The role of learning sources in familiarity with conservation programs: the gendered case of family forest landowners in Georgia, United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT Voluntary incentive programs exist to encourage the conservation and sustainable management of privately owned forests. This study of Georgia family forest landowners used a gender-focussed approach to examine: the extent to which learning sources predict landowners’ familiarity with forest conservation programs; the association between familiarity with and participation in conservation programs; and landowners’ familiarity with forest-based ecosystem services (ESs). We analysed data (N = 223) from a mail survey using Ordinary Least Squares models to predict landowners’ familiarity with conservation programs, tested the association between familiarity with and participation in conservation programs, and evaluated landowners’ familiarity with ESs using qualitative content analysis. Professional forest-management advice and training were associated with familiarity with conservation programs, but gender (being female) was a negative predictor. There was a slight association between familiarity with and participation in conservation programs. In comparison to women, men were more familiar with ESs, and this familiarity is linked to the effectiveness of learning sources. We conclude that learning sources are crucial for information dissemination. We recommend improving professional advice giving to boost participation in conservation programs and raise landowners’ awareness of ESs. Particular attention should be given to women, who are a growing segment of forest landowners’ population in the United States.