HOW DO PEOPLE VALUE NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS AND HOW DO ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES AFFECT DECISIONS ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS?

• Sponsoring Institution: Forest Service/USDA
• Project Status: EXTENDED
• Funding Source: USDA INHOUSE
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0413612
• Project Start Date: Aug 13, 2008
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2020
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
USDA - Forest Service
NORTHERN RESEARCH STATION
NEWTOWN SQUARE,PA 19073

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
Value is a fundamental concept in discussions of how human beings are related to nature and how natural environments ought to be managed. The idea of value is implicit any time a decision about how to manage an environment is made. Ideally, a good decision is one that creates or maintains characteristics of an environment that are valued by stakeholders while not having undue negative impacts on the ecosystem. The complexity of natural resource decision-making stems, in part, from the fact that the same environment can be of value to people in many different ways. For example, materials taken out of a natural environment can be used to make products that people value, such as paper and lumber. Biophysical processes taking place in the environment, such as carbon sequestration and flood water retention, can provide ecosystem services that positively affect people's lives. Interacting with natural environments may provide physiological, psychological, and social benefits such as physical fitness, relief from mental fatigue, and strengthened social bonds. In addition to the products, services, and benefits derived from a natural environment, people may also value and appreciate the environment itself when they experience it directly, as an environment. Knowledge about how people value different aspects of their environments is critical for decision makers from individual households to government agencies. Research under this problem area assists forest managers and other public policy makers in understanding tradeoffs and synergies, building consensus, and assuring that diverse non-market goals are incorporated in decision-making. Central to effective policy development and management is an understanding of the trade-offs, synergies, and values implied by alternative decisions. Outcomes and impacts may occur as changes in people's knowledge, actions, or social conditions regarding natural resource management.

Animal Health Component

40%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

40%

Applied

40%

Developmental

20%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
134	6099	3070	30%
605	6099	3010	35%
605	6099	3070	35%

Knowledge Area
605 - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics; 134 - Outdoor Recreation;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3070 - Psychology; 3010 - Economics;

Keywords

environment

human values

Goals / Objectives
Value is a fundamental concept in discussions of how human beings are related to nature and how natural environments ought to be managed. The idea of value is implicit any time a decision about how to manage an environment is made. Ideally, a good decision is one that creates or maintains characteristics of an environment that are valued by stakeholders while not having undue negative impacts on the ecosystem. The complexity of natural resource decision-making stems, in part, from the fact that the same environment can be of value to people in many different ways. For example, materials taken out of a natural environment can be used to make products that people value, such as paper and lumber. Biophysical processes taking place in the environment, such as carbon sequestration and flood water retention, can provide ecosystem services that positively affect people's lives. Interacting with natural environments may provide physiological, psychological, and social benefits such as physical fitness, relief from mental fatigue, and strengthened social bonds. In addition to the products, services, and benefits derived from a natural environment, people may also value and appreciate the environment itself when they experience it directly, as an environment. Knowledge about how people value different aspects of their environments is critical for decision makers from individual households to government agencies. Research under this problem area assists forest managers and other public policy makers in understanding tradeoffs and synergies, building consensus, and assuring that diverse non-market goals are incorporated in decision-making. Central to effective policy development and management is an understanding of the trade-offs, synergies, and values implied by alternative decisions. There are three elements: 1) Understanding human values in the context of natural resources management, 2) Tradeoffs and synergies between values, 3) The experiential value of environments.

Project Methods
We use a full range of social science data collection and analysis methods and are leaders in partnering and conducting research across disciplines.

Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The concept of value is important in several ways to the management of forests and other natural resources. Some of our research on this problem focuses on the economic costs and benefits of managing forests and other natural resources. We look, for example, at the different strategies for detecting and managing invasive plants and insects and at how funds can be spent most effectively to combat these pests. We also take into account that the same natural resources can provide ⿿value⿿ in both monetary and non-monetary ways to a wide range of people. PARTICIPANTS: Through cooperative agreements, we work with several universities, state and local government agencies, and not-for-profit groups on research related to environmental values and valuation of natural resources and ecosystem services. TARGET AUDIENCES: We have a wide variety of clients and customers for this research including public land managers at all levels of government, non-profit groups, policy makers, university faculty, and professional researchers in related fields. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None.

Impacts
This year we made a number of presentations related to this research and produced 10 publications. The following three publications are good examples: Larson, K.L.; Nelson, K.C.; Samples, S.R.; Hall, S.J.; Bettez, N.; Cavender-Bares, J.; Groffman, P.M.; Grove, J.M.; Heffernan, J.B.; Hobbie, S.E.; Learned, J.; Morse, J.L.; Neill, C.; Ogden, L.A.; O⿿Neil-Dunne, J.; Pataki, D.E.; Polsky, C.; Chowdhury, R.R.; Steele, M.; Trammel, T.L.E. 2015. Ecosystem Services in Managing Residential Landscapes: Priorities, Value Dimensions, and Cross-Regional Patterns. Urban Ecosystems. 1-19. Miller, K.A.; Snyder, S.A.; Kilgore, M.A. 2015. State Forestry Agency Perspectives on Carbon Management and Carbon Market Assistance to Family Forest Owners. Journal of Forestry. 113(4):372-380. Sachdeva, S.; Mazar, N.; Jordan, J. 2015. Green consumerism: moral motivations to a sustainable future. Current Opinion in Psychology. 6:60-65.

