When human and financial resources are limited, who assumes responsibility for managing a country... more When human and financial resources are limited, who assumes responsibility for managing a country's protected areas? In Chile, government-owned protected areas lack sufficient management resources while facing extraction pressure from the rural poor. Multi-stakeholder partnerships have been posited as a co-management style alternative to traditional state-managed systems. This strategy is being tested in the Llancahue watershed near Valdivia, Chile. To understand stakeholders' views toward the formation of this multi-stakeholder partnership, we evaluated stakeholders' beliefs, positions, interests, and concerns. Results indicated stakeholders believed an adaptive co-management model could improve Llancahue forest and watershed conservation efforts if the partner roles were explicit, stakeholder involvement was inclusive, and appropriate financing mechanisms were determined. Stakeholders were most concerned with the financial, personnel, and legal costs of managing Llancahue. However, our analysis suggests the perceived benefits of halting illegal logging and creating a peri-urban park currently outweighed stakeholder concerns over project financing and institutional design.
The paper will summarize our new effort to develop an integrated distance education / professiona... more The paper will summarize our new effort to develop an integrated distance education / professional education course on forest certification and sustainable forest management (SFM) in the Southeast. The course will present a practical, applied view of the elements of forest certification for private forestlands in the South- east, as well as a review of the SFM criteria and indicators.
Though many climate literacy efforts attempt to communicate climate change as a risk, these strat... more Though many climate literacy efforts attempt to communicate climate change as a risk, these strategies may be ineffective because among adults, worldview rather than scientific understanding largely drives climate change risk perceptions. Further, increased science literacy may polarize worldview-driven perceptions, making some climate literacy efforts ineffective among skeptics. Because worldviews are still forming in the teenage years, adolescents may represent a more receptive audience. This study examined how worldview and climate change knowledge related to acceptance of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) and in turn, climate change risk perception among middle school students in North Carolina, USA (n=387). We found respondents with individualistic worldviews were 16.1 percentage points less likely to accept AGW than communitarian respondents at median knowledge levels, mirroring findings in similar studies among adults. The interaction between knowledge and worldview, however, was opposite from previous studies among adults, because increased climate change knowledge was positively related to acceptance of AGW among both groups, and had a stronger positive relationship among individualists. Though individualists were 24.1
Significant life experience research suggests that the presence of role models, time outdoors, an... more Significant life experience research suggests that the presence of role models, time outdoors, and nature-related media foster pro-environmental behavior, but most research is qualitative. Based on a random sample of middle school students in North Carolina, USA, we found limited positive associations between presence of a role model and time outdoors with behavior and a negative association between watching nature television and environmental knowledge. The strongest predictors of environmental knowledge and behavior were student/teacher ratio and county income levels, respectively. We also found that Native Americans engaged in environmental behaviors more than Caucasians, and that African American and Hispanic students had lower levels of environmental knowledge. Accordingly, life experiences appear less important than promoting small class sizes and addressing challenges associated with lower incomes in schools.
Building environmental literacy (EL) in children and adolescents is critical to meeting current a... more Building environmental literacy (EL) in children and adolescents is critical to meeting current and emerging environmental challenges worldwide. Although environmental education (EE) efforts have begun to address this need, empirical research holistically evaluating drivers of EL is critical. This study begins to fill this gap with an examination of school-wide EE programs among middle schools in North Carolina, including the use of published EE curricula and time outdoors while controlling for teacher education level and experience, student attributes (age, gender, and ethnicity), and school attributes (socio-economic status, student-teacher ratio, and locale). Our sample included an EE group selected from schools with registered school-wide EE programs, and a control group randomly selected from NC middle schools that were not registered as EE schools. Students were given an EL survey at the beginning and end of the spring 2012 semester. Use of published EE curricula, time outdoors, and having teachers with advanced degrees and mid-level teaching experience (between 3 and 5 years) were positively related with EL whereas minority status (Hispanic and black) was negatively related with EL. Results suggest that school-wide EE programs were not associated with improved EL, but the use of published EE curricula paired with time outdoors represents a strategy that may improve all key components of student EL. Further, investments in teacher development and efforts to maintain enthusiasm for EE among teachers with more than 5 years of experience may help to boost student EL levels. Middle school represents a pivotal time for influencing EL, as improvement was slower among older students. Differences in EL levels based on gender suggest boys and girls may possess complementary skills sets when approaching environmental issues. Our findings suggest ethnicity related disparities in EL levels may be mitigated by time spent in nature, especially among black and Hispanic students.
