Landowner Groups Research Articles

Promoting equity in the Conservation Reserve Program across the southeastern US

Black and female landowners, two of the largest groups of underserved landowners in the southeastern US, have considerably less land enrolled in the US Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) than White and male landowners. The reasons for this discrepancy are complex and interrelated. Previous studies approached different facets of this problem using a variety of methods and analyses. Here, we conducted a synthetic literature review that demonstrates how the intertwined ecological, economic, and cultural concerns of underserved landowners influence their decisions about potential land conversion in the context of CRP requirements. Other studies have rarely considered such relevant factors as the sociocultural importance of land to underserved populations or the links between the limited participation of these groups in the CRP and historical racism and sexism in land management industries and agencies. Explicitly addressing these issues will help promote conservation equity in the CRP and other conservation programs.

A Relational Construction of Organizational Risk: Normalizing Versus Problematizing Through Risk Work on Concerns Versus Measures

This study examines a public hearing, in which a company normalizes a high-risk project while a group of residents and landowners problematize it through three types of relational risk work including the construction of concerns versus measures, consultations on concerns and measures, and company approach in addressing concerns with measures. They construct risk meanings in a relational context where they respond to the normalizing and problematizing attempts of one another. Accordingly, this study has two main contributions. First, it identifies three types of risk work used by public and business stakeholders to relationally construct and normalize/problematize risk and risk management and thus analyzes the tension between normalizing and problematizing as an issue of interdependence. Second, it brings forward the opposition between concerns and measures as an important topic for risk research and emphasizes the critical role of risk consultations with cooperative approaches in addressing this opposition.

Agricultural landowner perspectives on wind energy development in Alberta, Canada: insights from the lens of energy justice and democracy

ABSTRACTThe political and economic landscape of Alberta, Canada, is deeply affected by fossil fuel extraction, thus limiting progress toward energy transition. Although transition is slowed by resistance to renewable energy technologies, public perspectives on these projects are diverse, with localized sensitives that are often not well understood. To improve our understanding of support and opposition to wind energy development, we draw on concepts of energy democracy, distributive and procedural justice. Utilizing a factorial survey experiment, and latent class analysis to measure these concepts with a sample of 401 large-scale agricultural landowners, we identify three distinct groups of individuals with unique preferences that are grounded in how individuals view and support wind energy. Contrasting most respondents with moderate views on wind projects, we identify a distinct group of supportive landowners when community benefits are well defined. A third group is defined largely by opposition to wind energy whereby justice concerns are associated with distancing their land from the impacts of wind turbines. Our conclusions identify the value of careful and transparent project design in consultation with local communities and affected landowners to avoid opposition noted here and in previous studies.

What is the problem with absentee landowners? Invasive plant management by residential and absentee amenity rural landowners

Landowners interested in rural lifestyles rather than primary production, are a significant group of rural landowners in many countries. Among these landowners, distinctions are made between the management practices and motivations of absentee and resident landowners. Absentee landowners are not uncommonly depicted as poor land managers and as not meeting their responsibilities. Evidence, however, on this is mixed. With a focus on invasive plant management in Australia, we compare the motivations, attitudes, and practices of absentee and resident landowners in two high amenity areas of New South Wales, Australia. We found that attitudes and practices surrounding invasive plant management were very similar between absentee and resident landowners, but that there are some key differences surrounding motivations and barriers to invasive plant management. Our data suggests that difference between absentee and residential landowners, therefore, may be overstated with respect to invasive plant management.

Water quality information for farmer decision making in the Nguturoa catchment, Manawatu

In 2021 a group of farmers and landowners along the Nguturoa Stream in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region began a study into water quality. The farmers felt that they needed precise information to establish their farming priorities for improving the waterway, and for monitoring the effects of making management changes. Monthly sampling and laboratory testing were carried out across the catchment and field tests werealso undertaken at the time of sampling. The results were compared to those in the Manawatū River, the ultimate receiving environment for the catchment. The results highlighted that throughout the year the water in the Nguturoa Stream had lower dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations than the Manawatū River, but it had higher organic nitrogen concentrations in most months. Almost all the phosphorus results were above those measured in the Manawatū River as were the turbidity results. On seven occasions the Nguturoa Stream had E.coli results above the standard in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. Compared to the laboratory test results, the fieldtests that were used were found to be inconsistent and unreliable for catchment and farm management decision making. The results highlighted for the farmers that overland flow was a more important source of instream contamination than they expected, for nitrogen,phosphorus and E.coli as well as sediment.

