Source: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING CONSERVATION-RELEVANT ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1001258
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2013
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2018
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
1680 MADISON AVENUE
WOOSTER,OH 44691
Performing Department
School of Natural Resources
Non Technical Summary
Natural resource management agencies currently face a number of inter-related problems that directly affect their ability to effectively manage and conserve the public's resources. Increases in the human population and the associated rural development and urbanization can result in dramatically altered landscapes, changing the way people interact with wildlife and necessitating increased conservation efforts. Participation in hunting and fishing has been declining in recent decades (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2007); as primary source of funding for nearly all state agencies is the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, decreases in participation amounts to less funding available to agencies for conservation and other management activities (Heberlein, 1991). This suite of inter-related set of problems (i.e. decreasing license sales/funding, increasing need for conservation, and increased conflict due to diversifying interests) has resulted in a situation where agencies have less money to conduct and promote conservation and management-related activities.My research is designed to understand and explain human attitudes and actions, primarily through the use of psychological modeling. My studies generally target attitudes and behaviors of interest to natural resource professionals. My research primarily utilizes cross-sectional surveys of relevant subpopulations. Data may be collected via phone, mail or web-based surveys, as well as personal interviews. Constructs will be measured following standard psychometric procedures. I may also use other methodologies inlcuding experiments, longitudinal (within-subjects) designs, content analysis, focus groups, etc.Overall, this research is designed to provide information that is useful to conservation and community learders about how human activities affect and are affected by our broader environment. My research provides direct benefits to the agencies as well as the general public by (1) affording a mechanism for agencies to better understand the beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors of constituent groups and incorporate this information into agency decision-making, and (2) providing information relevant to the development of educational and outreach materials that directly address gaps in the knowledge of various constituent groups, and allow agencies to more effectively communicate with the public.
Animal Health Component
90%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
90%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1360860305030%
3150899307010%
1340899307035%
8030899307025%
Knowledge Area
136 - Conservation of Biological Diversity; 803 - Sociological and Technological Change Affecting Individuals, Families, and Communities; 134 - Outdoor Recreation; 315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection;

Subject Of Investigation
0899 - Wildlife and natural fisheries, general/other; 0860 - Endangered species;

Field Of Science
3070 - Psychology; 3050 - Law;
Goals / Objectives
To explain/predict (through the use of statistical models) participation in various forms of outdoor recreation.To better understand factors underlying conservation-related attitudes and behaviors.To determine if attitudes regarding the use of natural resources are changing at both the societal and individual levels.To determine factors that contribute to change in attitudes and values regarding the use of natural resources.
Project Methods
I plan to use a variety of research methodologies in addressing the above objectives, including cross sectional surveys, experiments, longitudinal (within-subjects) designs, as well content analysis, focus groups, and stakeholder interviews. I anticipate that the majority of my research will use cross-sectional surveys of relevant subpopulations. Data may be collected via phone, mail or web-based surveys, as well as personal interviews. Constructs will be measured following standard psychometric procedures. Briefly, this approach involves identifying and assessing multiple, observable indicators of latent constructs (e.g. attitudes). Factor analyses (confirmatory and exploratory) will be used to determine the factor structure of models and assess their fit to observed data, and various forms of regression analyses and/or structural equation modeling will be used to determine the strength of the relationships among observed and latent variables of interest.

