Natural Resource Programs Research Articles

Online programs: Attrition risks differ between environmental science and natural resource master's non‐thesis students

AbstractUnderstanding attrition risks specific to online student populations is crucial for the long‐term success of online programs. Online programs allow place‐based working professionals access to education needed for professional development and career advancement. This study was conducted to determine if educational preparation, student characteristics, and internal educational factors could predict the probability of discontinuation from natural resource or environmental science disciplines in online non‐thesis master's programs. The Cox proportional hazards model survival analysis was used to examine longitudinal data from 2017 to 2023 and assess attrition risk over time, examined time as a factor of attrition behavior, and identified predictors of attrition from two online programs. Attrition risks varied between environmental science and master of natural resources online non‐thesis programs. In the natural resource program, a statistically significant relationship was found between student age, gender, race, degree background, undergraduate grade point average, cumulative grade point average, and time between degrees. A total of 70% of discontinued students did so within the first three terms, indicating the highest risk of attrition occurred early in both programs. Different attrition risks between programs warrant further examination to provide meaningful support specific to students’ needs.

Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program (DOI)

Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program (DOI)

Local perceptions on poverty and conservation in a community-based natural resource program area: a case study of Beitbridge district, southern Zimbabwe

This study was conducted in a local community, namely, Ward 1 of Beitbridge district, southern Zimbabwe, with the following objectives: (i) to assess local perceptions on poverty in a Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) environment, (ii) to assess whether CAMPFIRE initiatives have enhanced livelihoods, and (iii) to analyze the involvement of local people in CAMPFIRE programs. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data between September and October 2022, with 80 randomly selected participants being interviewed (structured interviews), 110 randomly selected discussants participating in focus group discussions held in all the five villages of Ward 1, and 10 purposively sampled key informants responded to semi-structured interviews. Data were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. The results showed that some villages had more benefits than others from the conservation programs and the contributions to poverty alleviation varied within the surveyed local communities. Most respondents in Ward 1 stated that they rely on subsistence farming as the major source of livelihood. Furthermore, most respondents highlighted that they were not participating in the natural resource management and allocation decision-making processes. However, based on this study, we conclude that respondents still view CAMPFIRE as one of the key solutions to poverty alleviation and that active local community participation in decision-making processes is lacking. The study recommend for active and full participation of local people in the decision-making processes, including previously marginalized groups, in the CAMPFIRE initiatives.

An examination of race/ethnicity, gender, and employer affiliations on university natural resource program advisory boards

An examination of race/ethnicity, gender, and employer affiliations on university natural resource program advisory boards

Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program (DOI)

Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program (DOI)

Surging lithium price will not impede the electric vehicle boom

Xin Sun is a PhD candidate at the School of Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University and a predoctoral fellow with the Environment and Natural Resources Program at the Belfer Center, Harvard University. He holds a BS degree in automobile engineering and a BS degree in business administration from Tsinghua University, China. His research focuses on the sustainability of critical materials for low carbon energy transition. He has conducted a series of trade-linked dynamic material flow analyses of battery-related materials and multiple integrated assessment models of material criticality. Minggao Ouyang is a professor at Tsinghua University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He received a PhD degree in energy engineering from the Technical University of Denmark in 1993. He has long been dedicated to engineering education and academic research in electrified powertrain systems for transportation. Han Hao is an associate professor at the School of Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University. He received BS and PhD degrees from Tsinghua University. His research focuses on the resource and environmental impacts of transport electrification, battery-supply-chain sustainability, and emerging transport technologies.