Publications

• Berec, Ludek; Kean, John M.; Epanchin-Niell, Rebecca; Liebhold, Andrew M.; Haight, Robert G. 2015. Designing efficient surveys: spatial arrangement of sample points for detection of invasive species. Biological Invasions. 17(1): 445-459.
• Kilgore, Michael A.; Snyder, Stephanie A.; Eryilmaz, Derya; Markowski-Lindsay, Marla A.; Butler, Brett J.; Kittredge, David B.; Catanzaro, Paul F.; Hewes, Jaketon H.; Andrejczyk, Kyle. 2015. Assessing the relationship between different forms of landowner assistance and family forest owner behaviors and intentions. Journal of Forestry. 113(1): 12-19.
• Larson, K.L.; Nelson, K.C.; Samples, S.R.; Hall, S.J.; Bettez, N.; Cavender-Bares, J.; Groffman, P.M.; Grove, M.; Heffernan, J.B.; Hobbie, S.E.; Learned, J.; Morse, J.L.; Neill, C.; Ogden, L.A.; O'Neil-Dunne, J.; Pataki, D.E.; Polsky, C.; Chowdhury, R. Roy; Steele, M.; Trammell, T.L.E. 2015. Ecosystem services in managing residential landscapes: priorities, value dimensions, and cross-regional patterns. Urban Ecosystems. doi: 10.1007/s11252-015-0477-1.
• Miller, Kristell A.; Snyder, Stephanie A.; Kilgore, Michael A. 2015. State forestry agency perspectives on carbon management and carbon market assistance to family forest owners. Journal of Forestry. 113(4): 372-380.
• Moser, Keith W.; Hansen, Mark H.; Gormanson, Dale; Gilbert, Jonathan; Wrobel, Alexandra; Emery, Marla; Dockry, Michael J. 2015. Paper Birch (Wiigwaas) of theLake States, 1980-2010 with special emphasis on bark characteristics in the territories ceded in the treaties of 1836, 1837, 1842, and 1854. General Technical Report NRS-149. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: [No volume].[No issue]: 1-37. Series.
• Moser, W. Keith; Hansen, Mark H.; Gormanson, Dale; Gilbert, Jonathan; Wrobel, Alexandra; Emery, Marla R.; Dockry, Michael J. 2015. Paper birch (Wiigwaas) of the Lake States, 1980-2010. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-149. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 37 p.
• Poland, Therese M.; Ciaramitaro, Tina M.; Emery, Marla R.; Crook, Damon J.; Pigeon, Ed; Pigeon, Angie 2015. Submergence of black ash logs to control emerald ash borer and preserve wood for American Indian basketmaking. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 17(4): 412-420.
• Ronnqvist, M.; D'Amours, S.; Weintraub, A.; Jofre, A.; Gunn, E.; Haight, R.G.; Martell, D.; Murray, A.T.; Romero, C. 2015. Operations research challenges in forestry: 33 open problems. Annals of Operations Research. 232:11-40.
• Sachdeva, Sonya; Jordan, Jennifer; Mazar, Nina. 2015. Green consumerism: moral motivations to a sustainable future. Current Opinion in Psychology. 6: 60-65.
• Miller, Kristell A.; Snyder, Stephanie A.; Kilgore, Mike A.; Davenport, Mae A. 2014. Family forest landowners' interest in forest carbon offset programs: Focus group findings from the Lake States, USA. Environmental Management. 54(6): 1399-1411.

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The concept of value is important in several ways to the management of forests and other natural resources. Some of our research on this problem focuses on the economic costs and benefits of managing forests and other natural resources. We look, for example, at the different strategies for detecting and managing invasive plants and insects and at how funds can be spent most effectively to combat these pests. We also take into account that the same natural resources can provide ⿿value⿿ in both monetary and non-monetary ways to a wide range of people. PARTICIPANTS: Through cooperative agreements, we work with several universities, state and local government agencies, and not-for-profit groups on research related to environmental values and valuation of natural resources and ecosystem services. TARGET AUDIENCES: We have a wide variety of clients and customers for this research including public land managers at all levels of government, non-profit groups, policy makers, university faculty, and professional researchers in related fields. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None.

