Conserving Working Rangelands: A Social–Ecological Case Study from Northeastern Colorado

Land changes in rangeland systems cascade through interconnected social and ecological spheres, affecting both humans and the environment. This study applied a multi-method approach to examine the causes and consequences of change in two rangeland communities in northeastern (NE) Colorado. First, this study used a Random Forest supervised classifier to analyze 36 years of land-cover data and create a land-cover/use change classification model. Second, the research team analyzed transcripts of interviews with 32 ranchers, examining how ranchers’ adaptive strategies influence land-cover change trends. Lastly, the analysis integrated the quantitative and qualitative data, constructing a social–ecological rangeland change conceptual model. This study found that the cultivated area decreased in both study sites from 1984–2019, with 16.0% and 18.7% of each site transitioning out of the cultivated area. Moreover, 10.3% and 18.4% of each site, respectively, transitioned to herbaceous/grassland cover from 1984–2019. The qualitative analysis identified the role of conservation policies, such as open space programs, on land change. Also, despite the relatively small area that transitioned to developed cover—1.83% and 0.183% of each site—participants emphasized that the associated demographic and cultural shifts drive land-use change. This study highlights that while rangelands are undergoing social–ecological change, land-use decisions and land conservation programs can help mitigate the global trend of declining rangeland and grassland cover.

The role of social influence in New Zealand rural landowners' land use decisions

<p>New Zealand’s native bush has been substantially reduced in extent by human actions. Valuable native bush fragments remain on private land. Protection of these fragments is required on multi-generational timescales appropriate to their succession periods. Social influence has been shown to predict human behaviour in a variety of behavioural domains and research settings. Social norms possess a self-reinforcing characteristic that may lead to the diffusion and embedding of behaviour and attitude change in society also on a multi-generational time-scale. The role of social influence in New Zealand landowners’ decisions with respect to native trees on their land is examined for two populations. One population is a shared interest group (the ‘Farm Forestry Association’); the other is the general population of rural landowners. Data is gathered using questionnaires based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Weak social influence is shown to be present for participants’ intentions to increase or decrease native tree cover on their land. The strength of social influence is moderated by the frequency of social interaction. Contrary to the research hypothesis, the two groups do not differ in the norms they perceive nor the strength of social influence experienced. Suggestions are made for developing and applying the research methods in a small group setting.</p>

The role of social influence in New Zealand rural landowners' land use decisions

<p>New Zealand’s native bush has been substantially reduced in extent by human actions. Valuable native bush fragments remain on private land. Protection of these fragments is required on multi-generational timescales appropriate to their succession periods. Social influence has been shown to predict human behaviour in a variety of behavioural domains and research settings. Social norms possess a self-reinforcing characteristic that may lead to the diffusion and embedding of behaviour and attitude change in society also on a multi-generational time-scale. The role of social influence in New Zealand landowners’ decisions with respect to native trees on their land is examined for two populations. One population is a shared interest group (the ‘Farm Forestry Association’); the other is the general population of rural landowners. Data is gathered using questionnaires based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Weak social influence is shown to be present for participants’ intentions to increase or decrease native tree cover on their land. The strength of social influence is moderated by the frequency of social interaction. Contrary to the research hypothesis, the two groups do not differ in the norms they perceive nor the strength of social influence experienced. Suggestions are made for developing and applying the research methods in a small group setting.</p>

Facilitating informed land-use decisions through the modelling of ecosystem service trade-offs

<p>Increasing global populations are placing increasing pressure on our natural systems, reducing their capacity to produce the ecosystem services that we rely upon for human wellbeing (World Bank, 2004). Clarifying the implications of land-use decisions across the range of ecosystem services is fundamental to understanding the trade-offs inherent in land-use options. LUCI (the Land Utilization and Capability Indicator) is an emergent Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based framework developed to enable the mapping of several ecosystem services in a spatially explicit manner. This process enables a clearer understanding of the inter-dependencies between ecosystems and potential implications and trade-offs of management interventions across a range of services. There is however, limited understanding of the impact, utility and credibility of such tools for land-use decision-makers, or of how they perceive the information conveyed. This Thesis considered the impact that presenting information on land-use trade-offs through LUCI had on land-owners at the farm scale. This research supports previous findings that information alone does not drive behaviour (or decision-making) (Kollmuss, 2002, Fisk, 2011; Kennedy, 2010; Mackenzie-Mohr, 2000; Stern, 2000). Similarly, perceived credibility was not the main driver of decision-making nor is it necessarily rationally based. However without it, voluntary adoption of a new technology or tool is unlikely. Therefore, in seeking to diffuse tools, such as LUCI within a community, process design should take into account the social structures and the characteristics of targeted individuals within that community. The influence of temporal and context specific factors on decision-making provides both barriers and opportunities for technology diffusion. The research findings propose that when integrating new tools and technologies within communities, consideration is given to using a suite of tools, mechanisms and theories in concert such as Community-Based Social Marketing (Mackenzie-Mohr, 2011) and Diffusion Theory (Rogers, 2003) to facilitate improved diffusion and uptake by communities.</p>

