Socio-environmental Benefits Research Articles

Application of SAP to Improve the Handling Properties of Iron Ore Tailings of High Cohesiveness: Could a Reagent Help the Decommissioning Process of a Dam?

This work aims to evaluate the use of a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) to provide improvements in the handling properties of iron ore tailings (IOT). The material studied came from the magnetic separation reprocessing of the material discarded at the Gelado Dam, located in Serra dos Carajás in the state of Pará, Brazil. While the concentrate presents reasonable handling conditions, the tailings, with 61.5% iron, 15% moisture, and 39% of the mass, have high cohesiveness and adhesiveness due to their fine nature and the climatic conditions of the Amazon rainforest. However, the tailings can still be considered a product as long as the handling and transportation logistics are feasible. Thus, studies with an SAP and IOT were carried out in a bench rotating drum to promote mixing between them, and the main variables studied were the SAP dosage and the required contact time. The improvement in the physical properties of the IOT were evaluated considering the Hausner ratio, Carr index, Jenike’s flow function index, Atterberg limits, and chute angle. The superabsorbent polymer promoted a significant improvement in the state of consistency of the material, and the best performance was obtained with a dosage of 1000 g t−1. As long as a suitable contact condition was promoted, a contact time of 1 min was enough to achieve the expected benefits. After dosing with the superabsorbent polymer, the material’s handling classification changed from ‘cohesive’ to ‘easy flow’, and the chute angle was reduced from 90° to levels below 60°. It was concluded that the application of the superabsorbent polymer has the potential to improve the fluidity of the material discarded in the magnetic concentration operation, allowing it to be handled throughout the production and transportation chain. The SAP appears to be an important additive for the full use of the material present in the dam (100% recovery), with both economic and socio-environmental benefits.

Biophilic Architecture: A Sustainable Healing Strategy in Rehabilitation Centers in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This research analyzes the potential of Biophilic design as a sustainable healing technique in rehabilitation centers situated in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Drawing from the rich biodiversity and cultural past of the region, Biophilic design concepts are investigated as a technique to boost the physical and mental well-being of patients undergoing rehabilitation. By integrating natural components and patterns into the constructed environment, rehabilitation institutions can provide therapeutic places favorable to healing and recovery. In the context of rehabilitation institutions, adopting Biophilic design concepts can provide several benefits to patients, including stress reduction, enhanced mood, and speedier recovery. This paper presents strategies for applying Biophilic design in the Niger Delta’s rehabilitation centers and examines the socio-environmental benefits of such an approach.

CIRCULAR APPROACHES: THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

The future of public procurement is increasingly interconnected with the principles of circular economy as governments face pressing ecological, economic, and social challenges that deplete their financial resources. The adoption of circular public procurement practices represents a significant shift towards sustainability and offers significant benefits to government contractors, businesses, and citizens alike. This approach drives innovation and creates added value as it focuses on extending product lifecycles, reducing waste, and promoting resource efficiency throughout supply chains. If public entities prioritize circularity in their purchasing, they could enhance trust and reputation through the creation of a sustainable and resilient procurement ecosystem. This paper explores the concept of circular public procurement and how it could be implemented by public entities to advance sustainable development goals and ensure long-term socio-environmental benefits.

Comparison of Planted Pine versus Natural Mix Forests in Nepal

This study aimed to compare the socio-environmental benefits of one of the most widely planted forest species, i.e., Pinus roxburghii (Sarg., hereafter ‘Pine’ or ‘Pinus’) with naturally regenerated mixed forests in two community forests of Nepal. By analyzing tree rings, we estimate biomass production, carbon accumulation, and growth enhancement in both forest types using regression models, offering insights into sustainable forest management. Pinus forests exhibit instant social benefits through direct economic conversion and a higher rate of carbon sequestration. However, the lack of perpetuated production, due to unimodal stand structures, necessitates anthropogenic interventions for long-term sustainability. Challenges such as the absence of natural regeneration, frequent fires, limited undergrowth, limited species diversity, and likely soil erosion hinder long-term sustainability in Pinus forests. In contrast, natural regenerated mixed forests offer slow carbon sequestration with less opportunity for immediate economic conversion, yet they maintain a proportional age-class distribution and experience minimal fire incidence, abundant regeneration, higher biodiversity, and lower regeneration costs. Although no abrupt environmental disasters were observed through the dendrochronological assessment, a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was found between age and girth at breast height, biomass, and volume of the forests. This study underscores the crucial role of human intervention beyond conventional management focusing on the protection motive to production-oriented forests in optimizing the socio-economic and environmental benefits of both forest types in the changing socio-environmental challenges through informed management planning.