Impacts
This year we made a number of presentations related to this research and produced 9 publications. The following three publications are good examples: Butler, B.J.; Markowski-Lindsay, M.; Snyder, S.; Catanzaro, P.; Kittredge, D.B.; Andrejczyk, K.; Dickinson, D.E.; Hewes, J.H.; Randler, P.; Tadle, D.; Kilgore, M.A. 2014. Effectiveness of Landowner Assistance Activities: An Examination of the USDA Forest Service's Forest Stewardship Program. Journal of Forestry. 112(2):187-197. Miller, K.A., Kilgore, M.A., and S.A. Snyder. 2013. Family forest landowners' interest in forest carbon credit programs: Focus group findings from the Lake States. Staff Paper Series #224. Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN:45 pg. Stevens, T.H.; More, T.A.; Markowski-Lindsay, M. 2014. Declining national park visitation: An economic analysis. Journal of Leisure Research. 46(2):153-164.

Publications

• Butler, Brett J.; Hewes, Jaketon H.; Liknes, Greg C.; Nelson, Mark D.; Snyder, Stephanie A. 2014. A comparison of techniques for generating forest ownership spatial products. Applied Geography. 46: 21-34.
• Butler, Brett J.; Markowski-Lindsay, Marla; Snyder, Stephanie; Catanzaro, Paul; Kittredge, David B.; Andrejczyk, Kyle; Dickinson, Brenton J.; Eryilmaz, Derya; Hewes, Jaketon H.; Randler, Paula; Tadle, Donna; Kilgore, Michael A. 2014. Effectiveness of landowner assistance activities: an examination of the USDA Forest Service's Forest Stewardship Program. Journal of Forestry. 112(2): 187-197.
• Erdem, M.; Nassauer, J.I. 2013 Design of brownfield landscapes under different contaminant remediation policies in Europe and the United States. Landscape Journal. 32(2):277-292.
• Fackler, Paul L.; Haight, Robert G. 2014. Monitoring as a partially observable decision problem. Resource and Energy Economics. 37: 226-241.
• Gobster, Paul H. 2014. Re-wilding Europe's traditional agricultural landscapes: Values and the link between science and practice. Landscape and Urban Planning. 126: 65. [an editorial introduction].
• Kovacs, Kent F.; Haight, Robert G.; Mercader, Rodrigo J.; McCullough, Deborah G. 2014. A bioeconomic analysis of an emerald ash borer invasion of an urban forest with multiple jurisdictions. Resource and Energy Economics. 36(1): 270-289.
• Miller, K.A., Kilgore, M.A., and S.A. Snyder. 2013. Family forest landowners⿿ interest in forest carbon credit programs: Focus group findings from the Lake States. Staff Paper Series #224. Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN:45 pg.
• Stevens, Thomas H.; More, Thomas A.; Markowski-Lindsay, Marla. 2014. Declining national park visitation: An economic analysis. Journal of Leisure Research. 46(2):153-164.
• Westphal, Lynne M.; Watkins, Cristy; Gobster, Paul H.; Heneghan, Liam; Ross, Kristen; Ross, Laurel; Tudor, Madeleine; Wali, Alaka; Wise, David H.; Vining, Joanne; Zellner, Moira. 2014. Social science methods used in the RESTORE Project. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-138. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 116 p.

Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
OUTPUTS: In this research area we examined how cost-effective strategies are needed to find and remove diseased trees in forests damaged by pathogens. We develop a model of cost-minimizing surveillance and control of forest pathogens across multiple sites where there is uncertainty about the extent of the infestation in each site and when the goal is to minimize the expected number of new infections. We allow for a heterogeneous landscape, where grid cells may be differentiated by the number of trees, the expected number of infected trees, rates of infection growth, and costs of surveillance and control. In our application to oak wilt in Anoka County, Minnesota, USA, we develop a cost curve associated with saving healthy trees from infection. Assuming an annual infection growth rate of 8%, a $1 million budget would save an expected 185 trees from infection for an average of $5400 per tree. We investigate how more precise prior estimates of disease and reduced detection sensitivity affect model performance. We evaluate rules of thumb, finding that prioritizing sites with high proportions of infected trees is best. Our model provides practical guidance about the spatial allocation of surveillance and control resources for well-studied forest pathogens when only modest information about their geographic distribution is available. PARTICIPANTS: Collaborators who worked within this problem area are collaborators T. Horie, F.R. Homans, R.C. Vennette and NRS 9 scientist Robert Haight, Ph.D. TARGET AUDIENCES: Natural Resource Managers, community groups and organizers, policy makers at the local and regional level and recreation focused non-governmental organizations.

Impacts
Invasive pests and pathogens have a significant impact on not only the value of the urban forest, but its associated neighborhoods. In these tight budget times, managers of the urban forest need to be able to target surveillance for these pests and pathogens to both increase the effectiveness of management and to not waste precious time and funds. This research shows a means towards this critical end.