Conservation subdivisions have emerged as an option to conserve open space, protect water quality... more Conservation subdivisions have emerged as an option to conserve open space, protect water quality and wildlife habitat, and maintain scenic views without compromising property rights. Despite economic and ecological advantages over traditional subdivisions, conservation subdivisions remain rare. We used a mixed-method study combining a survey of 246 people who attended conservation subdivision workshops with a qualitative case study of four communities that successfully developed conservation subdivisions to identify potential barriers to conservation subdivisions and strategies to overcome those barriers. A principal component analysis based on survey respondent rankings grouped barriers into: resistance to change among stakeholders, concerns about differences between traditional subdivisions and conservation subdivisions, concerns about consumer demand, and misperceptions about construction costs. Survey respondents indicated the top barrier to completion of conservation subdivisions was lack of incentives for developers. The case study communities overcame resistance from developers and landowners through educational efforts including informal meetings, charrettes, and workshops focusing on the environmental and economic benefits of conservation subdivisions. The communities had support from elected officials, and planning staff devoted necessary resources to rewrite ordinances, review sketch plans, and perform site visits. To overcome barriers to conservation subdivisions, communities could provide incentives including density bonuses and expedited approval processes. Encouraging participation in workshops and design charrettes for proposed developments may alleviate concerns of landowners who perceive a loss of property rights from new regulations and aid in the acceptance of conservation subdivisions.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit:
We also received helpful feedback from the participants and audience of a special session on "Mat... more We also received helpful feedback from the participants and audience of a special session on "Matching the means to the ends: choosing appropriate methods for valuation of forest ecosystem services" at the Annual Meeting of the International Society of Forest Resource Economics. Raleigh NC, April 2016.
h i g h l i g h t s • The treatment improved participants' intent to stay on the trail. • The tre... more h i g h l i g h t s • The treatment improved participants' intent to stay on the trail. • The treatment improved participants' knowledge levels. • The treatment promoted positive attitudes toward staying on the trail. • A short time difference did not change the effects of the educational message. • Results supported the use of off-site visitor education programs.
We conducted e-mail surveys of organizations that had received forest management certification un... more We conducted e-mail surveys of organizations that had received forest management certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in the United States and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) in the United States and Canada to determine if forest certification has changed forest management practices and if the changes are practically and statistically different between systems. The results indicate that forest certification prompted substantial changes in practices. On average, firms implemented 13-14 changes in forestry, environmental, social, and economic/system practices to obtain or maintain forest certification. Although there was no statistical difference between systems in the total number of changes, there were many differences in the implementation of specific forest practices, with FSC firms required to make more environmental/forest management changes and SFI firms required to make more economic/system changes. Forest managers believed that the benefits of forest certification were greater than the disadvantages. SFI managers rated the benefits of forest certification higher than FSC managers, but also rated the disadvantages higher. Most organizations felt certification accomplished their objectives and were likely to recertify, thus indicating their endorsement of the process.
When human and financial resources are limited, who assumes responsibility for managing a country... more When human and financial resources are limited, who assumes responsibility for managing a country's protected areas? In Chile, government-owned protected areas lack sufficient management resources while facing extraction pressure from the rural poor. Multi-stakeholder partnerships have been posited as a co-management style alternative to traditional state-managed systems. This strategy is being tested in the Llancahue watershed near Valdivia, Chile. To understand stakeholders' views toward the formation of this multi-stakeholder partnership, we evaluated stakeholders' beliefs, positions, interests, and concerns. Results indicated stakeholders believed an adaptive co-management model could improve Llancahue forest and watershed conservation efforts if the partner roles were explicit, stakeholder involvement was inclusive, and appropriate financing mechanisms were determined. Stakeholders were most concerned with the financial, personnel, and legal costs of managing Llancahue. However, our analysis suggests the perceived benefits of halting illegal logging and creating a peri-urban park currently outweighed stakeholder concerns over project financing and institutional design.
The paper will summarize our new effort to develop an integrated distance education / professiona... more The paper will summarize our new effort to develop an integrated distance education / professional education course on forest certification and sustainable forest management (SFM) in the Southeast. The course will present a practical, applied view of the elements of forest certification for private forestlands in the South- east, as well as a review of the SFM criteria and indicators.
Though many climate literacy efforts attempt to communicate climate change as a risk, these strat... more Though many climate literacy efforts attempt to communicate climate change as a risk, these strategies may be ineffective because among adults, worldview rather than scientific understanding largely drives climate change risk perceptions. Further, increased science literacy may polarize worldview-driven perceptions, making some climate literacy efforts ineffective among skeptics. Because worldviews are still forming in the teenage years, adolescents may represent a more receptive audience. This study examined how worldview and climate change knowledge related to acceptance of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) and in turn, climate change risk perception among middle school students in North Carolina, USA (n=387). We found respondents with individualistic worldviews were 16.1 percentage points less likely to accept AGW than communitarian respondents at median knowledge levels, mirroring findings in similar studies among adults. The interaction between knowledge and worldview, however, was opposite from previous studies among adults, because increased climate change knowledge was positively related to acceptance of AGW among both groups, and had a stronger positive relationship among individualists. Though individualists were 24.1
Significant life experience research suggests that the presence of role models, time outdoors, an... more Significant life experience research suggests that the presence of role models, time outdoors, and nature-related media foster pro-environmental behavior, but most research is qualitative. Based on a random sample of middle school students in North Carolina, USA, we found limited positive associations between presence of a role model and time outdoors with behavior and a negative association between watching nature television and environmental knowledge. The strongest predictors of environmental knowledge and behavior were student/teacher ratio and county income levels, respectively. We also found that Native Americans engaged in environmental behaviors more than Caucasians, and that African American and Hispanic students had lower levels of environmental knowledge. Accordingly, life experiences appear less important than promoting small class sizes and addressing challenges associated with lower incomes in schools.