Metapravni osnov autonomije Vojvodine pre 1929. godine

The meta-legal basis of the provincial autonomy of Vojvodina appeared in political form only after the state fusion in 1918. A crossanalysis of the material on Vojvodina political autonomism points to its origin in the historical law of the Habsburg Empire, which was accepted by a group of few political outsiders and landowners of Vojvodina. The new modern state effectively and quickly solved problems: currency, tax and agrarian issues, improvement of trade, association and achieving sustainability of independent farms in Vojvodina. Then the Vojvodina autonomists looked for arguments in the backward standpoints of the past. The narcissism of cultural "superiority", negative prejudice against "Serbianians", the confusion of the concepts of regionalism, decentralization, autonomy and self-government became the political material for the future meta-legal construction of the autonomy of Vojvodina modeled on the "crown land" of the Habsburg real union. Already at the time of the fusion of Banat, Bačka and Baranja with Serbian, there were certain tendencies for the distinctiveness of the administration of these united area. At that time, happened first political attempts of a small number of politicians for the "State of Slovenes, Serbs and Croats" to receive a certain role in the fusion of those areas with Serbia, by dint in Zagreb. In the area of Vojvodina, the right to self-determination of the people meant breaking the state ties with Hungary and fusion to Serbia. For this purpose was formed the Great National Assembly of Serbs, Bunjevs and other Slavs of Banat, Bačka and Baranja was formed. At the end of 1918, the Assembly elected by direct, equal and general suffrage of the population. This was the realization of the people's right to self-determination in a modern democratic form. The Assembly elected the administrative bodies of the temporary management of the area. Those bodies were not effective due to outdated understandings, unclear legal nature, and lack of distinction between administrative work, legal authorisation and legal competence. The problems caused by the temporary regional administration make dificulties the subsequent work of the authorities of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, causing great intolerance towards "centralism." The government of the new state effectively solved administrative problems, currency, tax and agrarian issues under democratic conditions, and developed local selfgovernment. As the public became aware of the benefits of democratic modernity, general support for the new order grew. Opponents of the new order were a small number of nationalized landowners, economically stable officials and privileged individuals of the former Habsburg order. Among them, Serbian opposition politicians and Croatian nationalists sought support. Vojvodina's political autonomism is from the beginning linked to the political work of Croatian nationalists, the political fashion of "regionalism" and the historical sentiments of the Habsburg era. From the beginning formulated political ideas of Vojvodina autonomy, two phenomena stand out conspicuously: the support of Croatian nationalists and emotional intolerance towards Serbia and "Serbians." These phenomena are paradigmatically shown by two historical sources: Mihovil Tomandl's article "Serbian hegemony" (1923) and the proclamation of the Independent Democratic Party published under the title "Vojvodina wants to be its own" (1924).

Decolonization as practice: returning land to Indigenous control

Across Oceania land is the mother. At its core, the practice of decolonial research and activism involves a commitment to the principles of Indigenous self-determination and repatriation of Indigenous land. Beginning with our understanding of decolonial practice and the meanings of land in Vanuatu, in this article we explore decolonization as practice: our collaborative practice of working to reform land laws to end the large-scale leasing of customary land without the consent of Indigenous landowning groups. We are commonly viewed as an Indigenous leader, Ralph Regenvanu, and a non-Indigenous legal advisor, Siobhan McDonnell. While we acknowledge these positions, we also share backgrounds in anthropology, law and a commitment to core principles around returning land to Indigenous control. We conclude this article by discussing our shared commitment to a practice of reciprocity between the researcher and the community engaged in the research.