Publications

• Burns, Eileen S.; Toth, Sandor F.; Haight, Robert G. 2013. A modeling framework for life history-based conservation planning. Biological Conservation. 158: 14-25.
• Busby, Gwenlyn; Amacher, Gregory S.; Haight, Robert G. 2013. The social costs of homeowner decisions in fire-prone communities: information, insurance, and amenities. Ecological Economics. 92: 104-113.
• Horie, Tetsuya; Haight, Robert G.; Homans, Frances R.; Venette, Robert C. 2013. Optimal strategies for the surveillance and control of forest pathogens: A case study with oak wilt. Ecological Economics. 86:78-85.
• Kovacs, Kent F.; Haight, Robert G.; Jung, Suhyun; Locke, Dexter H.; ONeil-Dunne, Jarlath. 2013. The marginal cost of carbon abatement from planting street trees in New York City. Ecological Economics. 95: 1-10.
• Mincey, S.K.; Hutten, M.; Fischer, B.C.; Evans, T.P.; Stewart, S.I.; Vogt, J.M. 2013. Structuring Institutional Analysis for Urban Ecosystems: A Key to Sustainable Urban Forest Management. Urban Ecosystems. Urban Ecosystems. 16:553-571.
• Sander, Heather A.; Haight, Robert G. 2012. Estimating the economic value of cultural ecosystem services in an urbanizing area using hedonic pricing. Journal of Environmental Management. 113: 194-205.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: One output in this research area examined the recreational needs and uses of the population of the United States. Currently the U.S. population is increasing and a higher proportion of that population is participating in outdoor recreation, yet the amount of public land remains static. These trends have implications for recreational pressure, conflict, and crowding on public lands. Access to rural private lands has long been advocated as a means of alleviating these pressures by providing public recreational access opportunities. However, recreators are facing increasing challenges in gaining access to private lands and the amount of private land accessible to the public is declining. Using the USDA Forest Service⿿s National Woodland Owner Survey, we examined several factors: How prevalent is public recreational access on family forestland? What influences whether a family forest owner allows public access? And, are there regional differences in the supply of public access? PARTICIPANTS: Collaborators who worked within this problem area are Dr. Brett J. Butler, NRS, FIA, Amherst, MA and Stephanie Snyder, Ph.D., NRS 9. TARGET AUDIENCES: Natural Resource Managers, community groups and organizers, policy makers at the local and regional level and recreation focused non-governmental organizations.

Impacts
The research in this study found provision of public recreational access was modest, with fifteen percent of respondents allowing it. Factors that positively correlated with the provision of public access included: owning more forestland, being a resident owner, owning an associated farm/ranch, participating in leasing or timber management activities and possessing a management plan. Negative factors included: posting one⿿s land, having privacy concerns, owning land for hunting, and being an older or more educated owner. Regional differences showed that compared to landowners in the North, Southern landowners were less likely and Rocky Mountain landowners more likely to provide public access. Our results raise the question of whether family forest landowners are aware of, or responsive to, a variety of government-sponsored public access incentive programs which are designed to promote access to private lands.

Publications

• Daniel, T.C.; Muhar, A.; Arnberger, A.; Aznar, O.; Boyd, J.W.; Chan, K.M.A.; Costanza, R.; Elmqvist, T.; Flint, C.G.; Gobster, P.H.; Grêt-Regamey, A.; Lave, R.; Muhar, S.; Penker, M.; Ribe, R.G.; Schauppenlehner, T.; Sikor, T.; Soloviy, I.; Spierenburg, M.; Taczanowska, K.; Tam, J.; von der Dunk, A. 2012. Contributions of cultural services to the ecosystem services agenda. PNAS. Proceedings, National Academy of Sciences. 109(23):8812-8819.
• Heneghan, L.; Mulvaney, C.; Ross, K.; Umek, L.; Watkins, C.; Westphal, L.M.; Wise, D.H. 2012. Lessons Learned from Chicago Wilderness⿿Implementing and Sustaining Conservation Management in an Urban Setting. Diversity. 4(1):74-93.
• McLain, R.J.; MacFarland, K.; Brody, L.; Hebert, J.; Hurley, P.; Poe, M.; Buttolph, L.P.; Gabriel, N.; Dzuna, M.; Emery, M.R.; Charnley, S. 2012. Gathering in the city: an annotated bibliography and review of the literature about human-plant interactions in urban ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-849. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 107 p.
• Miller, K.; Kilgore, M.; Snyder, S.A. 2012. Assessing the Willingness of Family Forest Owners to Participate in Carbon Offset Projects: A Case Study in the Lake States. University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources. Staff Paper Series (No. 217):63 pgs.
• Schroeder, Herbert W. 2011. Does beauty still matter? Experiential and utilitarian values of urban trees. In: Trees, people and the built environment. Proceedings of the Urban Trees Research Conference; 2011 April 13-14; Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK. Institute of Chartered Foresters: 159-165.
• Schroeder, Herbert W. 2012. Giving voice to the experiential value of natural environments. The Humanistic Psychologist. 40: 136-152.
• Snyder, Stephanie A.; Stockmann, Keith D.; Morris, Gaylord E. 2012. An optimization modeling approach to awarding large fire support wildfire helicopter contracts from the US Forest Service. Forest Science. 58(2): 130-138.

Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The research highlighted below resulted in the production of a DVD, the publication of papers as well as presentations and awards. As a result of the desire by local environmental educators in Minnesota to connect ethnic minorities, such as the Hmong, with nature and nature based activities, a conservation education DVD entitled, ⿿The Wildlife and Wilderness Exploration Show,⿝ was produced. This multi-award winning DVD puts a modern twist on traditional Hmong storytelling, delivering key messages in segments covering a wide range of topics. The topics tackled in the DVD were identified through interviews with Hmong natural resource professionals across the United States. Other outputs in this problem include highlighted work surrounding the assessment of the economic damage caused by another invasive forest pathogen, Wilt Oak; work on the emerging bioenergy markets in the U.S. Corn Belt; a study examining the national public's values and interests related to the Arctic national Wildlife Refuge; an examination of the diverse values and motivations of family forest owners in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Foung Heu, Digital Motion LLC, St. Paul, MN, Dr. Michele Schermann, University of Minnesota, May Lee-Yang, Hmong Arts Connection, St. Paul, MN, and Kao Thao, Park Naturalist, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Other collaborators who worked within this problem area are David Bengston, Ph.D., Robert Haight, Ph.D., Sarah M. McCaffrey, Ph.D. and Lynne M. Westphal, Ph.D. TARGET AUDIENCES: Natural Resource Managers, community groups and organizers, ethnic minority activists and leaders, environmental educations, policy makers at the local and regional level.

Impacts
One outcome of our research this year helped in establishing the education of ethnic minorities of locally available natural resources. Without culturally appropriate environmental education materials and outreach tools, conservation professionals and educators lack the know-how and ability to help ethnic minorities such as the Hmong connect with nature and nature-based activities. Since DVDs have become a popular form of entertainment in contemporary Hmong American culture, it was a natural format choice to reach out to new refugees and elders with little proficiency in English as well as the broader, multigenerational Hmong community. David Bengston of the Northern Research Station in St. Paul, Minnesota and Michele Schermann of the University of Minnesota, along with Hmong natural resource professionals and the Hmong arts and theater community produced a DVD entirely in the Hmong language with English subtitles entitled, ⿿The Wildlife and Wilderness Exploration Show.⿝ The educational messages delivered in this DVD cover topics such as using public lands, regulations and safety, fire prevention, gathering wild plants and the concept of ⿿leave no trace.⿝ The DVD has been well received by the Hmong community and has earned Dr. Bengston the Northern Research Station's Civil Rights Multicultural Achievement Award for 2011, as well as the 2011 Northern Research Station Engaging Urban American Award.

