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Decisions on the Edge: An In-Depth Qualitative Case Study of Streamside Landowner Management Decisions in an Urbanizing Ohio Watershed

Baird, Anne M.

Abstract Details

2011, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Agricultural and Extension Education.

The rate of rapid land use change in the Midwest has resulted in impairments to watershed due to loss of riparian vegetation and increased impervious surfaces especially along headwater streams. An important question for conservation professionals is how to influence private streamside land managers to promote and restore stream health. This study borrows an approach from the field of risk communication to assess gaps in understanding of ecosystem knowledge among streamside landowners in an urbanizing Ohio watershed as well as their land management decisions and key influences.

In a risk communication study it is important to address what participants know and do not know about the risk, decisions they face, and the main influences on those decisions (Morgan, Bostrom, Lave, & Atman, 2002). Participants seemed to understand the risk to streams from runoff and urbanization including pollutant loading in streams from sediment, nutrients, and pathogens. Participants were also aware of risks including erosion, flooding, and changes to stream hydrology. Participants were less certain about long-term risks from degraded streams. The primary risks mentioned included losses in wildlife and recreation opportunities. Threats to stream structures and functions (e.g., loss of flood attenuation and nitrogen processing) were less well understood.

Perceptions of risks to recreation, wildlife, and health as well as benefits including aesthetics are important for the internalization of a threat. Barriers to recognizing a threat included a benign neglect of streams and the high costs of streamside land management. Decisions faced by landowners included ditch maintenance, how to reduce the impact of lawn care practices, maintaining stream flow, and property access. Stream restoration decisions focused on bank stabilization and were complicated by a lack of understanding of responsible parties and laws and regulations.

A few landowners restored streams by creating riparian buffers and were influenced by environmental values and outreach and education from the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. Desired outcomes of decisions included a functional property, equity, and sustainable business and industry. Sustaining actions to restore and protect stream health often involved both continued education and community support.

The greatest gaps in experts’ understanding of influences on streamside landowner decisions appeared to be their understanding of the time and costs involved in maintaining streamside property and the salience for participants regarding losses in recreation and aesthetics due to impaired stream health. For participants the biggest gaps in their mental models, when compared to experts, appeared to be in their understanding of ecosystems and the importance of stream structures and functions as well as what organizations were responsible for stream health and how to contact them.

Garee Earnest, PhD (Advisor)
Robyn Wilson, PhD (Committee Member)
Scott Scheer, PhD (Committee Member)
299 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Baird, A. M. (2011). Decisions on the Edge: An In-Depth Qualitative Case Study of Streamside Landowner Management Decisions in an Urbanizing Ohio Watershed [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1301066805

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Baird, Anne. Decisions on the Edge: An In-Depth Qualitative Case Study of Streamside Landowner Management Decisions in an Urbanizing Ohio Watershed. 2011. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1301066805.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Baird, Anne. "Decisions on the Edge: An In-Depth Qualitative Case Study of Streamside Landowner Management Decisions in an Urbanizing Ohio Watershed." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1301066805

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)