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Groce JE, Cook CN. Maintaining landholder satisfaction and management of private protected areas established under conservation agreements. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 305:114355. [PMID: 34953226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Permanent protection of biodiversity on private lands is achieved through various mechanisms around the world. In Australia, conservation covenants are widely used to dedicate private lands to biodiversity conservation. The permanency of covenants necessitates similarly long-term commitment by landholders to meet and maintain the conservation obligations under the covenant. To better understand the effectiveness of conservation covenants as a tool for on-going environmental stewardship, we examined the relationship between landholders' initial motivations to covenant, their current perspectives on covenants and their management practices. We compared two groups of covenantors, those who initiated a covenant (original signees) and those who acquired a property with a covenant already in place (successive owners). We found the motivations and views of original signees and successive owners were similar overall, showing strong pro-environmental perspectives, and the majority of landholders were continuing to undertake management activities for the benefit of biodiversity. A small portion of respondents were dissatisfied with the covenant mechanism or covenant provider. This group tended to include successive owners and landholders who covenanted for regulatory reasons or financial incentives. Fewer dissatisfied landholders were actively managing the covenanted land compared to those who were satisfied. Considering the impending increase in successive owners as aging covenantors transfer ownership of their properties, the growing potential for covenants required under regulatory arrangements, and decreasing support within covenanting programs, this study identifies a risk that the satisfaction of landholders may decrease over time. Recognizing and addressing the challenges faced by landholders can bolster the commitment to covenant obligations and the longevity of covenants as a mechanism for positive conservation outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie E Groce
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Carly N Cook
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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2
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Selinske MJ, Howard N, Fitzsimons JA, Hardy M, Knight AT. “Splitting the bill” for conservation: Perceptions and uptake of financial incentives by landholders managing privately protected areas. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Selinske
- School of Global, Urban and Social Studies RMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Natasha Howard
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Berkshire UK
| | - James A. Fitzsimons
- The Nature Conservancy Carlton Victoria Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria Australia
| | - Mat Hardy
- School of Global, Urban and Social Studies RMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Mat Hardy Trust for Nature Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Andrew T. Knight
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia
- BlueAnt Consulting Fremantle Western Australia Australia
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3
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Nieminen E, Kareksela S, Halme P, Kotiaho JS. Quantifying trade-offs between ecological gains, economic costs, and landowners' preferences in boreal mire protection. AMBIO 2021; 50:1841-1850. [PMID: 33825157 PMCID: PMC8363685 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01530-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Private land often encompasses biodiversity features of high conservation value, but its protection is not straightforward. Commonly, landowners' perspectives are rightfully allowed to influence conservation actions. This unlikely comes without consequences on biodiversity or other aspects such as economic considerations, but these consequences are rarely quantitatively considered in decision-making. In the context of boreal mire protection in Finland, we report how acknowledging landowners' resistance to protection changes the combination of mires selected to conservation compared to ignoring landowners' opinions. Using spatial prioritization, we quantify trade-offs arising between the amount of landowners' resistance, protected biodiversity, and financial costs in different conservation scenarios. Results show that the trade-offs cannot be fully avoided. Nevertheless, we show that the systematic examination of the trade-offs opens up options to alleviate them. This can promote the evaluation of different conservation policy outcomes, enabling better-informed conservation decisions and more effective and socially sustainable allocation of conservation resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eini Nieminen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Santtu Kareksela
- Parks and Wildlife Finland, Metsähallitus, P.O. Box 36, 40101 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Panu Halme
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Janne Sakari Kotiaho
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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Uebel K, Rhodes J, Wilson KA, Dean AJ. Environmental Management in the Peri-urban Region: Psychological and Contextual Factors Influencing Private Land Conservation Actions. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 68:184-197. [PMID: 34125266 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-021-01487-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Peri-urban areas, defined as the region between urban and rural settlements, are heterogeneous, dynamic regions experiencing rapid land use change in cities around the world. Ongoing development and land use change has resulted in the fragmentation, degradation and loss of natural assets, threatening biodiversity, and ecosystems within the peri-urban region. With much of this land privately owned, the actions of landholders have considerable opportunity to deliver environmental outcomes, yet an understanding of this diverse group of landholders is challenging. Through a survey of landholders (N = 184) in Australian peri-urban regions we sought to understand motivations and barriers to engagement in environmental management. Factors influencing willingness to engage in environmental management included perceived personal capacity to act, feeling that actions were helpful, and community participation. We discuss how engagement strategies could incorporate these findings by focussing on improving capacity and environmental knowledge with hands on, face-to-face extension activities, encouraging simple actions, and fostering greater community interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Uebel
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Jonathan Rhodes
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Kerrie A Wilson
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Angela J Dean
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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5
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Fitzsimons J, Cooke B. Key questions for conservation tenders as a means for delivering biodiversity benefits on private land. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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6
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Wineland SM, Fovargue R, Gill KC, Rezapour S, Neeson TM. Conservation planning in an uncertain climate: Identifying projects that remain valuable and feasible across future scenarios. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Wineland
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Rachel Fovargue
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Ken C. Gill
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Shabnam Rezapour
- Enterprise and Logistics Engineering Florida International University Miami FL USA
| | - Thomas M. Neeson
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
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Hasler B, Czajkowski M, Elofsson K, Hansen LB, Konrad MT, Nielsen HØ, Niskanen O, Nõmmann T, Pedersen AB, Peterson K, Poltimäe H, Svensson TH, Zagórska K. Farmers' preferences for nutrient and climate-related agri-environmental schemes: A cross-country comparison. AMBIO 2019; 48:1290-1303. [PMID: 31625049 PMCID: PMC6814685 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01242-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We use data from a survey of 2439 farmers in 5 countries around the Baltic Sea (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland and Sweden) to investigate their preferences for adopting agricultural practices aimed at reducing nutrient leaching and greenhouse gas emissions. The measures considered are set-aside, catch crops and reduced fertilization. Contracts vary with respect to the area enrolled, contract length, possibility of premature termination, availability of professional advice and compensation. We quantitatively describe farmers' preferences in terms of their willingness-to-accept compensation for specific attributes of these contracts, if implemented. The results vary substantially between farm types (farmers' characteristics) and between the 5 countries, and support differentiation of contract obligations and payments to improve the uptake of Agri-Environmental Schemes. The results can be readily used to improve the design of country-specific nutrient reduction policies, in accordance with the next Common Agricultural Policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berit Hasler