Publications

• Gobster, Paul H. 2010. Urban ecological restoration (Introduction to a special theme issue). Nature and Culture. 5(3): 227-230.
• Gobster, Paul H. 2011. Landscape and urban planning at 100: Looking back moving forward. Landscape and Urban Planning. 100(4): 315-317.
• Gobster, Paul H.; Buchner, David M. 2010. Healthy outdoor recreation: An integrated approach to linking physical activity with wellness goals Chapter 38. In: Payne, L.; Ainsworth, B.; Godbey, G., eds. Leisure, health and wellness: Making the connections. State College, PA.: Venture Publishing: 437-446.
• Haight, Robert G.; Homans, Frances R.; Horie, Tetsuya; Mehta, Shefali V.; Smith, David J.; Venette, Robert C. 2011. Assessing the cost of an invasive forest pathogen; A case study with oak wilt. Environmental Management. 47: 506-517.
• Kovacs, Kent F.; Mercader, Rodrigo J.; Haight, Robert G.; Siegert, Nathan W.; McCullough, Deborah G.; Liebhold, Andrew M. 2011. The influence of satellite populations of emerald ash borer on projected economic damage in US communities, 2010-2020. Journal of Environmental Management. 92: 2170-2181.
• Kovacs, Kent; Václavík, Tomas; Haight, Robert G.; Pang, Arwin; Cunniffe, Nik J.; Gilligan, Christopher A.; Meentemeyer, Ross K. 2011. Predicting the economic costs and property value losses attributed to sudden oak death damage in California (2010-2020). Journal of Environmental Management. 92: 1292-1302.
• Locke, Dexter; Grove, J. Morgan; Lu, Jacqueline W.T.; Troy, Austin; O'Neil-Dunne, Jarlath P.M.; Beck, Brian. 2010. Prioritizing preferable locations for increasing urban tree canopy in New York City. Cities and the Environment 3(1):18.
• Lu, Jacqueline W.T.; Svendsen, Erika S.; Campbell, Lindsay K.; Greenfeld, Jennifer; Braden, Jessie; King, Kristen; Falxa-Raymond, Nancy. 2010. Biological, social, and urban design factors affecting young street tree mortality in New York City. Cities and the Environment. 3(1): 1-15.
• Nassauer, Joan I.; Dowdell, Jennifer A.; Wang, Zhifang; McKahn, Danielle; Chilcott, Brian; Kling, Catherine L.; Secchi, Silvia. 2011. Iowa farmers' responses to transformative scenarios for Corn Belt agriculture. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 66(1).
• Skog, Ken; Howard, James; Alexander, Susan; Cordell, Ken; Emery, Marla; Mercer, Evan; Mou, Shela; Magis, Kristen; McDonough, Maureen. 2011 Maintenance and Enhancement of Long-Term Multiple Socioeconomic Benefits To Meet the Needs of Societies. In: National report on sustainable forests - 2011. FS-979. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: II-67 to II-106.
• Svendsen, Erika S. 2011. Civic Environmental Stewardship as a Form of Governance in New York City. Ph.D. Dissertation, Columbia University, New York City
• Toman, Eric; Stidham, Melanie; Shindler, Bruce; McCaffrey, Sarah. 2011. Reducing fuels in the wildland urban interface: Community perceptions of agency fuels treatments. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 20: 340-349.
• Atwell, Ryan. C.; Schulte, Lisa. A.; Westphal, Lynne M. 2011. Tweak, adapt, or transform: Policy scenarios in response to emerging bioenergy markets in the U.S. corn belt. Ecology and Society. 16 (1): 10. 15 p.
• Becker, Dennis R.; McCaffrey, Sarah M.; Abbas, Dalia; Halvorsen, Kathleen E.; Jakes, Pamela; Moseley, Cassandra. 2011. Conventional wisdoms of woody biomass utilization on federal public lands. Journal of Forestry. June: 208-218.
• Bengston, David N.; Asah, Stanley T.; Butler, Brett J. 2011. The diverse values and motivations of family forest owners in the United States: An analysis of an open-ended question in the National Woodland Owner Survey. Small-Scale Forestry. 10: 339-355.
• Bengston, David N.; Fan, David P.; Kaye, Roger. 2010. The national public's values and interests related to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: A computer content analysis. International Journal of Wilderness. 16(3): 13-20.
• Charnley, Susan; Jakes, Pamela; Schelhas, John, tech. coords. 2011. A socioeconomic assessment of Forest Service American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects: eight case studies. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-831. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 168 p.
• Gimmi, Urs; Schmidt, Shelley M.; Hawbaker, Todd J.; Alcantara, Camilo; Gafvert, Ulf; Radeloff, Volker C. 2010. Decreasing effectiveness of protected areas due to increasing development in the surroundings of U.S. National Park Service holdings after park establishment. Journal of Environmental Management. 92(2011):229-239.

Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research in the agroecosystems of Iowa came out this year in tow publications (two more are pending). Together, this research suggests means to improve provision of ecosystem services, including clean water, while continuing the important benefits of food crop production. Other outputs in this problem include: - Co-organization of the First Global Forum on Ecological Economics in Forestry, August 19-21 2009 Nanjing China. This conference brought together researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss the critical role of understanding the ecosystem services provided by forests, including their role in mitigating climate change. - Analysis of public comment on nontimber forest products proposed rule. A proposed rule on collection of nontimber forest products generated significant public comment. We conducted a systematic analysis of these comments for the Washington Office, thereby improving the final decision (which was to suspend implementation of the rule). PARTICIPANTS: Participants in the research highlighted above include Iowa state officials in agriculture, Farm Bureau, NGOs like the Nature Conservancy, farm management businesses (e.g. consulting firms), county and local officials and farmers. The research was lead by Dr. Ryan Atwell (currently a fellow with AAAS, then a PhD candidate at Iowa State University), Dr. Lisa Schulte-Moore (Iowa State University) and Dr. Lynne M. Westphal (NRS). Unit scientific staff that worked in this problem area: Robert Haight, PhD, David Bengston, PhD, Herbert Schroeder, PhD, Lynne Westphal, PhD, Sarah McCaffrey, PhD, Stephanie Snyder, PhD Susan Stewart, PhD TARGET AUDIENCES: Natural resource managers and policy makers at the local, regional, and national levels. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None