Building environmental literacy (EL) in children and adolescents is critical to meeting current a... more Building environmental literacy (EL) in children and adolescents is critical to meeting current and emerging environmental challenges worldwide. Although environmental education (EE) efforts have begun to address this need, empirical research holistically evaluating drivers of EL is critical. This study begins to fill this gap with an examination of school-wide EE programs among middle schools in North Carolina, including the use of published EE curricula and time outdoors while controlling for teacher education level and experience, student attributes (age, gender, and ethnicity), and school attributes (socio-economic status, student-teacher ratio, and locale). Our sample included an EE group selected from schools with registered school-wide EE programs, and a control group randomly selected from NC middle schools that were not registered as EE schools. Students were given an EL survey at the beginning and end of the spring 2012 semester. Use of published EE curricula, time outdoors, and having teachers with advanced degrees and mid-level teaching experience (between 3 and 5 years) were positively related with EL whereas minority status (Hispanic and black) was negatively related with EL. Results suggest that school-wide EE programs were not associated with improved EL, but the use of published EE curricula paired with time outdoors represents a strategy that may improve all key components of student EL. Further, investments in teacher development and efforts to maintain enthusiasm for EE among teachers with more than 5 years of experience may help to boost student EL levels. Middle school represents a pivotal time for influencing EL, as improvement was slower among older students. Differences in EL levels based on gender suggest boys and girls may possess complementary skills sets when approaching environmental issues. Our findings suggest ethnicity related disparities in EL levels may be mitigated by time spent in nature, especially among black and Hispanic students.
Conservation subdivisions have emerged as an option to conserve open space, protect water quality... more Conservation subdivisions have emerged as an option to conserve open space, protect water quality and wildlife habitat, and maintain scenic views without compromising property rights. Despite economic and ecological advantages over traditional subdivisions, conservation subdivisions remain rare. We used a mixed-method study combining a survey of 246 people who attended conservation subdivision workshops with a qualitative case study of four communities that successfully developed conservation subdivisions to identify potential barriers to conservation subdivisions and strategies to overcome those barriers. A principal component analysis based on survey respondent rankings grouped barriers into: resistance to change among stakeholders, concerns about differences between traditional subdivisions and conservation subdivisions, concerns about consumer demand, and misperceptions about construction costs. Survey respondents indicated the top barrier to completion of conservation subdivisions was lack of incentives for developers. The case study communities overcame resistance from developers and landowners through educational efforts including informal meetings, charrettes, and workshops focusing on the environmental and economic benefits of conservation subdivisions. The communities had support from elected officials, and planning staff devoted necessary resources to rewrite ordinances, review sketch plans, and perform site visits. To overcome barriers to conservation subdivisions, communities could provide incentives including density bonuses and expedited approval processes. Encouraging participation in workshops and design charrettes for proposed developments may alleviate concerns of landowners who perceive a loss of property rights from new regulations and aid in the acceptance of conservation subdivisions.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit:
We also received helpful feedback from the participants and audience of a special session on "Mat... more We also received helpful feedback from the participants and audience of a special session on "Matching the means to the ends: choosing appropriate methods for valuation of forest ecosystem services" at the Annual Meeting of the International Society of Forest Resource Economics. Raleigh NC, April 2016.
h i g h l i g h t s • The treatment improved participants' intent to stay on the trail. • The tre... more h i g h l i g h t s • The treatment improved participants' intent to stay on the trail. • The treatment improved participants' knowledge levels. • The treatment promoted positive attitudes toward staying on the trail. • A short time difference did not change the effects of the educational message. • Results supported the use of off-site visitor education programs.
We conducted e-mail surveys of organizations that had received forest management certification un... more We conducted e-mail surveys of organizations that had received forest management certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in the United States and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) in the United States and Canada to determine if forest certification has changed forest management practices and if the changes are practically and statistically different between systems. The results indicate that forest certification prompted substantial changes in practices. On average, firms implemented 13-14 changes in forestry, environmental, social, and economic/system practices to obtain or maintain forest certification. Although there was no statistical difference between systems in the total number of changes, there were many differences in the implementation of specific forest practices, with FSC firms required to make more environmental/forest management changes and SFI firms required to make more economic/system changes. Forest managers believed that the benefits of forest certification were greater than the disadvantages. SFI managers rated the benefits of forest certification higher than FSC managers, but also rated the disadvantages higher. Most organizations felt certification accomplished their objectives and were likely to recertify, thus indicating their endorsement of the process.
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