A biological condition gradient for coral reefs in the US Caribbean Territories: Part I. Coral narrative rules

As coral reef condition and sustainability continue to decline worldwide, losses of critical habitat and their ecosystem services have generated an urgency to understand and communicate reef response to management actions, environmental contamination, and natural disasters. Increasingly, coral reef protection and restoration programs emphasize the need for robust assessment tools for protecting high-quality waters and establishing conservation goals. Of equal importance is the need to communicate assessment results to stakeholders, beneficiaries, and the public so that environmental consequences of decisions are understood. The Biological Condition (BCG) model provides a structure to evaluate the condition of a coral reef in increments of change along a gradient of human disturbance. Communication of incremental change, regardless of direction, is important for decision makers and the public to better understand what is gained or lost depending on what actions are taken. We developed a narrative (qualitative) Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) from the consensus of a diverse expert panel to provide a framework for coral reefs in US Caribbean Territories. The model uses narrative descriptions of biological attributes for benthic organisms to evaluate reefs relative to undisturbed or minimally disturbed conditions. Using expert elicitation, narrative decision rules were proposed and deliberated to discriminate among six levels of change along a gradient of increasing anthropogenic stress. Narrative rules for each of the BCG levels are presented to facilitate the evaluation of benthic communities in coral reefs and provide specific narrative features to detect changes in coral reef condition and biological integrity. The BCG model can be used in the absence of numeric, or quantitative metrics, to evaluate actions that may encroach on coral reef ecosystems, manage endangered species habitat, and develop and implement management plans for marine protected areas, watersheds, and coastal zones. The narrative BCG model is a defensible model and communication tool that translates scientific results so the nontechnical person can understand and support both regulatory and non-regulatory water quality and natural resource programs.

Uncovering Stakeholder Participation in Payment for Hydrological Services (PHS) Program Decision Making in Mexico and Colombia

Payment for ecosystem services (PES) is a market-based policy approach intended to foster land use practices, such as forest conservation or restoration, that protect and improve the benefits from healthy, functioning ecosystems. While PES programs are used globally, they are an especially prominent environmental policy tool in Latin America, where the vast majority are payment for hydrological services (PHS) programs, which incentivize the conservation and restoration of ecosystems associated with water production and clean water for clearly defined water users. As a market mechanism, PHS approaches involve a transactional relationship between upstream and downstream water users who are connected by a shared watershed. While existing literature has highlighted the important role of non-state actors in natural resource management and program effectiveness, few studies have explored the role of stakeholder participation in the context of PHS programs. Building on the collaborative learning approach and the Trinity of Voice framework, we sought to understand how and to what extent PHS program stakeholders are engaged in PHS design, implementation, and evaluation. In this paper we explored (1) the modes of stakeholder engagement in PHS programs that program administrators use, and (2) the degree to which different modes of stakeholder participation allow PHS stakeholders to have decision power with which to influence PHS policy design and expected outcomes. To better understand the role of stakeholder participation, and the different ways participation occurs, we used a comparative multiple-case study analysis of three PHS program administration types (government, non-profit, and a mixed public–private organization) in Mexico and Colombia that have incorporated stakeholder engagement to achieve ecological and social goals. Our analysis draws on institutional interviews to investigate the modes of stakeholder engagement and understand the degree of decision space that is shared with other PHS stakeholders. Across all cases, we found that the trust between key actors and institutions is an essential but underappreciated aspect of successful collaboration within PHS initiatives. We conclude with recommendations for ways in which program administrators and governmental agencies can better understand and facilitate the development of trust in PHS design and implementation, and natural resources management more broadly.

Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program (DOI)

Federal Grants & ContractsVolume 45, Issue 4 p. 5-5 Grants Alerts Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program (DOI) First published: 15 January 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/fgc.31515Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume45, Issue421 January 2021Pages 5-5 RelatedInformation