Impacts
One research outcome in Problem 4 relates to water quality and other ecosystem services from land devoted to row crop agriculture. In the last 200 years, upwards of 80% of the land in the U.S. Corn Belt agroecosystem has been converted from natural perennial vegetation to intensive row crop agricultural production. While this provided many important benefits, the practices used also cause significant problems, including significant water quality impacts that effect not just the local waters, but at a hemispheric scale (e.g., contributions to the hypoxia, or the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico). Despite research showing how re-integration of perennial vegetation (e.g., cover crops, pasture, riparian buffers, and restored wetlands) at strategic landscape positions can bolster declining water quality, the land area devoted to row crop production in the Corn Belt continues to grow. As this region enters a time of fast-paced and uncertain reorganization driven by the emerging bio-economy, changes in land use will continue to take place which will impact the resilience of the Corn Belt's linked social and ecological systems for years to come. Resilience and diffusion of innovations are two theories that investigate how change is brought about in systems through the adaptation and innovation of social actors. We integrate these two frameworks to improve understanding of how rural Corn Belt stakeholders make conservation decisions in the midst of an uncertain future. We found that the adoption of conservation practices is based, not simply on immediate profitability, but upon the interplay between contextual factors at three distinct levels of the system: 1) compatibility with farm priorities, profitability, practices, and technologies; 2) community-level reinforcement through local social networks, norms, and support structures; and 3) consistent, straightforward, flexible, and well-targeted incentives and regulations issuing from regional institutions. But our research points to some potential solutions, including engaging in collaborative learning at the community level that would result in locally-relevant changes with significant regional impacts. This could lead to more widespread adoption of perennial cover types in the Corn Belt.

Publications

• Carrión-Flores, Carmen; Irwin, Elena G. 2010. Identifying spatial interactions in the presence of spatial error autocorrelation: An application to land use spillovers. Resource and Energy Economics. 32(2): 135-153.
• Gavier-Pizarro,Gregorio I ; Radeloff, Volker C.; Stewart, Susan I.; Huebner,Cynthia D.;Keuler, Nicholas S. 2010. Housing is positively associated with invasive exotic plant species richness in New England. Ecological Applications. 20(7): 1913-1925
• Gavier-Pizarro,Gregorio I.; Radeloff, Volker C.; Stewart, Susan I.; Huebner, Cynthia D.; Keuler, Nicholas S. 2010. Rural Housing is Related to Plant Invasions in Forests of Southern Wisocnsin, USA. Landscape Ecology. DOI 10.1007/s10980-010-9516-8. Published online 9/7/2010.
• Gobster, Paul H. 2010. Development of ecological aesthetics in the West: A landscape perception and assessment perspective. Academic Research. (4): 2-14.
• Haight, Robert G.; Polasky, Stephen. 2010. Optimal control of an invasive species with imperfect information about the level of infestation. Resource and Energy Economics. 32: 519-533.
• Kovacs, Kent F.; Haight, Robert G.; McCullough, Deborah G.; Mercader, Rodrigo J.; Siegert, Nathan W.; Liebhold, Andrew M. 2010. Cost of potential emerald ash borer damage in U.S. communities, 2009-2019
• Sander, Heather; Polasky, Stephen; Haight, Robert. 2010. The value of urban tree cover: A hedonic property price model in Ramsey and Dakota Counties, Minnesota, USA. Ecological Economics. 69: 1646-1656.
• Vemuri, Amanda; Grove, J. Morgan; Wilson, Matthew; Burch, William R., Jr. 2009. A Tale of Two Scales: Evaluating the Relationship between Life Satisfaction, Social Capital, Income and the Natural Environment at Individual and Neighborhood Levels in Metropolitan Baltimore. Environment and Behavior. First published on September 3, 2009 as doi:10.1177/0013916509338551
• Wen, Zuomin; Bengston, David N.; Youn, Yeo-Chang; Gupta, Hemant. (eds.) 2010. Proceedings of the First Global Forum on Ecological Economics in Forestry. Beijing, China: China Forestry Publishing House. pp.1-286.

Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research in the agroecosystems of Iowa came out this year in tow publications (two more are pending). Together, this research suggests means to improve provision of ecosystem services, including clean water, while continuing the important benefits of food crop production. Other outputs in this problem include: ⿢ Co-organization of the First Global Forum on Ecological Economics in Forestry, August 19-21 2009 Nanjing China. This conference brought together researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss the critical role of understanding the ecosystem services provided by forests, including their role in mitigating climate change. ⿢ Analysis of public comment on nontimber forest products proposed rule. A proposed rule on collection of nontimber forest products generated significant public comment. We conducted a systematic analysis of these comments for the Washington Office, thereby improving the final decision (which was to suspend implementation of the rule). PARTICIPANTS: Participants in the research highlighted above include Iowa state officials in agriculture, Farm Bureau, NGOs like the Nature Conservancy, farm management businesses (e.g. consulting firms), county and local officials and farmers. The research was lead by Dr. Ryan Atwell (currently a fellow with AAAS, then a PhD candidate at Iowa State University), Dr. Lisa Schulte-Moore (Iowa State University) and Dr. Lynne M. Westphal (NRS). Unit scientific staff that worked in this problem area: Robert Haight, PhD David Bengston, PhD Herbert Schroeder, PhD Lynne Westphal, PhD Sarah McCaffrey, PhD Stephanie Snyder, PhD Susan Stewart, PhD TARGET AUDIENCES: Natural resource managers and policy makers at the local, regional, and national levels. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None