Facilitating informed land-use decisions through the modelling of ecosystem service trade-offs

<p>Increasing global populations are placing increasing pressure on our natural systems, reducing their capacity to produce the ecosystem services that we rely upon for human wellbeing (World Bank, 2004). Clarifying the implications of land-use decisions across the range of ecosystem services is fundamental to understanding the trade-offs inherent in land-use options. LUCI (the Land Utilization and Capability Indicator) is an emergent Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based framework developed to enable the mapping of several ecosystem services in a spatially explicit manner. This process enables a clearer understanding of the inter-dependencies between ecosystems and potential implications and trade-offs of management interventions across a range of services. There is however, limited understanding of the impact, utility and credibility of such tools for land-use decision-makers, or of how they perceive the information conveyed. This Thesis considered the impact that presenting information on land-use trade-offs through LUCI had on land-owners at the farm scale. This research supports previous findings that information alone does not drive behaviour (or decision-making) (Kollmuss, 2002, Fisk, 2011; Kennedy, 2010; Mackenzie-Mohr, 2000; Stern, 2000). Similarly, perceived credibility was not the main driver of decision-making nor is it necessarily rationally based. However without it, voluntary adoption of a new technology or tool is unlikely. Therefore, in seeking to diffuse tools, such as LUCI within a community, process design should take into account the social structures and the characteristics of targeted individuals within that community. The influence of temporal and context specific factors on decision-making provides both barriers and opportunities for technology diffusion. The research findings propose that when integrating new tools and technologies within communities, consideration is given to using a suite of tools, mechanisms and theories in concert such as Community-Based Social Marketing (Mackenzie-Mohr, 2011) and Diffusion Theory (Rogers, 2003) to facilitate improved diffusion and uptake by communities.</p>

Land Use Change from Rice to Maize Farming in Northern Region of Bangladesh: Identifying Causes and Future Prospects

Maize is gaining importance in recent years as a promising crop, but some constraints are intensifying with increased concern over input supply and soil-related environmental sustainability. So, we were interested to assess the financial profitability of maize production over the existing rice cropping system and factors responsible for changing land-use decisions in Northern Bangladesh. The comprehensive comparison revealed that maize farmers got higher returns than the farmers producing boro rice as the calculated BCR for the former (2.14) was higher than the later (1.29). The results of regression analysis showed that maize labor use, maize gross margin, availability of rice for home consumption, and the least rice-producing area had a significant effect on deciding to shift the land from rice to maize cultivation. Therefore, there was a great prospect of maize farming in the study area as a profitable enterprise.

Comparison of basin-scale in situ and meteoric ¹⁰Be erosion and denudation rates across a rainfall, slope, and elevation gradient at George River, northeast Tasmania, Australia

Long-term erosion rates in Tasmania, at the southern end of Australia’s Great Dividing Range, are poorly known, yet such knowledge is critical for making informed land-use decisions and improving ecological health of coastal ecosystems. Here, we present the first quantitative, geologically-relevant estimates of erosion rates for the George River basin, in northeast Tasmania, based on in-situ produced 10Be (10Bei) measured from stream sand at two trunk channel sites and seven tributaries (average 10.5 mm kyr−1). These new 10Bei-based erosion rates are strongly related to mean annual precipitation rates and elevation, and we suggest that the current East-West precipitation gradient across George River greatly influences erosion in northeast Tasmania. This stands in contrast to erosion rates along the mainland portions of Australia’s Great Dividing Range, which are more strongly related to basin slope. We also extract and measure meteoric 10Be (10Bem) from sediment grain coatings of the stream sand at each site, which we use to estimate 10Bem-based erosion and denudation rates for George River. 10Bem based erosion and denudation metrics, particularly those from the central and eastern tributaries, are also closely related to elevation and precipitation in the same manner as 10Bei erosion rates. Although 10Bem-based denudation rates replicate 10Bei erosion rates within a factor of two, 10Bem-based erosion rates are systematically 5–6x higher than 10Bei erosion rates. 10Bem erosion and denudation metrics for the westernmost headwater catchments are significantly lower than expected and have likely been affected by intensive and widespread topsoil erosion related to forestry, which delivers large volumes of sediment rich in 10Bem to tributary streams. The 10Bei erosion rates presented in this study may be useful for land managers seeking to restore ecological health of Tasmania’s estuaries by reducing sediment input to levels prior to landscape disturbance.