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include: (1) lawmakers, (2) fish and wildlife agency researchers/scientists, (3) fish and wildlife agency administrators and decision-makers, (4) conservation scientists/professionals, (5) undergraduate students, and (6) graduate students. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As part of this project, we organized several trainings for local professional audiences as well as hosted short courses in which we trained conservation professionals at both national and international venues every year. Specifically, we · Trained 32 conservational professionals on social science concepts and methods applicable to international contexts (2018). Due to increased demand for similar trainings, we also organized 2 other new short courses for the 2018 North American Congress for Conservation Biology. · Trained 12 conservational professionals on social science theories and methods applicable to international contexts (2017). · Organized and hosted a stakeholder involvement process that uses Structured Decision-Making to set Ohio's deer management goals for the next decade (2017-2018). · Organized and hosted a workshop titled, "Integrated Carnivore-Livestock Management Workshop" that was attended by approximately 35 students and wildlife professionals (presentations were recorded and are available online) (2017). · Organized a series of 5 training sessions for researchers with the Ohio Division of Wildlife on how to utilize social science methods to collect data on the agency's stakeholders (2016). · Organized a workshop comprised of 5 presentations from government employees and university academics on the Endangered Species Act in coordination with the Ohio DNR and Ohio State Extension (2015). · Organized and attended a workshop on large carnivore conservation held in Yellowstone National Park (2014). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In support of our project goals, project PIs and direct reports have given 75 presentations geared at local, regional, national and international audiences. Specifically, we: · Reached undergraduate and graduate students as well as agency professionals, in local venues such as OSU's Steam Exchange, Columbus Science Pub, 4th Annual Environmental Film Series (OSU), and through courses taught. · Reached local conservation professionals and agency decision-makers in venues such as Integrated Carnivore-Livestock Management Workshop (OSU), Lake Erie - Inland Waters Annual Research Review (Ohio Division of Wildlife), and the National Parks Adventure IMAX 3D (Columbus Center of Science and Industry). · Reached lawmakers through targeted technical reports and letters, (e.g., PI Bruskotter co-authored a letter to the U.S. Congress detailing why federal delisting of wolves under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 was premature) and prepartion of Congressional Testimony (e.g. PI Bruskotter assisting in the prepration of testimony of Dr. John A.Vucetich, who testified before Congress on the subject of gray wolves' listing status, specifically, addressing questions related to changes in attitudes towards gray wolves and the U.S. Endangered Species Act). · Reached other conservation scientists through publication of >40 journal articles, >60 technical reports and presentation at a wide variety of national and international conferences (e.g., International Congress for Conservation Biology, the North American Congress for Conservaiton Biology, International Symposium for Society and Resource Management, The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, the American Society of Mammalogists, and a meeting of the American Ornithological Society. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. We modeled hunting license sales and deer permit sales in Ohio, attempting to discern factors that explain variation across counties; our models explains ~85% of the variance in per-capita county license sales, and insights concerning why participation in hunting has been declining in Ohio. We used discrete choice models to characterize the relative importance of various catch-related factors in determining successful fishing trips for Lake Erie anglers. We assessed the experience of visitors to federal public lands (National Wildlife Refuges) and quantified their participation in recreation behaviors at 35 sites. Goal 2. We found that belief in the intrinsic value of wildlife helps explain public judgments concerning the acceptability of lethal control of wildlife, as well as support for the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). We modeled grizzly bear researchers' judgments concerning the appropriate listing status of the Greater Yellowstone grizzly population, finding that experts' judgments were biased by pre-existing values as well as their employer. We adapted a model designed to explain acceptance of hazards to understand tolerance for large carnivores; existing analyses show that the model explains ~60-90% of the variance in people's tolerance for large carnivores (i.e., wolves, black bears). We investigated the role of different factors (e.g., presence of threat, type of species, status as protected under ESA) on public acceptance of management actions (e.g., lethal control) through an experimental-design. Goal 3. We found significant changes in adult U.S. residents' attitudes toward animals over a roughly four-decade time period. We found attitudes toward large, mammalian carnivores and historically stigmatized species improved significantly over this time period. We determined that U.S. adult residents' attitudes toward the control of terrestrial predators have largely remained consistent between 1995 and 2014; however, residents expressed more negative views of lethal control techniques in 2014 than in 1995. We found that the attitudes of adult U.S. residents toward