Attitudes About Honey Bees and Pollinator-Friendly Practices: A Survey of Iowan Beekeepers, Farmers, and Landowners

Abstract The north central state of Iowa is heavily dominated by agriculture, with limited nesting and foraging habitat for wild and managed pollinators. This region has been identified as critical for pollinator conservation for bees and non-bee species (e.g., monarch butterfly [Danaus plexippus]). Pollinator sustainability (i.e., wild bee conservation and sustainable beekeeping) relies upon management decisions by beekeepers, farmers, and landowners, but it is unclear if these stakeholders are aware of and use best practices. We present results of surveys administered to Iowan beekeepers, farmers, and landowners after extension programming on best management practices for sustaining honey bees (Apis mellifera) and other pollinators. Results show beekeepers, farmers, and landowners believe implementing pollinator-friendly practices is important. However, knowledge of tools to implement these practices, such as registering apiaries to avoid pesticide drift or cost-share programs for establishing habitat on their land, was very low. These results suggest opportunities exist for connecting beekeepers seeking higher quality apiaries with landowners that have established habitat with added floral resources. Further, we reviewed practices that reconstruct tallgrass prairie with support of federal cost-share funds, specifically CP42 and CP43 of the USDA’s conservation reserve program. Overall, we document strong support and enthusiasm for pollinator-friendly practices in Iowa but note gaps in knowledge of practices that are most effective and what tools are available to implement them. These results suggest a way for pollinator extension programs to address these knowledge gaps in a receptive group of beekeepers, farmers, and landowners.

Habitat Works: How Partnerships and Habitat Improvement have Restored Quail Populations in the 2C Quail Focus Area

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) began establishing Quail Focus Areas (QFAs) on private lands in 2004. The goal of QFAs was to bring groups of landowners together to manage bobwhite habitat on a larger scale in a targeted landscape. Through a variety of state, federal, and other partnership programs, habitat improvement efforts have resulted in large increases in northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) numbers in the 2C QFA. In spring 2013, MDC staff and Quail Forever biologists began monitoring bobwhite and songbirds in a portion of the 2C QFA in Carroll County, Missouri, USA and in a control area (without habitat management for bobwhite). This effort is part of the Coordinated Implementation Plan developed by the National Bobwhite Technical Committee as a part of the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. The goal of the monitoring plan is to document whether quail habitat management can achieve sustainable bobwhite populations within 5–10 years. We selected a 2,100-ha portion of the 2C QFA where habitat management for quail has been conducted through efforts by landowners, MDC staff, and Quail Forever volunteers. Point-transect surveys were conducted at 48 250-m radius points in spring for bobwhite and songbirds and at 12 500-m radius points in fall for bobwhite coveys. Quail densities ranged from 0.18 quail/ha (95% credible interval [CrI] = 0.09–0.32) to 0.41 quail/ha (95% CrI = 0.30–0.57) in the focus area and from 0.04 quail/ha (95% CrI = 0.01–0.11) to 0.12 quail/ha (95% CrI = 0.06–0.20) in the control area from 2013–2019. We have also documented increases in grassland songbirds through monitoring efforts. Results show that dedicated management efforts were successful in increasing bobwhite density in the focus area.

Landowner Cooperative Key to Success in the Bee Ridge Quail Focus Area

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) began establishing Quail Focus Areas (QFAs) on private lands in 2004. The goal of QFAs is to increase and expand quail habitat management efforts around a core area. Because most (93%) of the landscape of Missouri, USA is in private ownership, habitat improvement programs on private lands have greater potential to impact quail populations than on public lands alone. A motivated group of landowners led the charge to begin habitat improvement efforts in the Bee Ridge QFA. This group was instrumental in starting earlier monitoring efforts to determine whether habitat improvements were leading to increased northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) numbers. In fall 2017, MDC staff began monitoring bobwhite and songbirds in a portion of the Bee Ridge QFA in Knox County, Missouri and in a control area (without habitat management for bobwhite). This effort is part of the Coordinated Implementation Plan developed by the National Bobwhite Technical Committee as a part of the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. The goal of the monitoring plan is to document whether quail habitat management can achieve sustainable bobwhite populations within 5–10 years. We selected a 2,225-ha portion of the Bee Ridge QFA where habitat management for quail has been conducted through efforts by landowners and MDC staff. Point transect surveys are conducted at 46 250-m radius points in spring for bobwhite and songbirds and at 12 500-m radius points in fall for bobwhite coveys. Bobwhite densities ranged from 0.23 bobwhite/ha (95% credible interval [CrI] = 0.14–0.35) to 0.27 bobwhite/ha (95% CrI = 0.15–0.43) in the focus area and 0.03 bobwhite/ha (95% CrI = 0.01–0.08) to 0.06 bobwhite/ha (95% CrI = 0.01–0.15) in the control area from 2013 through 2019. Landowners working together to implement recommended habitat management practices resulted in greater quail and songbird numbers in the focus area, compared to the control area.

