
plant abundance relative to the surrounding, untreated forest. I then interviewed focus
groups to investigate their perceived efficacy of the various treatment types and found
that almost all forest users and managers preferred the adaptive approach over the
traditional management approach. Notably, forest users cited the importance of the
availability of forest resources and lack of harmful plants in the plots that had undergone
this method. Understanding how forest users relate to and experience invasive plants has
been relatively understudied but can influence forest user engagement in different
management approaches. For this reason, I performed in-depth ethnoecological
interviews to explore how forest users perceive, how they utilize, and to what extent they
value invasive plants. This mixed-methods approach contributes to a more holistic
understanding of the role that local people play in invasive plant management and
restoration activities.
ContributorsClark, Michele Diane (Author) / Hall, Sharon J. (Thesis advisor) / Shrestha, Milan (Committee member) / Yabiku, Scott (Committee member) / Budruk, Megha (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Balancing conservation goals and needs of local residents is always challenging. While some believe protected areas are a safe paradise for wildlife, others suggest that it is shortsighted to ignore the social and economic challenges faced by people who live adjacent to protected areas when addressing conservation objectives. This dissertation explores the link between biodiversity conservation and environmental education programs (EEPs) administered to residents of buffer zones adjacent to three protected areas in the Terai Arc Landscape, Nepal. Using surveys and interviews, this study examined 1) the influence of EEPs on attitudes of local people toward biodiversity conservation; 2) the influence of EEPs on conservation behavior; 3) the responses toward biodiversity conservation of local people residing in buffer zones who have received different levels of EEPs; and 4) the effect of EEPs on wildlife populations within adjacent protected areas. Local people who had participated in EEPs and attended school were more likely to express a positive attitude toward conservation goals than participants who had not participated in EEPs or had the opportunity to attend school. Participation in EEPs and level of education favored expressed behavior toward conservation goals, such as making contributions for conservation or supporting anti-poaching patrols. However, EEP participants and non-participants were equally likely to engage in activities that were at odds with positive conservation behavior, such as collecting fuel wood or killing wildlife to protect their farm or feed their families. A direct comparison of EEPs given by schools versus non-government organizations showed that EEPs were largely ineffective in promoting positive conservation attitudes and behaviors. Despite heavy poaching of charismatic species such as the greater one-horned rhinoceros or tiger over past decades, Nepal recently celebrated ‘zero poaching years’ in 2011 and 2013, largely due to increased anti-poaching enforcement. The relationship between EEPs and the decline in poaching is unclear, although local officials all claimed that EEPs played an important role. These results indicate that current administration of EEPs in Terai buffer zone communities is inadequate, while also providing evidence that properly administrated EEPs may become a valuable investment for these protected areas to achieve long-term success.
ContributorsShrestha, Samridhi (Author) / Smith, Andrew T. (Thesis advisor) / Minteer, Ben (Committee member) / Pearson, David (Committee member) / Nyaupane, Gyan (Committee member) / Budruk, Megha (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015