the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 remained consistent over the last quarter century. We determined that changes in the composition of values across the western United States is likely due to changing social conditions following World War II. Goal 4. We found that modernization (i.e., increased urbanization and levels of education and income) led to a shift away from traditional values that prioritize individual human needs over those of others toward more mutualist values that prioritize the needs of others (including wildlife) at the expense of human needs. We found that trust in governing institutions is reduced among traditional constituents when the composition of values diversifies within a state. We initiated research to understand factors leading to the occurrence of illegal (i.e., noncompliant) behaviors on federal public lands (and, at times, in relation to protected species) with the intended goal of reducing or eliminating such behaviors.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Batavia C., Bruskotter J.T., Jones J.A., Vucetich J.A., Gosnell H. & Nelson M.P. (2018). Nature for whom? How type of beneficiary influences the effectiveness of conservation outreach messages. Biological Conservation, 228:158-166.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Bruskotter J.T., Vucetich J.A., Slagle K.M., Berardo R., Singh A.S. & Wilson R.S. (2018). Support for the U.S. Endangered Species Act over time and space: Controversial species do not weaken public support for protective legislation. Conservation Letters, e12595.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Schroeder S.A., Fulton D.C., Cornicelli L. & Bruskotter J.T. (2018). How Minnesota wolf hunter and trapper attitudes and risk- and benefit-based beliefs predict wolf management preferences. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 23: 552-568.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Slagle K.M., Wilson R.S., Bruskotter J.T. & Toman E. (2018). The Symbolic Wolf: A Construal Level Theory Analysis of the Perceptions of Wolves in the United States. Society & Natural Resources, 1-16.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Karns G.R., Heeren A., Toman E., Wilson R.S., Szarek H. & Bruskotter J.T. (2018). Should Grizzly Bears be Hunted or Protected? Social and Organizational Affiliations Influence Scientific Judgments. Canadian Wildlife Biology and Management, 7:18-30.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Serfass T.L., Brooks R.P. & Bruskotter J.T. (2018). North American Model of Wildlife Conservation: Empowerment and Exclusivity Hinder Advances in Wildlife Conservation. Canadian Wildlife Biology and Management, 7:101-118.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Vucetich J.A., Burnham D., Macdonald E.A., Bruskotter J.T., Marchini S., Zimmermann A. & Macdonald D.W. (2018). Authority, cultural relativism and the principles of just conservation: Rejoinder to Pooley and Redpath (2018). Biological Conservation, 223: 184-185.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Vucetich J.A., Burnham D., Macdonald E.A., Bruskotter J.T., Marchini S., Zimmermann A. & Macdonald D.W. (2018). Just conservation: What is it and should we pursue it? Biological Conservation, 221:23-33.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Manfredo, M.J., Sullivan, L., Don Carlos, A.W., Dietsch, A.M., Teel, T.L., Bright, A.D., & Bruskotter, J.T. (2018). Americas Wildlife Values: The Social Context for Wildlife Management in the U.S. National Report from the research Project entitled, Americas Wildlife Values. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University, Dept. of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Bessette, D. & Bruskotter, J.T. (2018). Deer Stakeholder Engagement Process: Informing the Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Wildlife 10-year Deer Management Plan. Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, and he Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Dietsch, A.M., Bright, A. D., Don Carlos, A.W., Manfredo, M. J., Teel, T. L. & Sullivan, L. (2018). State report for {STATE NAME} from the research project entitled Americas Wildlife Values. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University, Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. [50 individual reports, one for each state]
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Slagle, KM., and A.M. Dietsch. (2018). North American Birdwatching Survey: Summary Report Atlantic Flyway. Report to the National Flyway Council from the Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Minnesota and The Ohio State University. St. Paul, MN, 55108. [4 separate reports, one for each flyway]
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Slagle, KM., and A.M. Dietsch. (2018). National Survey of Waterfowl Hunters: Summary Report for {SPECIFIC} Flyway. Report to the National Flyway Council from the Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Minnesota and The Ohio State University. St. Paul, MN, 55108. [4 separate reports, one for each flyway]
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Dietsch, A.M., Manfredo, M.J., Teel, T.L., Sullivan, L., & Bruskotter, J. (2019). A multilevel, systems view of values can inform a move toward human-wildlife coexistence. Book chapter to be published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in a volume titled Human-wildlife interactions: Turning conflict into coexistence.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wickizer, B. J., Bruskotter, J.T., Dietsch, A. M., Bader, T., & Hartman, T. (2017). Fishing success in Lake Erie: An analysis of catch-related factors and perceived success among Ohio walleye, yellow perch, and black bass anglers. The Ohio State University, School of Environment & Natural Resources, and The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.


Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include: (1) fish and wildlife professionals (i.e., agency scientists, administrators and policy-makers), (2) other academicians in natural resources conservation and management, (3) Ohio State University undergraduate students, (4) Ohio State University graduate students. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In February of 2017, A. Dietsch, S.Gehrt, K.George, andJ. Bruskotter organized a workshop entitled, "Integrated Carnivore-Livestock Management Workshop". The workshop was attended by approximately 35 students and wildlife professionals. Each presentation was recorded and is now available for the School of Environment & Natural Resources web page. The final agenda is available here: https://senr.osu.edu/sites/senr/files/imce/files/events/workshops/Carnivore-Ruminant%20Workshop%20Schedule.FINAL.pdf In July of 2017, A. Dietsch organized a short course titled Introduction to Conservation Social Science Theories and Methods, which was taught to 20participants (conservation practitioners) at theInternational Congress on Conservation Biology in Cartagena, Colombia.Due to increased demandforsimilar trainings,A. Dietsch organized 3 new short courses for the 2018 North American Congress for Conservation Biology. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project PIs (or graduate students of the PI, if marked with a *) gave the following presentations: Bruskotter, J.T. "Social Change and the Future of Wildlife Conservation." Presented at a regional workshop for Human Dimensions Research, Columbus, OH. The workshop was attended by 12 peer scientists from the Midwest US. Bruskotter, J.T. "Finding Tolerance for Large Carnivores: Report from the Large Carnivore Working Group." Presented to the Mountain Socio-Ecological Observation Network, Moscow, ID, and attended by ~45 peer scientists from the US. Bruskotter, J.T. "Human Tolerance of Carnivores: Social and Psychological Mechanisms." Presented at the University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, to ~65 students and faculty in the College of Natural Resources. Bruskotter, J.T. "Social Change and Human-Animal Interactions: Past, Present and Future. Presented at the Integrated Carnivore-Livestock Management Workshop, College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Science (In-Fact Discovery Theme), Columbus, OH, and attended by ~35 students and wildlife professionals (see above). Bruskotter, J.T. "Factors Impacting Human Tolerance for Large Carnivores: Insights from Psychology." Presented at the Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Symposium, hosted by The Colorado Chapter of the Wildlife Society and Turner Endangered Species Fund, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, and attended by ~150 students, faculty (at CSU) and wildlife professionals from the state of Colorado. Bruskotter, J.T. "Finding Places for Large Carnivores in a Human-Dominated World." Presented at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, and attended by ~35 faculty and graduate students in the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. Dietsch. A.M. (2017, October). The role of social values in light of contemporary natural resource challenges. Invited Seminar Speaker, Purdue University. Allen, K.*, Dietsch, A.M. (2017, September). Acceptability of management actions: Effects of endangered status. Pathways 2017, Estes Park, Colorado. Poster presentation. Hartel, C.*, Dietsch, A.M. (2017, September). Framing of wildlife-related conflict near the home. Pathways 2017, Estes Park, Colorado. Dietsch, A.M. (2017, July). The influence of values and land use on attitudes toward management of human-wildlife conflicts. International Congress on Conservation Biology, Cartagena, Colombia. Invited, organized symposium. Dietsch, A.M., Bruskotter, J., Slagle, K.M., Manfredo, M.J., Teel, T.L. (2017, June). Toward a multilevel framework for understanding the role of values and identity in intergroup conflict. International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Umea, Sweden. Organized symposium. Dietsch, A.M. (2017, February). The rise of public concern for wildlife. Integrated Carnivore-Livestock Management Workshop. Columbus, Ohio. Organized symposium. Dietsch, A.M., Wickizer, B., Bruskotter, J., Hartman, T., Tyson, J. (2017, February). Lake Erie angler preferences for catch outcomes of three fisheries. Lake Erie - Inland Waters Annual Research Review. Columbus, Ohio. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Finalize data analyses and author final reports on data collected in 2017 throughout the US on conservation values, beliefs and attitudes of US residents. Disseminate results through reports, presentations, publications, and popular media press outlets.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Project PI J. Bruskotter co-authored a letter to the U.S. Congress detailing why federal delisting of wolves under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 was premature. Bruskotter also assisted in the development of testimony of John A. Vucetich, who testified before Congress on the subject of gray wolves' listing status, specifically, addressing questions related to changes in attitudes towards gray wolves and the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Ultimately, Congress chose not to act to delist gray wolves at this time. One publication of A.Dietsch's in particular has resulted in a change in knowledge about the nature of cultural backlash in wildlife governance in America. For example, the Organization of Wildlife Planners and others have generated significant discussion across different listservson the findings of this paper.Many people have thought the diversity of different belief systems has led to social conflict over management decisions, but our research shows that such conflict is exacerbated by traditional constituents (e.g., hunters, anglers) feeling excluded with the increase of voices being heard. Inthe past, these constituents were the only (or at least the dominant) voice in decision-making, andmost state fishand wildlife agencies are funded throughthe sale of licenses and feel beholded to these interests. Thus, adding the voices of people who "don'tpay for wildlife" anddisagree about management decisions has led toan even great decline of trust in managing authorities. More information can be found here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171103155217.htm