PARADOXES OF MODERN INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PEASANT (FARMER) FARMS

The work is devoted to the study of the constructive nature of institutions in the space of rural territories in the context of social contradictions, often taking paradoxical formats. Methodologically, the article is written in the traditions of modern critical institutional economics and institutional sociology. The authors’ results of the analysis of statistical data from open sources within the framework of the proposed issues over the past 20 years are presented. Three main historical stages of institutional dynamics in agriculture are characterized, the main of which included the introduction and institutionalization of private ownership of land, effectively returning Russia to the number of global players in the agricultural market. The article presents data on the modernization of agriculture resulting from institutional changes “from above” and institutional mutual obligations in rural areas “from below”. The conclusion is made about the increase in land assets and the growth of the total income of landowners. Quantitative indicators of the development of small- and medium-sized peasant (farmer) farms and large landholdings in Russia (agricultural holdings) according to various reporting data are presented. The socio-economic contradictions are revealed that point to the paradoxical development of rural areas of Russia. The foreign experience of managing modern rural business is presented, which can be considered as options for a possible future of Russia. The authors come to the conclusions that the Russian institutional dynamics in rural areas demonstrates several positive changes that have created the basis for the existence and further development of the country in a short period by historical standards. The article puts forward five hypotheses regarding the institutional development of rural areas, some of which are practically verified. It is proved that at present in Russia the risks and dangers of quantitative and qualitative food shortages have really been overcome, and that sufficiently powerful socio-class groups of landowners have been formed who are fundamentally interested in the qualitative reproduction of rural areas, despite the deepening processes of poverty, which marks the paradoxical institutional dynamics. However, there are indications that application of the concept of global instability (including determinants of СOVID-19 pandemic and “special military operation in Ukraine” after 24 February 2022) marks the existence of a new paradox related to the tragedy of agriculture’s future in Russia. It may realistically result in evolutionary crisis of the civilization if we take into account the paradigm of a “folding civilization” introduced by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, which means that the civilization under study is left defenseless against “Masters of Fools”.

Importance—Satisfaction Analysis of Deer Management Cooperative Members

ABSTRACTOur study explored the utility of using Importance‐Satisfaction Analysis (ISA) to identify critical attributes to deer management cooperative (DMC) member satisfaction. With white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus) management by landowners becoming an increasingly popular conservation tool, DMCs represent an approach by private landowners and hunters to collaboratively improve deer herds and hunting quality. Deer management cooperatives are a group of landowners and hunters voluntarily working together to improve the quality of wildlife, habitat, and hunting experiences on their collective acreage. Deer management cooperatives show promise in providing dual benefits to hunter satisfaction and large‐scale conservation efforts such as increasing habitat connectivity. Heterogeneity of satisfaction for deer hunting is well‐documented and DMC member satisfaction is an important factor in member retention and recruitment. We surveyed 2,817 members of 45 DMCs across five states (Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Texas) using ISA methodology to better understand their satisfaction with their experience. Hunters’ responses (n = 459) to the 22 attributes measured were segmented by their divergent motivations for DMC membership, resulting in four unique clusters for comparison (Solitude Members, Social Members, Representative Members, and Quality Harvest Members). Our results indicated that motivations for membership influenced importance and satisfaction ratings, further elucidating that multiple types of hunters and members exist within DMC networks. Areas of agreement among the four DMC clusters were the need for Neighbors to follow Quality Deer Management practices, that DMCs are performing well on members Seeing deer and Co‐op members sharing similar harvest goals, and that Preventing crop damage and the Lease value of the DMC property are low priorities. However, there was little agreement in quadrant placement among the four membership clusters for the remaining 17 attributes indicating the importance of DMCs understanding their individual members’ motivations for joining. By retaining satisfied members, DMCs can continue to provide the hunting quality expected as well as the tangential conservation benefits. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.