By-Product Valorization as a Means for the Brewing Industry to Move toward a Circular Bioeconomy

Beer production consumes significant amounts of water, energy, and raw materials, and results in the production of various by-products, including wastewater, brewers’ spent grain, yeast and hop. To lower its environmental footprint, by-products may be reclaimed or valorized in agro-food, cosmetic, material, chemical industries, etc. According to most recent research, breweries have the potential to become biorefineries, as they can extract diverse valuable plant-based compounds such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, phenolic compounds, platform chemicals, and biopolymers. These biomolecules possess bioactive and physicochemical properties, which can be enhanced through recovery processes. Brewery by-products may be utilized in various industries within the bioeconomy frame. In agro-food systems, extracts can increase final products’ techno-functionalities. Such additives can also help in creating marketing labels such as clean-label healthy, which can further attract potential customers. Businesses can gain economic and socio-environmental benefits by implementing sustainable practices, which can also improve their corporate image. This article outlines recent advancements in the processing and valorization of brewery by-products, ultimately defining an up-to-date, sustainable strategy for clean beer production.

The atlas of unburnable oil for supply-side climate policies

To limit the increase in global mean temperature to 1.5 °C, CO2 emissions must be drastically reduced. Accordingly, approximately 97%, 81%, and 71% of existing coal and conventional gas and oil resources, respectively, need to remain unburned. This article develops an integrated spatial assessment model based on estimates and locations of conventional oil resources and socio-environmental criteria to construct a global atlas of unburnable oil. The results show that biodiversity hotspots, richness centres of endemic species, natural protected areas, urban areas, and the territories of Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation coincide with 609 gigabarrels (Gbbl) of conventional oil resources. Since 1524 Gbbl of conventional oil resources are required to be left untapped in order to keep global warming under 1.5 °C, all of the above-mentioned socio-environmentally sensitive areas can be kept entirely off-limits to oil extraction. The model provides spatial guidelines to select unburnable fossil fuels resources while enhancing collateral socio-environmental benefits.

The importance of geochemical and mineralogical characterization of fresh Cu-Porphyry mine tailings in mineral processing plants to optimize their revalorization potential

The existence of enormous volumes of mine tailings (MTs) deposits around the World, and specially in Chile, has generated a growing interest about the potential economic and socio-environmental benefits of reprocessing them. The present study assesses this possibility in the world class example of Mineral Valle Central (MVC), one of the few MTs reprocessing plants that has been under operation since 1992. To do so, 20 sampling points along the mineral processing plant were selected and monitored every two months from April 2018 to January 2019, generating a total of 120 samples. The multivariate statistical analysis of detailed chemical and mineralogical information confirmed the existence of two main groups, a first one corresponding to the elements (As, Ag, Fe, Cd, Co, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn) linked to sulphides and a second one including elements mainly hosted by silicates. As expected, the first group of elements showed a general increasing tendency in their concentration along the processing plant while the second group tended to decrease their concentrations. It was observed that during the generation of the current Cu-concentrate in MVC, Co concentrations are increased as high as ten times (~0.25 g/kg) from the original concentration in the MTs entering the reprocessing plant (~0.025 g/kg). Therefore, the design and theoretical addition of new operational units to generate pyrite concentrates was evaluated. Such a de-pyritization process unit could link economic and environmental potential benefits thanks to the recovery of the Co hosted in pyrite and to the reduction of the acid generation potential of the final MTs sent to Caren MTs deposit. This exploratory study shows important environmental benefits as well as some economic potential thanks to the recovery of Co hosted in pyrite. Notwithstanding, future comprehensive Co deportment studies and a detailed technical – economical evaluation are needed to determine the economic feasibility for the construction of the proposed de-pyritization process unit.