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Bruskotter, J. T., J. A. Vucetich, and M. P. Nelson. 2017. Animal Rights and Wildlife Conservation: Conflicting or Campatible. The Wildlife Professional 11:40-43.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Bruskotter, J. T., J. A. Vucetich, M. J. Manfredo, G. R. Karns, C. Wolf, K. Ard, N. H. Carter, J. V. L�pez-Bao, G. Chapron, and S. D. Gehrt. 2017. Modernization, Risk, and Conservation of the World's Largest Carnivores. BioScience 67:646-655.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Vucetich, J. A., M. P. Nelson, and J. T. Bruskotter. 2017. Conservation triage falls short because conservation is not like emergency medicine. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 5:45, doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2017.00045.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Singh, A. S., A. Zwickle, J. T. Bruskotter, and R. Wilson. 2017. The perceived psychological distance of climate change impacts and its influence on support for adaptation policy. Environmental Science & Policy 73:93-99.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Manfredo, M. J., J. T. Bruskotter, T. L. Teel, D. C. Fulton, S. Oishi, A. K. Uskul, K. H. Redford, S. H. Schwartz, R. Arlinghaus, S. Kitayama, and L. Sullivan. 2017. Revisiting the challenge of intentional value shift: reply to Ives and Fischer. Conservation Biology 31:1486-1487.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: L�pez-Bao, J. V., J. Bruskotter, and G. Chapron. 2017. Finding space for large carnivores. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1:0140.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Slagle, K. M., J. T. Bruskotter, A. Singh, and R. H. Schmidt. 2017. Attitudes toward predator control in the United States: 1995 and 2014. Journal of Mammalogy 98:7-16.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Vucetich, J. A., J. T. Bruskotter, M. P. Nelson, R. O. Peterson, and J. K. Bump. 2017. Evaluating the principles of wildlife conservation: a case study of wolf (Canis lupus) hunting in Michigan, United States. Journal of Mammalogy 98:53-64.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Bruskotter, J. T., J. A. Vucetich, D. W. Smith, M. P. Nelson, G. R. Karns, and R. O. Peterson. 2017. The role of science in understanding (and saving) large carnivores: A response to Allen and colleagues. Food Webs 13:46-48.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Vucetich, J.A., Bruskotter, J.T., Treves, A., & Nelson, M.P., 2017. "An Open Letter to Members of Congress and the White House from Scientists and Scholars on Federal Wolf Delisting and Congressional intervention on Individual Species in the Context of the U.S. Endangered Species Act".
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., Heeren, A., Karns, G., Toman, E., Szarek, H. & Wilson, R.S. "Factors Influencing Experts Judgments Concerning the Appropriate Status of Grizzly Bears under the Endangered Species Act." Presented at the 23rd Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society. Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. (Oct 2016)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T. Factors Impacting Human Tolerance for Large Carnivores: Insights from Psychology. Presented at the Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Symposium, hosted by The Colorado Chapter of the Wildlife Society and Turner Endangered Species Fund, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (Feb 2017)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Manfredo, M.J., Teel, T.L., Sullivan, L., & Dietsch, A.M., (2017). Values, trust, and cultural backlash in conservation governance: The case of wildlife management in the United States. Biological Conservation, 214, 303311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.07.032
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Dietsch, A.M., Slagle, K.M., Baruch-Mordo, S., Breck, S.W., Ciarniello, L.M. (2018). Education is not a panacea for reducing human-black bear conflict. Ecological Modeling, 367(10), 1012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.11.005.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Dietsch, A. M., Manfredo, M.J., & Teel, T. L. (2016). Social values and biodiversity conservation in a dynamic world. Conservation Biology, 30(6), 12121221. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12742 AM Score: 12 as of 12/28/16).
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Dietsch, A.M., Manfredo, M.J., & Teel, T.L. (2017). Wildlife value orientations as an approach to understanding the social context of human-wildlife conflict. In Hill, C.M., Webber, A.D., & Priston, N.E.C. (Eds.), Understanding Conflicts about Wildlife: A Biosocial Approach (pgs. 107126). New York: Berghahn Books.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Dietsch, A.M. (2017, July). The influence of values and land use on attitudes toward management of human-wildlife conflicts. International Congress on Conservation Biology, Cartagena, Colombia.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Dietsch, A.M., Bruskotter, J., Slagle, K.M., Manfredo, M.J., Teel, T.L. (2017, June). Toward a multilevel framework for understanding the role of values and identity in intergroup conflict. International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Umea, Sweden. Organized symposium.


Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include: (1) fish and wildlife agency researchers/scientists, (2) fish and wildlife agency administrators and policy-makers, (3) other academicians in my field, (4) Ohio State University undergraduate students, (5) Ohio State University graduate students. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project PI (J. Bruskotter) and one of the graduate students (K. Slagle) organized a series of training sessions for researchers with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project PI gave presentations at the University of Kent (in Canterbury, UK; ~80 people), Michigan Technological University (Houghton, MI; ~50 people), the North American Congress for Conservation Biology (Madison, WI; ~75 people), the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (Houghton, MI; ~30 people), a regional workshop for Human Dimensions Researchers (Columbus, OH; 8 people), and the University of Idaho (Moscow, ID; 65 people). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Initiate a research project designed to assess Ohio landowners' land stewardship behaviors.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 2. We modeled grizzly bear scientists judgments regarding the appropriate listing status of the Greater Yellowstone grizzly population, finding several factors that bias experts' judgments. Goal 3. We found significant changes in adult U.S. residents attitudes toward animals over a roughly four-decade time period. We found attitudes toward large, mammalian carnivores and historically stigmatized species improved significantly over this time period.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Heeren, A., Karns, G.R., Bruskotter, J.T., Toman, E., Wilson, R.S., and Szarek, H. (2016). Expert Judgment and Uncertainty Regarding the Protection of Imperiled Species. Conservation Biology, DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12838.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: George, K.A., Slagle, K.M., Wilson, R.S., Moeller, S.J., & Bruskotter, J.T. (2016). Changes in attitudes toward animals in the United States from 1978 to 2014. Biological Conservation, 201, 237-242.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Nelson, M.P., Vucetich, J.A., & Bruskotter, J.T. (2016). Ecological value and the US Endangered Species Act: Comment on Waples et al. (2015). Endangered Species Research, 30, 187-190.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Karns, G.R., Gates, R.J., Matthews, S.N., Bruskotter, J.T., McCoy, J.C., & Tonkovich. (2016). M.J. Factors influencing spatial heterogeneity of female white-tailed deer harvest dynamics. Wildlife Society Bulletin, DOI: 10.1002/wsb.702.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Carter, N., L�pez-Bao, J.V., Bruskotter, J.T., Gore, M., Chapron, G., Johnson, A., Epstein, Y., Shrestha, M., Frank, J., Ohrens, O., Treves, A. (2016). A conceptual framework for understanding illegal killing of large carnivores. Ambio, DOI: 10.1007/s13280-016-0852-z.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Manfredo, M.J., Bruskotter, J.T., Teel, T.L., Fulton, D.C., Schwartz, S.H., Arlinghaus, R., Oishi, S., Uskul, A.K., Redford, K., Kitayama, S., and Sullivan, L. (2016), Why we cant change social values for the sake of conservation. Conservation Biology, DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12855.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Nelson, M.P., Bruskotter, J.T., Vucetich, J.A. & Chapron, G. (2016). Emotions and the ethics of consequence in conservation decisions: Lessons from Cecil the lion. Conservation Letters, 9(4), 302-306.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ripple, W.J., Chapron, G., L�pez-Bao, J.V., Durant, S. M., Macdonald, D.W., Lindsey, P. A., et. al. (2016). Saving the World's Terrestrial Megafauna. BioScience, DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biw092.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ripple, W.J., Chapron, G., L�pez-Bao, J.V., Durant, S. M., Macdonald, D.W., Lindsey, P. A., et. al. (Accepted for publication). Conserving the Worlds Megafauna and Biodiversity: The Fierce Urgency of Now. BioScience.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., Szarek, H., Karns, G., Heeren, A., Toman, E., Wilson, R.S. To List or not to List? Experts Judgments about Threats to Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bears, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. (Jun 2016).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Nelson, M.P., Lute, M.L., Batvia, C., & Bruskotter, J.T. Should We Preserve the Wolves of Isle Royale? An Empirical Assessment of Public Input. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3887.2568 (Jul 2016).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., George, K., Slagle, K., Wilson, R.S. "Americans Attitudes Toward Predators and Predator Control: 1978-2014." Presented at North America Congress for Conservation Biology 2016. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States. (Jul 2016)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T. Finding Tolerance for Large Carnivores: Report from the Large Carnivore Working Group. Presented to the Mountain Socio-Ecological Observation Network, Moscow, ID. (Sep 2016)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T. Social Change and the Future of Wildlife Conservation. Presented at a regional workshop for Human Dimensions Research, Columbus, OH. (Sep 2016)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., Heeren, A., Szarek, H., Toman, E., & Wilson, R.S. "Expert Judgment Under Uncertainty: Listing Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bears under the Endangered Species Act." Presented at 21st International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, United States. (Jun 2016)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: 7. Bruskotter, J.T. (Plenary). Human Tolerance of Carnivores: A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective. Human-Wildlife Coexistence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on a Complex Problem, Symposium 25, hosted at University of Kent, Canterbury, UK. (May 2016)