FRONTLINE SERVICES OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM PROVINCIAL OFFICE-LAGUNA (DARPO-LAGUNA): TOWARDS TO AN ENHANCED CLIENT-ORIENTED FRONTLINE SERVICES

Frontline service is one of the most essential factors to determine good public governance in any of its offices. An effective and efficient frontline service requires proficient and knowledgeable staff to be assigned as frontlines. For the reason that they face the clients to assist them according to their needs, frontline jobs really an important factor in the delivery of services. As mentioned, frontline services are assigned to address the clients’ needs first hand. They are required to solve clients concern with their utmost skills in services delivery. Frontline also serves as the face of an agency or office. Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as one of government entity is created under the Executive Branch of the Philippine Government. It is the lead government agency that upholds and implements comprehensive and genuine agrarian reform which actualizes equitable land distribution, ownership, agricultural productivity, and tenurial security for, of, and with the tillers of the land towards the improvement of their quality of life through the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) through Land Tenure Improvement (LTI), Agrarian Justice and Coordinated delivery of essential Support Services to client beneficiaries (dar.gov.ph). Among the abovementioned programs, these all require a good and impressive frontline service. This study is focused on the assessment of the frontline services of the Department of Agrarian Reform Office – Laguna (DARPO-Laguna). There were three main categories or divisions that have been assessed: 1. Legal Services Division, 2. Land Tenure Services Program (LTSP) Division, and 3. General Frontline Services of DARPO-Laguna. Using the self-constructed questionnaire formulated from the DAR Employee Handbook and Service Performance Model (ServPerf Model), the researcher was able to gather data. These data gathered were tabulated and computed using weighted mean, frequency and percentage, and F-Value and p-value computations. There were three hundred seventy-seven (377) respondents in this study randomly selected from the group of farmers, landowners, Non-Government Organizations, Employees, and Researchers. It reveals from this study that, all the division in DARPO-Laguna that has frontline services including the General Frontline Services was with a great extend when assessed by the respondents. All dimensions and aspects included in this study are acceptable, it means that, in general, DARPO-Laguna Frontline Services is doing a good practice however, still necessitates improvement. In addition, the study found out that there are significant differences in respondents’ assessment when grouped according to their types . Based on the results and findings of the study, it is generally recommended that the management of DARPO-Laguna needs to continue its good practices and may opt to further enhance delivery of services to achieve the best clients’ satisfaction.

Agricultural Institutions, Industrialization and Growth: the Case of New Zealand and Uruguay in 1870-1940

Abstract In this paper we apply a model of early industrialization to the case of New Zealand and Uruguay in 1870-1940. We show how di_erences in agricultural institutions may have produced di_erent development paths in two countries which were similar under many respects. While in New Zealand the active role of the Crown in regulating the land market facilitated access to land, in Uruguay land was seized by a small group of large landowners. Our model shows that land concentration may have negatively inuenced industrialization and growth by impeding the formation of a large group of middle-income landowners and, as a consequence, the development of a domestic demand for basic manufactures. We support this view with a comparative analysis of agricultural institutions and industrial development in New Zealand and Uruguay

Advancing understanding of conservation practices on rented land

Nearly 40% of farmland in the United States is rented or leased from agricultural landowners (USDA NASS 2015), the majority of whom are nonoperator landowners (NOLs). NOLs are increasingly identified as a group of landowners who should be included when discussing environmental issues on agricultural lands. Yet, who NOLs are and what we know about them in terms of conservation practices is limited. Comprehensive, national-scale data on NOLs in the United States have been provided only three times in history, coming from the Agricultural Economic Land Ownership Surveys (AELOS) that collected information from both landowners and renters in 1988 and 1999 as follow-ups to the periodic Census of Agriculture (in 1987 and 1997, respectively) and the 2014 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land Survey (TOTAL) survey. While these surveys contribute to our understanding of NOLs, there are many things we still do not yet know, particularly related to NOL conservation values, practices, and informational needs. In addition, most of the existing research on NOLs is from studies conducted in the Midwest (Ulrich-Schad et al. 2016). While the study findings have provided policymakers and practitioners with a sense of what NOLs in the Midwest look like, what NOLs look like in other geographical regions is yet to be explored but essential for getting more conservation practices implemented on rented agricultural lands.