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Mikolaj Czajkowski
- Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, Dluga, 44/50, 00-241 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarina Elofsson
- Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7013, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Line Block Hansen
- Danish Economic Councils, Emil Møllers Gade 41, 8700 Horsens, Denmark
| | - Maria Theresia Konrad
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Helle Ørsted Nielsen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Olli Niskanen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tea Nõmmann
- Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, Lai 34, Tallinn, 10133 Estonia
| | - Anders Branth Pedersen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kaja Peterson
- Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, Lai 34, Tallinn, 10133 Estonia
| | - Helen Poltimäe
- Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, Lai 34, Tallinn, 10133 Estonia
| | | | - Katarzyna Zagórska
- Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, Dluga, 44/50, 00-241 Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Moon K, Adams VM, Cooke B. Shared personal reflections on the need to broaden the scope of conservation social science. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katie Moon
- Public Service Research Group, School of Business University of New South Wales Canberra ACT Australia
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Vanessa M. Adams
- Discipline of Geography and Spatial Sciences, School of Technology, Environments, and Design University of Tasmania Hobart TAS Australia
| | - Benjamin Cooke
- Centre for Urban Research, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies RMIT University Melbourne Vic. Australia
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9
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Conservation contracts for supplying Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) conservation services in Romania. Livest Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2019.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Nielsen ASE, Strange N, Bruun HH, Jacobsen JB. Effects of preference heterogeneity among landowners on spatial conservation prioritization. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:675-685. [PMID: 27995662 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The participation of private landowners in conservation is crucial to efficient biodiversity conservation. This is especially the case in settings where the share of private ownership is large and the economic costs associated with land acquisition are high. We used probit regression analysis and historical participation data to examine the likelihood of participation of Danish forest owners in a voluntary conservation program. We used the results to spatially predict the likelihood of participation of all forest owners in Denmark. We merged spatial data on the presence of forest, cadastral information on participation contracts, and individual-level socioeconomic information about the forest owners and their households. We included predicted participation in a probability model for species survival. Uninformed and informed (included land owner characteristics) models were then incorporated into a spatial prioritization for conservation of unmanaged forests. The choice models are based on sociodemographic data on the entire population of Danish forest owners and historical data on their participation in conservation schemes. Inclusion in the model of information on private landowners' willingness to supply land for conservation yielded at intermediate budget levels up to 30% more expected species coverage than the uninformed prioritization scheme. Our landowner-choice model provides an example of moving toward more implementable conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niels Strange
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Hans Henrik Bruun
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen O, Denmark
| | - Jette Bredahl Jacobsen
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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11
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Guerrero AM, Wilson KA. Using a social-ecological framework to inform the implementation of conservation plans. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:290-301. [PMID: 27601156 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
One of the key determinants of success in biodiversity conservation is how well conservation planning decisions account for the social system in which actions are to be implemented. Understanding elements of how the social and ecological systems interact can help identify opportunities for implementation. Utilizing data from a large-scale conservation initiative in southwestern of Australia, we explored how a social-ecological system framework can be applied to identify how social and ecological factors interact to influence the opportunities for conservation. Using data from semistructured interviews, an online survey, and publicly available data, we developed a conceptual model of the social-ecological system associated with the conservation of the Fitz-Stirling region. We used this model to identify the relevant variables (remnants of vegetation, stakeholder presence, collaboration between stakeholders, and their scale of management) that affect the implementation of conservation actions in the region. We combined measures for these variables to ascertain how areas associated with different levels of ecological importance coincided with areas associated with different levels of stakeholder presence, stakeholder collaboration, and scales of management. We identified areas that could benefit from different implementation strategies, from those suitable for immediate conservation action to areas requiring implementation over the long term to increase on-the-ground capacity and identify mechanisms to incentivize implementation. The application of a social-ecological framework can help conservation planners and practitioners facilitate the integration of ecological and social data to inform the translation of priorities for action into implementation strategies that account for the complexities of conservation problems in a focused way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M Guerrero
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Kerrie A Wilson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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12
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Hardy MJ, Fitzsimons JA, Bekessy SA, Gordon A. Exploring the Permanence of Conservation Covenants. Conserv Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mathew J. Hardy
- School of Global, Urban and Social Studies RMIT University Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia
| | - James A. Fitzsimons
- The Nature Conservancy Carlton VIC 3053 Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood VIC 3125 Australia
| | - Sarah A. Bekessy
- School of Global, Urban and Social Studies RMIT University Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia
| | - Ascelin Gordon
- School of Global, Urban and Social Studies RMIT University Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia
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13
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Stigner MG, Beyer HL, Klein CJ, Fuller RA. Reconciling recreational use and conservation values in a coastal protected area. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine G. Stigner
- School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Hawthorne L. Beyer
- School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Carissa J. Klein
- School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management Faculty of Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Richard A. Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
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14
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Fitzsimons JA. Private protected areas in Australia: current status and future directions. NATURE CONSERVATION 2015. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.10.8739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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