Does the environment really benefit from the vehicle verification program?... truth or utopia

Regarding the objective raised here in relation to the analysis of the situation of the programs involved with vehicle verification, its implications and especially if there is a benefit to the environment, it is perceived that the situation of environmental pollution is an issue that should involve everyone the actors of society, that is, the population itself must contribute with its obligations and educate from home to guarantee harmony in relation to public policies related to the care of the environment. The role of schools, at their different levels, must also be an essential driving force to contribute to the education received at home and thus reinforce knowledge in future generations, which will bring socio-environmental benefits. What can we say about the role of governments that have an effective participation in the promotion of programs that benefit the environment and consider the research that is developed in educational institutions at the undergraduate and graduate levels to implement it for the benefit of the environment. Since mitigating the effects of pollution and public health must always be a priority.

Brazil’s Formal E-Waste Recycling System: From Disposal to Reverse Manufacturing

This study investigates the post-regulation scenario of waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) reverse logistics in Florianópolis, an island in southern Brazil, following Decree N° 10240/2020. Employing a case study approach, involving observation and semi-structured interviews, the research explores key stakeholders’ roles. The results indicate collaborative efforts among the municipal cleaning service provider, recycler, and manager entity, supporting effective e-waste take-back systems. This cooperation not only strengthens the formal recycling market but also yields socio-environmental benefits. The study reveals that optimal outcomes arise from the collaboration between the public cleaning service provider and the business sector, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship. Concerning e-waste value recovery, there is a notable inclination to extend the life cycle of small equipment, emphasizing reuse and remanufacture cycles, while larger electrical and electronic items follow to recycling and recovery cycles. In summary, this research contributes to aligning stakeholders in e-waste reverse logistics, emphasizing compliance with legislation and fostering a deeper understanding of roles, functions, and alliances. The study provides a strategic and structured perspective on e-waste management in a city renowned for selective waste collection and considered a national benchmark for reverse logistics, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.

Survey of Weed Infestation of Three Levels of Pasture Degradation in the Municipality of Cahoeiras de Macacu, State of Rio de Janeiro

Objective: The objective of this work was to register weed species in pasture areas at different levels of degradation, as a subsidy for weed control and the recovery of degraded pastures. Theoretical framework: Well-managed pastures provide socio-environmental benefits, being important carbon sinks and providing food for livestock. Studies related to the registration of weed species in pastures are an important tool towards the recovery and renewal of degraded pasture areas. Method: A survey of weed species was carried out in pasture areas in the municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu, State of Rio de Janeiro, using the inventory square method, in order to indicate the ideal moment to apply control practices due to the main registered weed species. Results and conclusions: Twenty-three weed species were registered and distributed in 11 botanical families. The families that most stood out in number of species were: Fabaceae, Poaceae and Asteraceae. The weeds with the highest degree of importance were in descending order: Paspalum notatum, Eupatorium maximilianii, Imperata brasiliensis, Desmodium incanum and Sporobolus indicus. The values obtained for number of weeds, density and abundance increased as degradation levels evolved. The weed density referring to the lowest level of degradation can be used as a parameter in decision-making about the most appropriate moment to carry out the control of weed species. Average density value equal to 6.0 plants m-2 indicates the appropriate moment for adopting weed control practices, based on the main registered species. The similarity indices among sampling areas were high, evidencing the homogeneity of species among the different levels of degradation. Research implications: The results obtained can be used as benchmarks in relation to the ideal time when farmers or ranchers should apply effective practices of weed control, based on the main species found in pastures. Consequently, minimizing or even avoiding the progressive degradation of pastures. Originality/value: In general, the control of weeds in pasture areas in Brazil is neglected or carried out without the use of technical-scientific criteria. Phytosociological surveys of weed infestation can be used as guides for decision-making on the ideal moment for the application of control methods based on the main incident species, and may also be used in the development and formulation of public policies.

Landscape ecology and urban spatial configuration: Exploring a methodological relationship. Application in Pelotas, Brazil

Urbanization has been expanding rapidly in Brazil, negatively impacting the natural environment. Achieving sustainable development requires understanding the interdependencies between the social and natural worlds and finding a balance between them. Resilient urban planning considering green infrastructure can generate socio-environmental benefits through ecological connections. To achieve this, an integrated study between the social and environmental spheres is required, which are often developed separately. Thus, this investigation aims to develop a socio-environmental analysis by adopting urban configuration and landscape ecology models and subsequently comparing their respective outcomes. To this end, two models of spatial networks were examined in a sector of Pelotas, Brazil, based on graph theory and centrality measures. The urban configuration model was used to analyze human mobility in urban networks, while the landscape ecology model was used to study the butterfly species Heliconius erato phyllis in ecological networks. Our findings show no significant correlation between the outcomes generated by the two models, indicating a lack of cohesion in the location and connection of green infrastructure in the study area. This methodology represents a valuable tool for urban planners and researchers seeking to gain new insights into the performance of urban green areas while considering both human and species-related factors.