A Study of the Poetic Foundations of Three Prominent Contemporary Poets Mehdi Akhavan Sales, Ahmad Shamloo and Hamid Mossadegh with an Approach to European Literature

Literary schools in the West are influenced by the social and political conditions prevailing in those societies; This means that each school in line with the political and social developments of its time has undergone structural and content changes and gives way to a school with a different perspective. In the second half of the sixteenth century, medieval civilization collapsed and underwent many social, political, and religious changes. The group of many high-ranking landowners and feudal lords who had been forced to pay large sums of money as a result of the successive defeats of France in the Hundred Years' War were gradually forced to sell their lands and properties with all legal rights. The tribal kings belonged to it. This caused the landowners to lose their influence and power, and the government to change from a form of sectarian monarchy to an absolute monarchy. The king, like the ancient Romans, was considered to have absolute authority in the administration of the affairs of the country, and the lords of all lands served the king. By order of the Shah, ministries, the army, the Court of Accounts and the judiciary were formed; The bourgeoisie, meanwhile, entered government positions because of the prosperity of the commercial and industrial market, the wealthy and influential. Other important events, such as new inventions, new naval discoveries, as well as wars known as the Italian Wars, all went hand in hand and completely changed the way of life and the situation of French society. With the advent of Luther and Calvin and fundamental religious reforms, popular belief in the teachings of the clergy waned, and since then Christianity has been limited to a set of rites and ceremonies held by Catholic priests. In addition, Christian theologians gradually found themselves without the need for direct reference to Christian scriptures and recklessly discussed religious issues. On the other hand, in literary works, the desire for great ideas disappeared and literature, which was based on spiritual favors, became frozen. Religious plays lost their religious and heavenly appeal and took on the color of hypocrisy and trade; In this way, almost all the systems and laws that ruled France for centuries were questioned at the beginning of this century, and fundamental changes took place in Europe at that time; But it was not long before the great scientific and maritime discoveries showed him the power of human thought and greatness, and showed him that human endeavors must expand without borders, and that in a world full of contradictions and contradictions, he is free to go his own way. Choose. From then on, people liked what they thought was beautiful and charming; Therefore, not only the manifestations of the world of sensations and the world of nature were in the center of attention, but also the literary works of ancient writers and poets, especially ancient Greece, were doubly valued by them. This gradually led to the formation of a new attitude.

A tale of two communities: Who owns the land? community safety, peace process and land ownership in tiv/jukun communities of Taraba State, Nigeria

The study focuses on community crimes and insecurity challenges in Tiv and Jukun communities of Taraba State, Nigeria. The history of the two communities and the land-owner groups is laced with aggressions and grievances, which have resulted in crimes at various times. The last one, from January to July 2019, witnessed massive deaths, destruction of lives and property and led to forced displacement of persons. Quite a number of works have emerged on the causes and consequences of community land ownership-related crimes. However, the aftermath of community peace agreements, particularly in respect of tensed relations, community protection and safety in the area is yet to be sufficiently interrogated. This study investigates the state of relations between the Tiv and Jukun as well as the community peace processes in the area after the last inter-communal clashes. Also, it identifies a number of factors causing inter-communal-clashes between the two. Furthermore, the study also reveals complex community protection, safety, and peace processes involving the state, community, land owners, community leaders and land ownership gangs. Specifically, at the moment, the peace in the communities is sustained by the leaders of the gangs. This study answers the following questions: How sustainable is this arrangement? What is the state of relations in the communities? What roles do the actors play? The study made use of both primary and secondary data. Fieldwork for the study was carried out between August and September 2019 in Tiv and Jukun communities of Taraba State. The main method of data collection was unstructured interview, which was conducted with 150 people, made up of all traditional rulers, local, political, religious and youth leaders. Secondary data was sourced from texts, newspapers, magazines, official gazettes, archival materials and the Internet.