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

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include: (1) fish and wildlife agency researchers/scientists, (2) fish and wildlife agency administrators and policy-makers, (3) Ohio State University undergraduate students, (4) Ohio State University graduate students. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project PI (J. Bruskotter) organized a workshop on the Endangered Species Act in coordination with the Ohio DNR and Ohio State Extension. The following five talks comprise the workshop: Jeremy Bruskotter of Ohio State University, "The Endangered Species Act of 1973" Scott Haulton of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, "Bat Habitat Conservation and Management on Indiana State Forests" Angela Boyer of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "Endangered Species Act: Listing and Bats" Jeromy Applegate, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, on "Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act" Megan Seymour, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, on "The Lake Erie Watersnake"\ How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Project PI gave an invited presentation at the Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference entitled "Hunters and Birdwatchers: And the Survey Says..." (~1,000 attendees). Project PI gave an invited presentation at Portland State University entitled "Nature's Intrinisc Value: Clarifying Concepts and Empirical Muddles" (~25 attendees). Project PI gave an invited presentation at the International Wolf Conference in Wolfsburg, Germany entitled "Finding Tolerance for Large Carnivores: Insights from Psychology" (~400 attendees). Project PI gave an invited presentation at a conference entitlted "Living Large: Wolves, Bears, Cougars and Humans in North America" in Washington, D.C. (~100 attendees). Project PI gave an invited presentation at Michigan Technological University entitled "Social Change and the Future of Wildlife Conservation" (~40 attendees). Project PI gave an invited presentation at the joint Ohio Biodiversity Partnership / Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab meeting entitled "Uses and Users of Ohio's Wildlife Areas" (~55 attendees). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Report on Americans' attitudes toward large carnivores and carnivore conservation over time(Goal 3).

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. We examined factors that explain hunting license sales in Ohio; our model explains ~85% of the variance in per-capita county licesne sales. We examined factors that explain deer tag sales in Ohio; our model explains ~87% of the variance in per-capita county licesne sales. Goal. 2. We modeled grizzly bear scientists judgments regarding the appropriate listing status of the Greater Yellowstone grizzly population, finding several factors that bias experts' judgments. We found that Ohioans belief in the intrinsic value of wildlife helps explain their judgments concerning the acceptability of lethally controlling wildlife populations.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Vucetich, J.A., Bruskotter, J.T., Nelson, M.P., 2015. Evaluating whether natures intrinsic value is an axiom of or anathema to conservation. Conservation Biology 29, 321-332.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Treves, A., Chapron, G., L�pez-Bao, J.V., Shoemaker, C., Goeckner, A.R., Bruskotter, J.T., 2015. Predators and the public trust. Biological Reviews, DOI: 10.1111/brv.12227.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Newsome, T.M., Bruskotter, J.T., Ripple, W.J., 2015. When shooting a coyote kills a wolf: Mistaken identity or misguided management? Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-5.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Karns, G.R., Bruskotter, J.T., Gates, R.J., 2015. Explaining Hunting Participation in Ohio: A Story of Changing Land Use and New Technology. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 1-17.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., Singh, A., Fulton, D.C., Slagle, K., 2015. Assessing Tolerance for Wildlife: Clarifying Relations Between Concepts and Measures. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 20, 255-270.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., Nelson, M.P., Vucetich, J.A., 2015. Hunted predators: Intrinsic value. Science 349, 1294.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Yocco, V.S., Bruskotter, J., Wilson, R., Heimlich, J.E., 2015. Why Should I Care? Exploring the Use of Environmental Concern as a Frame of Communication in Zoos. The Journal of Environmental Education 46, 484-500.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Szarek, H.K., 2015. Subjectivity in Expert Decision Making: Risk Assessment, Acceptability, and Cognitive Heuristics Affecting Endangered Species Act Listing Judgments for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Grizzly Bear. The Ohio State University.