The Diffusion Rule of Demand-Oriented Biogas Supply in Distributed Renewable Energy System: An Evolutionary Game-Based Approach

Biogas can be regarded as a dispatchable renewable source when changing into the demand-oriented operation mode (DO), thus could be used for complementing with solar and wind power in distributed energy system (DES) as a substitute for chemical energy storage. However, if the DO is implemented in regional DES, uncertainties are emerged caused by the complex interest interaction between the seller and the buyer groups formed by the biogas plant and the DES’s dispatching center, thus making the development trend of DO unknown. In this context, this study explored the diffusion law of DO in regional DES by establishing a mathematical model based on an evolutionary game between the two major stakeholders, during which the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) was deduced for understanding their strategy selections, and then the dynamic diffusion trend was simulated by the system dynamics via a case example. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of parameters is carried out and the optimal policy instruments are proposed according to the main influencing factors. The study revealed that when the DES can realize monetized returns from socio-environmental benefits, the adoption of DO becomes more feasible. Importantly, the revenue generated from electricity sales, by the dispatching center when they do not utilize biogas, emerged as the most critical parameter influencing the ultimate outcomes. The limitations of this research and modeling are discussed to lay a foundation for further improvement.

Natural Regeneration and Conservation Status of the Tree Community of Forest Remnants in Urban Parks in Southern Brazil

Purpose: The study characterised the dynamics of the natural regeneration process of urban remnants in four Curitiba (PR, Brazil) urban parks, aiming to contribute to the green infrastructure management process in Araucaria Forest areas. Theoretical framework: Urban forests offer significant socio-environmental benefits, being relevant for maintaining ecosystem services for cities and their inhabitants. Studying the regeneration of forest remnants in urban environments is essential for analysing their conservation status. Method/design/approach: The floristic diversity, structure, and population dynamics of the shrub-regenerating component of urban forest remnants were studied through the analysis of phytosociological parameters and the similarity between the shrub-regenerating, and arboreal components was verified. Results and conclusion: Significant dissimilarity was found between the study areas' regenerating shrub and tree components. The forest remnant of the Municipal Zoo, located in a locality with greater integration of different green areas, showed the best conservation status and a more advanced process of forest succession. Research implications: The analysis of the natural regeneration of urban remnants serves as an essential diagnosis regarding their conservation status and the capacity of species to perpetuate in the place, in addition to inferring about the connectivity with other urban remnants, being of great importance for the planning of actions aimed at the management of urban forests. Originality value: Analyzing natural regeneration generates information on forest remnants' conservation status and resilience, which is essential for planning actions for urban forest management.

Assessing financial subsidies for green roofs: A micro-scale analysis of Lisbon (Portugal)

Green roofs (GR) provide ecological, economic, and socio-environmental benefits reducing the negative effects of urbanization and improving cities' resilience to tackle climate change. However, from the private investors' perspective, GR are economic unfeasible making necessary the development of public incentive policies. The study aims to assess adequate methodologies to design GR financial subsidies at the city scale, considering the influence of green roofs' ecosystem services (ES). The initial hypothesis is that constant financial subsidies are suboptimal, and it is necessary to develop more granular approaches. A cumulative and incremental 3-level cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was performed at an urban micro-scale to allow the incorporation of environmental features in the monetary conversion of ES. Results confirm that positive ES provided by green roofs vary across the city. Consequently, constant values of financial subsidies at the city scale do not optimize public financial resources management, confirming the initial hypothesis. Moreover, findings reinforce the need to review the procedures for developing and granting public incentives at the municipal and/or macro-scale level for GR, especially as these solutions provide ES that are strongly influenced by environmental surrounding characteristics.