Natural Resource Undergraduate Students in the New Millennium

ABSTRACTHistorically, undergraduate college students enrolled in natural resources programs came from rural backgrounds and regularly participated in fishing, hunting, and trapping (i.e., consumptive activities). Student demographics shifted considerably over the past 30 years, with more natural resources students coming from urban backgrounds with lower levels of engagement in consumptive activities. Some stakeholders and employers are concerned that misalignment between student participation in consumptive and nonconsumptive wildlife‐related activities and priorities of natural resource management authorities might result in contradicting views on consumptive activities. We sought to understand the background, participation in wildlife‐related activities, and career decision‐making process of undergraduate college students currently enrolled in natural resources programs in the early 21st century. We conducted an online survey of students enrolled in members of the National Association of University Fisheries and Wildlife Programs. We examined how demographics (including personal and family characteristics) and participation in outdoor activities shaped student decisions to pursue natural resources training in college and career choices. We received 1,376 undergraduate respondents (570 males, 806 females) representing universities and colleges in 29 U.S. states. Responding students were primarily Caucasian with the majority between 18 and 22 years old. Most identified that they regularly (>11 hr/month) spent time outdoors, and just over half acknowledged participating in hunting and fishing. Participation in hunting, fishing, and farming were lower among students identifying as female than among those identifying as male. We also found that family participation in hunting and fishing was most influential on both student involvement in consumptive activities and their decisions to pursue natural resources careers. Students with family participation in consumptive activities made natural resources career decisions in high school as compared with students whose families did not participate in consumptive activities, who waited until early college. Our study indicates that about 50% of undergraduate college students enrolled in natural resource programs do not participate in consumptive activities. Our study also highlights the importance of family participation in consumptive activities in determining school and career outcomes, with implications for student recruitment and retention practices for natural resource academic programs and employers in the early 21st century. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Reintroduction approaches and challenges for Cyanea superba (Cham.) A. Gray subsp. superba

Cyanea superba (Cham.) A. Gray subsp. superba is endemic to the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands, and a member of the Campanulaceae family. Cyanea superba subsp. superba was listed endangered on Sept. 11, 1991, and the last in situ plant died in 2002. It is suspected to have been pollinated by nectar-feeding birds and dispersed by frugivorous birds in the past. The U.S. Army’s natural resources program on Oahu began initial reintroduction of this species in 1998 to support its environmental requirements. The program started reintroductions with one field site in the Waianae Mountains, and has since expanded to 20 sites and over 1950 individuals planted, to date. Attempts to recover extinct plant species often require a multifaceted approach, including propagule management, threat control, and reintroduction of the species into field sites. Monitoring results suggest that reintroduction sites outside the historic range of the species have higher overall survival after five years as well as higher seedling survival. Some of the biggest challenges to the reintroduction of C. superba subsp. superba included destruction of habitat from feral pigs, and predation of stems and fruit from rats. Additional threats include invasive weeds, mites and fungal pathogens, as well as predation of seedlings from introduced slugs. Threat control is critical to the establishment and longevity of reintroduction sites. Challenges presented by the material used for restoration and disruptions in plant-animal interactions include a limited number of founder plants as source material, a lack of effective dispersers, and an approximately five year timespan from seed germination to plant maturity in restoration sites.

Forest Health Diagnostics Facebook Page: Impact and Natural Resources Programming Implications

The Southern Forest and Tree Health Diagnostics Facebook page, managed by Extension and forestry professionals in the southeastern United States, is designed to deliver forest and tree heath information to the public via a web-based, crowdsourced diagnostic service. We conducted an online survey to quantify the page's impact by identifying audience demographics, engagement levels, and perceptions of the page's value. Results indicated that stakeholders consider the Southern Forest and Tree Health Diagnostics page to be an effective diagnostics service and a valuable educational tool. This model could be used in other natural resources program areas to increase the reach of Extension professionals.

Factors Influencing Minority and Urban Students’ Interest in Natural Resources

AbstractDiversifying the student body of natural resources (NR) programs by increasing numbers of women and people of color is important. This study explored factors influencing undergraduate interest in NR, including forestry, and decision to enroll in an NR undergraduate program at a large 1862 land-grant institution in the southeastern United States. We looked at how their responses differ between gender, race/ethnicity, and the environment surrounding their home where they grew up, a variable we call the environment of influence. Overall, results confirm the importance of connection to nature. Interest in enrolling in an NR program and pursuing a career depend in large part on having a connection to nature and concern for the environment, and this is true for those who grew up in urban as well as rural environments. A notable difference between female and male respondents was when their interest in NR began: females reported early childhood age, and males reported in high school or later. Interest also occurred later in life for nonwhite/Hispanic students than for white/non-Hispanic students. Other racial/ethnic differences include the influence of guest speakers, family, and media in the interest and enrollment in NR. Media also played a strong role in NR enrollment and interest in the respondents from suburban and built environments. We conclude with recommendations for recruiting a more diverse undergraduate NR body and creating a more inclusive environment for people from different genders, races, and environments of influence.