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

Outputs
Target Audience: Target audiences include: (1) fish and wildlife agency researchers/scientists, (2) fish and wildlife agency administrators and policy-makers, (3) Ohio State University undergraduate students, (4) Ohio State University graduate students. Efforts include: (1) delivered two graduate courses related the use of social science theories to help better understand and address natural resources issues (ENR 8400,8897), (2) delivered one course (ENR 5649) designed to provide undergraduate students with a basic working knowledge of wildlife conservation policy under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and another (ENR 3400) designed to introduce students to the application of the discipline of psychology to understanding and managing environmental problems, (3) developed and delivered a four reports for the Ohio Division of Wildlife designed to assist in their management of anglers, hunters, and state-owned lands. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? (A) P.I. (J. Bruskotter) and Post-doc (G. Karns) organized and attended a workshop on large carnivore conservation that was held in October in Yellowstone National Park. (B) P.I. Bruskotter attended a workshop on Human-Wildlife Conflict that was held in Annapolis, Maryland in November. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? (A) Gave a total of five presentations at two conferences: (1) Two at the Annual Meeting of the Wildlfie Society in Pittsburgh, PA, and (2) Three at the Pathways to Success wildlife conference in Estes Park, CO. (B) Presented a paper on human-carnivore conflict to ~90 participants at a workshop at Washington State University sponsored by the University and the Pacific NorthWest Wolf Coalition. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. (A) We developed a model that explains 77% of the variance in per-capita Ohio hunting license purchase at the county level. (B) We developed a model that explains 84% of the variance in per-capita Ohio deer permit sales at the county level. Goal 2. (A) We developed a model that explains 60-90% of the variance in people's tolerance for large carnivores (i.e., wolves, black bears). Goal 3. (A) We determined that U.S. adult residents' attitudes toward control of terrestrial predators have largely remained constant between 1995 and 2014; however, residents expressed more negative views of lethal control techniques in 2014 than in 1995. Goal 4. No accomplishments.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Starr, S., McConnell, T., Bruskotter, J., Williams, R., 2014. Typology of Ohio, USA, Tree Farmers Based Upon Forestry Outreach Needs. Environmental Management, 1-13.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2014 Citation: Zwickle, A., Koontz, T.M., Slagle, K.M., Bruskotter, J.T., 2014. Assessing Sustainability Knowledge of a Student Population: Developing a Tool to Measure Knowledge in the Environmental, Economic, and Social Domains. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education (Forthcoming).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., Vucetich, J.A., Enzler, S., Treves, A., Nelson, M.P., 2014. Removing protections for wolves and the future of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (1973). Conservation Letters 7, 401-407.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Treves, A., Bruskotter, J., 2014. Tolerance for Predatory Wildlife. Science 344, 476-477.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., Treves, A., Way, J., 2014. Carnivore Management, In Science and Politics: An A-to-Z Guide to Issues and Controversies. ed. B.S. Steel, pp. 83-90. CQ Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T., Wilson, R.S., 2014. Determining where the wild things will be: using psychological theory to find tolerance for large carnivores. Conservation Letters 7, 158-165.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Serfass, T.L., Bohrman, J.A., Stevens, S.S., Bruskotter, J.T., 2014. Otters and Anglers Can Share the Stream! The Role of Social Science in Dissuading Negative Messaging About Reintroduced Predators. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 19, 532-544.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wickizer, B.J., Bruskotter, J.T., Pettis, A.L. A Survey of Ohio Wildlife Area Usage: Examining Wildlife Enthusiast Attitudes and Activities. 2014. The Ohio State, School of Environment and Natural Resources and The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Bruskotter, J.T. and Pettis, A.L. 2014. Estimating Visitor Use of Ohios Wildlife Areas: A Summary Report. The Ohio State University, School of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Slagle, K., Bruskotter, J. & R. Wilson. "Human Dimensions and Conservation Education." [Abstract]. Wolves As Symbols Of...what? Exploring Salient Beliefs About Wolves And Political Behavior Among An Engaged Public. Pittsburgh: Annual Meeting of the Wildlife Society. (Nov 2014)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Karns, G., & J. Bruskotter. "Human Dimensions and Conservation Education." [Abstract]. Explaining Hunting Participation: A Story of Changing Land Use and New Technology. Pittsburgh: Annual Meeting of the Wildlife Society. (Nov 2014)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Bruskotter, J. & G. Karns. "Session D4. Hunting: Participation, Retention, & Recruitment." [Abstract]. Explaining Hunting Participation: A Story of Changing Land Use and New Technology. Estes Park: Pathways 2014 Conference: Integrating Human Dimensions into Fish and Wildlife. (Oct 2014)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Bruskotter, J., George, K., & K. Slagle. "Session H1. Toward Socially Acceptable Carnivore Management." [Abstract]. Americans' Attitudes toward Wildlife: 1978-2014. Estes Park: Pathways 2014 Conference: Integrating Human Dimensions into Fish and Wildlife. (Oct 2014)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: ingh, A., Bruskotter, J., Slagle, K. & R. Wilson. "Session H1. Toward Socially Acceptable Carnivore Management." [Abstract]. Attitudes toward predator control in the United States. Estes Park: Pathways 2014 Conference: Integrating Human Dimensions into Fish and Wildlife. (Oct 2014)
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Slagle, K., Bruskotter, J.T., Toman, E. 2014. Retention of Ohio Anglers. The Ohio State University, School of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Singh, A.S., Bruskotter, J.T. and Walpole, H.D. 2014. Fishing Activities and Stewardship on the Ohio River. The Ohio State University, School of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.