Urban Gardening in a Changing Climate: A Review of Effects, Responses and Adaptation Capacities for Cities

Climate change is impacting the ecological, social and technological aspects of urban gardens. Gardens experience threats (e.g., water scarcity) but are also responding through adaptation strategies (e.g., selecting drought-resilient plants). A synthetic overview of how urban gardens are affected by climate change and responding to climate change is unclear. Here, we systematically reviewed articles and book chapters published in the last two decades (2000–2022) to illustrate the relationship between climate change and urban gardening. From 72 documents analyzed with Nvivo Software, we found that there has been an increase in academic publications. Universities from the US (14) and Germany (9) universities are the dominant producers. Evidence shows that climate change can have negative impacts on cities, people and urban food. Suggestions on how to build the adaptation capacity of urban gardens include collecting rainwater, changing plant selection, changing planting times, applying vegetative cover on the soil and other practices. For cities, community and allotment gardens are helpful for adaptation, mitigation and resilience. This includes the capacity to regulate the microclimate, to reduce urban heat island effects and to buffer urban floods, the power to capture carbon, the ability to create social networks and other socio-environmental benefits for urban climate planning.

From greening the climate-adaptive city to green climate gentrification? Civic perceptions of short-lived benefits and exclusionary protection in Boston, Philadelphia, Amsterdam and Barcelona

Municipal governments are increasingly promoting green climate-adaptive infrastructure projects to address climate threats and impacts while maximizing multiple socio-environmental benefits. Although these strategies are repeatedly advanced as “win-win” solutions for all, recent literature has drawn attention to numerous negative effects, especially the displacement and exclusion of vulnerable social groups, pointing at yet another layer of climate injustice. In this article, we focus our analysis on the experienced and/or perceived negative social effects of greening interventions for climate adaptation on historically marginalized groups through a cross-case qualitative comparison of four neighborhoods in North American and European cities (Boston, Philadelphia, Amsterdam and Barcelona). Interviews conducted among a diverse sample of civic groups related to each neighborhood reveal that most respondents highly value green resilient infrastructures for their socio-environmental benefits. However, unless these green interventions are implemented alongside policies that guarantee equitable outcomes for all, then civic respondents mostly identify negative social impacts on marginalized residents, making those benefits short-lived. Most prominent negative impacts include physical displacement and the related threat of more displacement together with risks that new (green) real estate developments and resilient greening will remain exclusionary for marginalized groups. Such similar findings across different socio-political contexts point to the need for bolder policies that guarantee that investments in green climate adaptation interventions secure both environmental and social benefits in underinvested and environmentally neglected neighborhoods and mitigate the negative impacts of such interventions, namely sociocultural and physical displacement and overall exclusionary climate protection.

Wetland Vulnerability Metrics as a Rapid Indicator in Identifying Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigate Coastal Flooding

Flood mitigation in low-gradient, tidally-influenced, and rapidly urbanizing coastal locations remains a priority across a range of stakeholders and communities. Wetland ecosystems act as a natural flood buffer for coastal storms and sea level rise (SLR) while simultaneously providing invaluable benefits to urban dwellers. Assessing the vulnerability of wetlands to flood exposure under different SLR scenarios and vegetation responses to climatic variability over time allows for management actions, such as nature-based solutions, to be implemented to preserve wetland ecosystems and the services they provide. Nature-based solutions (NBSs) are a type of green infrastructure that can contribute to flood mitigation through the management and restoration of the ecosystems that provide socio-environmental benefits. However, identifying the flood mitigation potential provided by wetlands and the suitability for NBS implementation depends on the ecological condition and environmental exposure. We propose that wetland vulnerability assessments can be used as a rapid method to quantify changes in ecosystem dynamics and flood exposure and to prioritize potential locations of NBSs implementation. We quantified exposure risk using 100- and 500-year special flood hazard areas, 1–10 ft of sea level rise scenarios, and high-tide flooding and sensitivity using timeseries analyses of Landsat 8-derived multispectral indices as proxies for wetland conditions at subwatershed scales. We posit that wetland areas that are both highly vulnerable to recurrent flooding and degrading over time would make good candidate locations for NBS prioritization, especially when they co-occur on or adjacently to government-owned parcels. In collaboration with local governmental agencies responsible for flood mitigation in the coastal sub-watersheds of the City of New Bern and New Hanover County, North Carolina, we conducted field verification campaigns and leveraged local expert knowledge to identify optimal NBS priority areas. Our results identified several government-owned parcels containing highly vulnerable wetland areas that can be ranked and prioritized for potential NBS implementation. Depending on the biophysical characteristics of the area, NBS candidate wetland types include brackish and freshwater marshes and riverine swamp forests, even though the predominant wetland types by area are managed loblolly pinelands. This study underscores the critical importance of conserving or restoring marshes and swamp forests and provides a transferable framework for conducting scale-invariant assessments of coastal wetland condition and flood exposure as a rapid method of identifying potential priority areas for nature-based solutions to mitigate coastal flooding.