Impacts
One research outcome in Problem 4 relates to water quality and other ecosystem services from land devoted to row crop agriculture. In the last 200 years, upwards of 80% of the land in the U.S. Corn Belt agroecosystem has been converted from natural perennial vegetation to intensive row crop agricultural production. While this provided many important benefits, the practices used also cause significant problems, including significant water quality impacts that effect not just the local waters, but at a hemispheric scale (e.g., contributions to the hypoxia, or the ⿿dead zone⿝ in the Gulf of Mexico). Despite research showing how re-integration of perennial vegetation (e.g., cover crops, pasture, riparian buffers, and restored wetlands) at strategic landscape positions can bolster declining water quality, the land area devoted to row crop production in the Corn Belt continues to grow. As this region enters a time of fast-paced and uncertain reorganization driven by the emerging bio-economy, changes in land use will continue to take place which will impact the resilience of the Corn Belt⿿s linked social and ecological systems for years to come. ⿿Resilience⿿ and ⿿diffusion of innovations⿿ are two theories that investigate how change is brought about in systems through the adaptation and innovation of social actors. We integrate these two frameworks to improve understanding of how rural Corn Belt stakeholders make conservation decisions in the midst of an uncertain future. We found that the adoption of conservation practices is based, not simply on immediate profitability, but upon the interplay between contextual factors at three distinct levels of the system: 1) compatibility with farm priorities, profitability, practices, and technologies; 2) community-level reinforcement through local social networks, norms, and support structures; and 3) consistent, straightforward, flexible, and well-targeted incentives and regulations issuing from regional institutions. But our research points to some potential solutions, including engaging in collaborative learning at the community level that would result in locally-relevant changes with significant regional impacts. This could lead to more widespread adoption of perennial cover types in the Corn Belt.

Publications

• Allen, Stewart D.; Wickwar, Denise A.; Clark, Fred P.; Potts, Robert; Snyder, Stephanie A. 2009. Values, beliefs, and attitudes technical guide for Forest Service land and resource management, planning, and decisionmaking. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-788. Portland, OR, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 112 p.
• Atwell, Ryan C. ; Schulte, Lisa A. ; Westphal, Lynne M. 2009. Landscape, community, countryside: linking biophysical and social scales in US Corn Belt agricultural landscapes. Landscape Ecology 24:6, 791-806.
• Bengston, David N. and Michele A. Schermann. 2008. Hmong Americans: Issues and strategies related to outdoor recreation. Pages 19-24 in: Maria Allison and Ingrid Schneider (eds.), Diversity and the Recreation Profession: Organizational Perspectives (Revised Edition). State College, PA: Venture Publishing. (Published Sept. 30, 2008).
• Bengston, David N.; Butler, Brett J.; Asah, Stanley T. 2009. Values and motivations of private forest owners in the United States: a framework based on open-ended responses in the national woodland owner survey. In: Klenosky, David B.; Fisher, Cherie LeBlanc, eds. Proceedings of the 2008 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium; 2008 March 30 - April 1; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-42. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 60-66.
• Bengston, David N.; Schermann, Michele A.; Moua, MaiKia; Lee, Tou Thai. 2008. Listening to Neglected Voices: Hmong Americans and Public Lands in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Society and Natural Resources 21(10): 876⿿890. Nov.-Dec.
• Bengston, David N.; Xu, Zhi. 2009. Changing national forest values. Pages 283-294 in: Klaus Krippendorff and Mary Angela Bock (eds.), The Content Analysis Reader. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. (reprint of 1995 paper).
• Crowley, Christian S.L.; Malik, Arun S.; Amacher, Gregory S.; Haight, Robert G. 2009. Adjacency Externalities and Forest Fire Prevention. Land Economics 85(1):162-185.
• De Sousa, Christopher A.; Wu, Changshan; Westphal, Lynne. 2009. Assessing the Effect of Publicly Assisted Brownfield Redevelopment on Surrounding Property Values. Economic Development Quarterly 23(2):95-110.
• Haight, Robert G.; Gobster, Paul H. 2009. Social and economic considerations for planning wildlife conservation in large landscapes. In: Millspaugh, J.J.; Thompson, F.R., eds. Models for planning wildlife conservation in large landscapes. Burlington, MA: Academic Press: 123-152).
• Haight, Robert G.; Snyder, Stephanie A. 2009. Integer Programming Methods for Reserve Selection and Design. Spatial Conservation Prioritization Quantitative Methods and Computational Tools. Moilanen, Atte; Wilson, Kerrie A; Possingham, Hugh. Oxford University Press: 43-57. Book Chapter.
• Kilgore, Michael A.; Snyder, Stephanie; Taff, Steven; Schertz, Joseph 2008. Family forest stewardship: do owners need a financial incentive?. Journal of Forestry. October/November: 357-362.
• More, Thomas A.; Urdaneta, Bernardo; Stevens, Thomas H. 2008. Shifting National Park Policies and Local People: A Case Study of Acadia National Park. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 26(4):105-125.
• Klenosky, David B.; Fisher, Cherie LeBlanc; eds. 2009. Proceedings of the 2008 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-42. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 356 p. Online only.