Forest cover dynamics and its drivers of the Arba Gugu forest in the Eastern highlands of Ethiopia during 1986 – 2015

Change in forest cover can affect both ecological and socio-economic systems. In order to understand the dynamics of this process, accurate and spatially explicit information is urgently required. Quantifying the past forest cover change of Arba Gugu forest of Ethiopia has been lacking despite its significance in formulating effective forest conservation and management policy and strategy in the area. This study was intended to quantify the dynamics of forest cover over a period of 29 years (1986–2015) and to identify related driving forces or causal mechanisms. Satellite images of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) were used for the year 1986 and 1999. For the year 2015, the latest Operational Land Imager (OLI) sensor of Landsat was used. The three images were classified using the random forest algorithm of the supervised classification technique. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted with three groups (a youth group from both sexes within 15–24 age range, a landowner group from women and a landowner group from men) in two highly deforested and two low deforested villages to explore drivers of deforestation. The results depicted that, the landscape encompasses stable non-forestland (54.6%) and stable forestland (13.9%) which were not converted since 1986 up to 2015. The remaining 31.5% experienced changes, of which 23% was converted from forest to non-forest and the rest (8.5%) transitioned from non-forest to forest class. The forest cover declined from 99,416 ha in 1986 to 60,334 ha in 2015. The rates of net-deforestation were 1.6% year−1 and 1.4% year−1 in the period 1986–1999 and 1999–2015, respectively. The most commonly reported drivers of deforestation were logging (39.1%) and farm expansion (36.8%). Thus, establishing a continuous forest monitoring system after formulating site-specific forest conservation plan is important.

Representation and the misidentification of economic and ethnoreligious conflict in Republican Xinjiang

ABSTRACT The era spanning the late Qing and early Republic of China (1877–1933) is regarded as a period of extensive change in East Turkestan (Xinjiang), Chinese Central Asia, particularly with regard to the emergence of modern Uyghur national identity, and therefore of ethnonational conflict. However, the tendency to focus on ethnic identity obscures other dimensions of conflict, among them the tensions that emerge during periods of rapid economic change. This article shows how violence in the oasis of Kucha in 1918 stemmed from conflict between two competing groups of landowners. However, systems of information-gathering within the provincial government and the representation of the events to the outside world promoted the idea that this violence stemmed instead from ethnic or religious difference and international conspiracy. Those power-holders advanced representations of the society they governed that were useful to their politics and, in turn, to modern Chinese politics as well.

Promoting Reforestation to Landowners: The Role of Advice-Giving through Information, Efficacy, Narratives, and Identification in Storytelling

AbstractAbstractCommunicating reforestation efforts is a challenge for foresters. There are many types of advice to offer, and it is unclear which type of advice is better suited to promote tree-planting behaviors. This study explored the effectiveness of three different types of advice (narrative, informational, and efficacy) for different groups of landowners. We recruited landowners (N = 317) from the Driftless Area of Wisconsin and segmented them into two groups based on their self-reported stage of behavior. They were randomly assigned to view one type of advice message in the form of an online video. Landowners in the early stage of tree-planting behaviors had higher intentions to take the advice with a narrative message. Those in the later stage of behavior were more influenced by informational and efficacy advice messages. We also found that with narrative messages, identification with the narrator was important for increasing intention to use advice.Study Implications: Reforestation is a key component to preserving woodlands and maintaining ecosystems. Professional foresters are tasked with speaking to private woodland owners about this issue and encouraging tree-planting behaviors on their properties. However, not all advice is created equal, and the best type of advice may differ depending on the landowner. The results of this study show that it is important to (1) segment landowners into groups based on previous behaviors and (2) determine the best type of advice for each group. Our analyses found that landowners in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area could be segmented by differences in their current stages of behavior, and different groups responded more strongly to certain types of advice than others. This emphasizes the need for foresters to gain a better understanding of their intended audience rather than considering them as a homogeneous sample. Additionally, foresters can be more effective in advice-giving by creating individualized messages that target specific groups. This approach to advice-giving can be used by foresters to develop better communication strategies for their unique situation with woodland owners.