The Potential Role of Flying Vehicles in Progressing the Energy Transition

An energy transition is in progress around the globe, notably led by an increase in the deployment of renewable energy and a shift toward less emissions-intense options, notably in the transportation sector. This research investigates the potential role that new transportation options, namely flying vehicles, may play toward progressing the energy transition. As flying vehicles are a relatively new technology yet to penetrate the market, it is also prudent to consider the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) associated with their implementation, alongside the potential energy and environmental impacts. Through a review of ELSI and energy and environmental literature, we identify research gaps and identify how flying vehicles may impact upon the energy transition over time. Our research identifies several critical aspects of both ELSI and energy and environmental academia relevant to the future deployment of flying vehicles and describes a deployment timeline and the resultant societal outcomes. We find that flying vehicles could drive the energy transition and the hydrogen economy and that their widespread adoption could engender shared socio-environmental benefits. Our findings are relevant to transportation and environmental policymakers and identify critical considerations for the planned introduction of new, shared transportation options to the market, conducive to a sustainable energy transition.

Characteristics, challenges and innovations of waste picker organizations: A comparative perspective between Latin American and East African countries

Waste picker organisations (WPOs) around the globe collect, transport and process waste to earn their living but represent a widely excluded, marginalised and impoverished segment of society. WPOs are highly innovative, created by grassroots out of “nothing” to deliver economic, social and environmental sustainability. Still, we do not know how such innovations are developed, and how they are disseminated and adopted by other groups. This article examines characteristics, challenges and innovations of WPOs across five countries in Latin America and East Africa. It is based on quantitative and qualitative data regarding modes of organisation and management, gender, received support, business orientations, environmental and social contributions, and innovations developed in response to multiple challenges. The paper provides a comprehensive understanding of WPOs’ activities and their grassroots innovations in the Global South. The study shows how WPOs contribute significantly to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the societies they serve as well as the wider urban societies. To start and maintain WPOs in informal settlements with a lack of infrastructure, institutional frameworks, and public and private investors is a difficult quest. WPOs take many different organisational forms depending on the complexity of local realities, ranging from advanced collective organization as cooperatives to small self-help groups and microentrepreneurs. Self-organisation into regional and national networks provides economic opportunities, autonomy and stability as well as political influence. Yet, institutional support is fundamental and the lack thereof threatens their existence. Sustaining WPOs as important providers of socio-environmental benefits through governmental and non-governmental actions is a worthwhile undertaking that builds sustainability.

Murky waters: divergent ways scientists, practitioners, and landowners evaluate beaver mimicry

Beaver mimicry is a fast-growing conservation technique to restore streams and manage water that is gaining popularity within the natural resource management community because of a wide variety of claimed socio-environmental benefits. Despite a growing number of projects, many questions and concerns about beaver mimicry remain. This study draws on qualitative data from 49 interviews with scientists, practitioners, and landowners, to explore the question of how beaver mimicry projects continue to be promoted and implemented, despite the lack of comprehensive scientific studies and unclear regulatory requirements. Specifically, we investigate how these three groups differentially assess the salience, credibility, and legitimacy of evidence for beaver mimicry and analyze how those assessments affect each group’s conclusions about the feasibility, desirability, and scalability of beaver mimicry. By highlighting the interaction between how someone assesses evidence and how they draw conclusions about an emerging natural resource management approach, we draw attention to the roles of experiential evidence and scientific data in debates over beaver mimicry. Our research emphasizes that understanding how different groups perceive salience, credibility, and legitimacy of scientific information is necessary for understanding how they make assessments about conservation and natural resource management strategies.