Benefits and challenges of online instruction in agriculture and natural resource education

ABSTRACT Many land-grant institutions with agriculture and natural resource programs in the United States offer online courses to meet student demand. The goal of this study was to understand how major educational stakeholders, including instructors and students, perceive the benefits and limitations of online teaching and learning in agriculture and natural resource sciences. This study utilized a mixed mode data collection method, which involved informal meetings as well as online survey administration. The data were analyzed through strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)-Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) framework. The study results offer novel perspectives on the perceived utility and challenges of several attributes of online learning including work-home balance, lack of social interactions, virtual classroom opportunities for working professionals, and academic integrity and cyber scam issues among others. Our findings may be beneficial to academic administrators, instructors, and institutions in identifying opportunities, challenges, and adopting programmatic strategies to improve effectiveness of online learning.

University student perceptions of urban forestry as a career path

Abstract In the United States, universities offering degrees in urban forestry are challenged by low enrollment. Meanwhile, there is a lack of racial/ethnic and gender diversity among U.S. urban forestry practitioners. Identifying factors that influence career choice could help inform recruitment efforts for urban forestry degree programs and the profession. We surveyed more than 1,000 undergraduate students enrolled in natural sciences courses at 18 U.S. universities to evaluate their career decision-making processes. Students were first asked about their previous knowledge of urban forestry before viewing an informational video and then asked about their impression of an urban forestry career afterwards. Responses indicated that personal interest and job satisfaction were the most important factors for these students when considering career paths, even more important than pay and prestige. Previous knowledge of urban forestry was very low, especially among suburban students. After viewing the video, favorable impressions of urban forestry increased slightly. Students from families with annual incomes greater than 150,000 USD showed less interest in urban forestry than other students. Overall, student perceptions were not influenced by gender, race/ethnicity, childhood residential setting, or socio-economic status, and no significant intrinsic barriers to interest were identified. This suggests urban forestry may appeal to a more diverse population than is currently represented in the profession and lack of awareness may be a significant obstacle to recruiting not only more students, but also more diverse students. Thus, the profession may need to promote its public image well beyond traditional forestry and natural resources programs to reach new audiences.

Effectiveness of Snap-trapping, Goodnature A24 Automated Traps, and Hand-broadcast of Diphacinone Anticoagulant Baits to Suppress Invasive Rats (Rattus spp.) and Mice (Mus musculus) in Hawaiian Forest

Invasive rodents (rats and mice) commonly occur on islands and often damage natural resources largely by predation of native species. Suppressing invasive rodent populations and their damages is therefore a common practice in many parts of the Hawaiian Islands, and land managers such as the Army Natural Resources Program on Oahu often control rodent populations by using large-scale rat snap-trapping and Goodnature A24 automated rat traps (henceforth A24s). While rat traps can be effective at suppressing rat populations, mouse populations are not generally suppressed and may expand greatly. In an effort to reduce rodent populations to levels below that accomplished with rat traps alone at a 5-ha mesic forest on Oahu (Ohikilolo), we assessed the effectiveness of a one-time (two application) hand-broadcast of anticoagulant (Diphacinone-50) bait pellets applied at 13.8 kg/ha per application while A24s and rat snap-traps were active. We monitored rat and mouse activity during trapping and before, during, and after the bait applications using tracking tunnels, which are baited ink cards placed in tunnels so that foot prints of animal visitors can be identified. We found that rat trapping alone was effective at reducing rat populations but not the mouse population, and that the one-time hand-broadcast of diphacinone bait reduced both rat and mouse activity to 0% tracking for about 1 month. However, rat and mouse populations rebounded 2 months later to 15% rat tracking and 41% mouse tracking, which were roughly pre-treatment levels. Rat suppression using A24s at Ohikilolo appeared much more effective year-round than at a nearby 26 ha site (Kahanahaiki), though mouse suppression was poor at Ohikilolo relative to Kahanahaiki. The hand-broadcast of diphacinone bait at both Ohikilolo and Kahanahaiki was effective but short-lived, so repeated baiting during the seasonal peaks in rodent abundance and increasing the size of the buffer area would more likely protect target natural resources from rats and mice.

Effects of course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) on wildlife students

ABSTRACTA new movement to develop course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) is emerging, although the benefits of such programs have not yet been fully evaluated. We examined effects of a field‐based CURE project on science attitudes, career choice, and perceived knowledge of undergraduate wildlife students (n = 32) at the University of Wyoming in 2012. In this project, junior and senior students gained practical experience, used their own data to learn various modeling approaches, and disseminated results orally and in written form. We used a mixed‐method study with pre‐ and postactivity surveys and focus group interviews to evaluate the change in student perceptions. Our results illustrate that participation in the CURE project resulted in benefits similar to those reported from traditional undergraduate research experience programs. Participants reported increased understanding of the scientific method, clarification of their career choices, and greater confidence in their perceived knowledge of science. These changes were more pronounced among male participants. Concurrently students gained valuable skills that are required by practicing wildlife biologists. Based on these results it appears that adoption of CURE projects in similar natural resources programs could provide a large number of undergraduate students with equivalent opportunities to those currently experienced by a select few through traditional undergraduate research experience programs. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

Natural Resource Management and Household Well-being: The Case of POSAF-II in Nicaragua

Summary Measuring the impact of natural resource programs is a key element in the formulation and implementation of policies designed to promote farm income while enhancing the quality of the surrounding environment. In this paper, we analyze the economic impact of natural resource technologies delivered by the Socio-environmental and Forestry Development Program-II (POSAF-II) in Nicaragua. We use cross-sectional data for 1,483 households, from 212 treated and control communities. Results obtained from propensity score matching (PSM), ordinary least squares (OLS), weighted least squares regression (WLS) based on PSM, and instrumental variables (IV) regression indicate that POSAF-II has had a positive impact on the total value of agricultural production of beneficiary farmers. An internal rate of return analysis supports the hypothesis that increasing household income while encouraging the sustainable use of natural resources through the implementation of suitable management programs can be complementary development objectives.

DINAMIKA KEHIDUPAN MANUSIA DAN KONDISI SUMBERDAYA ALAM DAERAH ALIRAN SUNGAI

The purpose of writing this article is to give an overview of watershed damage that has occurred, which also led to the occurrence of natural disasters. Watershed damage that occurs due to the interaction between human and natural resources show that the interaction is negative in the end will result in damage and natural disasters. This paper is a literature review on the analysis of the facts that occurred on the field of natural resource conditions watersheds, as well as in the analysis of the theories associated with pegelolaan DAS. Based on the problems and phenomena of watershed degradation that has occurred in recent years, it is necessary efforts and strategies for watershed management that are useful for the realization of the sustainability of the watershed for the present and future. Cooperation between the public and the government in watershed management is the key factor required. The government must be able to move the various stakeholders in the management of natural resources, including natural resources watersheds, through policies, strategies, and programs to both short term and long term.Keywords: dynamics, human, watershed resources.

Assessing Nature-Based Recreation to Support Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability Extension Programs

In support of community development, natural resource, and other Extension programs, the research reported here aimed to identify current and potential outdoor recreational opportunities in the St. Johns River Basin, an inland area in northeastern Florida. We identify the characteristics of the visitors participating in the recreational activities and discuss opportunities to enhance tourism experiences. Similar research can be implemented in other U.S. regions to document the benefits provided by water resources to local and regional economies.