<p> Dwindling freshwater resources are one of the largest challenges facing countries worldwide. For regional and local governments the task of managing fresh water resources falls the hardest. Reduced water quantity directly impacts water quality and thus preventing further depletion of freshwater levels is necessary for meeting existing and forth coming water quality regulations. Thus, finding effective ways to better understand water use at the local or regional level and better ways of communicating pressing water management issues with water users is imperative to the longevity of freshwater resources. Environmental communication campaigns are one way of reaching water users. Understanding water users personal relationship with water resources and nature in general can inform environmental campaigns in multiple ways. </p><p> This research provides insight into the ways in which environmental campaigns can be framed to effectively reach the target audience. Two methods of assessing stakeholder perceptions of water resources are also explored. First, systems thinking is used to compare the mental models of water managers and members of the development sector in order to find areas of common interest and importance regarding the management of freshwater resources in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Corridor of northeast Washington and northern Idaho. Second, a survey is used to evaluate characteristics of water use for residents in Spokane County, Washington. </p><p> This dissertation is centered on three primary research questions: (1) How are environmental communication campaigns framed?; (2) How do stakeholder groups who may appear to have very different values for a shared resource perceive a shared that resource?; (3) How do people's perceptions of nature, environmental issues, and their ability to impact those issues influence the way that they use water? Results of this research show that there are key areas of shared interest between water managers and developers suggesting that long-term water management goals do not have to conflict with the goals of local development. This research also suggests that residents who are willing to perform behaviors to reduce their water use are not necessarily doing so, pointing toward further research questions to bridge the gap between willingness and action.</p>

Namibia’s community based natural resource management program (CBNRM) integrates local participation in rural development and biodiversity conservation. This effort was launched through key legislation that devolved the right to manage wildlife and other renewable resources on communal lands from the state to community level conservancies. Local participation is dependent upon the capacity of the locals to self mobilize and establish conservancies, plan and implement their programs, and monitor and evaluate their progresses and impacts. Accordingly, this study examines the role of capacity development (CD) in CBNRM, particularly its processes, products, performance, and permanence at the individual, organizational (conservancy), and community levels. The research was carried out using interviews and participatory self-assessment exercises with various conservancy stakeholders. This study uncovers why and how capacity development has to be based on local realities and aspirations where capacity users need to have ownership of the process through partnerships with service providers in order to enhance endogenous capacity. However, such notion of “partnership” between CD stakeholders is challenging to translate into reality in the face of power imbalances, where government and NGOs are continuously influenced and coerced by donor interests, where NGOs are considered stronger than the government because they control more financial and human resources, and where conservancies tend to report upwards to NGOs and government instead of their constituents. Moreover, this research reiterates that CD has to be holistic enough to incorporate individual, organizational, and community level changes in order to create sustainable capacities and prevent problems of elitism, manipulation, and dependency on few individuals. With respect to CBNRM, the research argues that its basic premise of diversifying rural livelihoods using incentives to bring about sustainable resource management can only be achieved when conservancies have the capacity to create representative and participatory democratic processes, and when they are able to generate equitable and reliable tangible benefits with manageable costs to their constituents. As seen in this study, when such governance and benefit sharing structures are in place, they enhance local participation by promoting political empowerment, trust, ownership, and positive attitude towards living with wildlife. However, if such conditions are not met, local participation is reduced, while intra-community conflicts from marginalization to nepotism and members’ dissatisfaction and disinterest are inevitable.

<p>Stream restoration is being conducted throughout the world at unprecedented rates to address stream channel degradation and water quality concerns. Natural Channel Design (NCD) is a common method used for restoration and has received governmental endorsement; however, the effects of NCD on channel stability and ecosystem functioning are poorly studied. We examined the effects of a reach-scale NCD project on channel stability, riparian vegetation, and water quality along the Cacapon River, West Virginia using a before-after-control-impact design and determined that restoration increased the abundance and diversity of woody vegetation, but had minimal effects on streambank stability and water quality. Increased erosion rates in some portions of the restored reach were attributed to differences in pre-restoration stability, vegetation removal, and soil composition among sub-reaches. No differences in in-stream concentrations of total phosphorus, nitrates, ammonia, or total suspended solids were detected following restoration; however, in-stream turbidity was drastically increased during construction. This study is a clear example of the value of monitoring streambank migration, vegetation communities, and soils to evaluate the effects of stream restoration and to provide insight on potential reasons for treatment failure. Ideally, pre-restoration monitoring should be used to inform project design by determining restoration potential of areas selected for restoration. </p><p> As a surrogate for process monitoring, we created a maximum entropy model of streambank erosion potential (SEP) in a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework to prioritize sites for management and to determine which variables in the watershed are associated with excessive rates of streambank erosion. Model development included measuring erosion rates throughout a central Appalachian watershed, application of a quantitative approach to locate target areas for management termed Target Eroding Areas (TEAs), and collection of environmental data throughout the study extent using high resolution, remotely sensed data. A likelihood distribution of TEAs from occurrence records and associated environmental variables over our study extent was constructed using the program Maxent. All model validation procedures indicated that the model was an excellent predictor of TEAs, and that the major environmental variables controlling these processes were streambank slope, soil characteristics, shear stress, underlying geology, and riparian vegetation. A classification scheme with low, moderate, and high levels of erosion potential derived from logistic model output was able to differentiate sites with low erosion potential from sites with moderate and high erosion potential. This type of modeling framework can be used in any watershed to address uncertainty in stream restoration planning and practice. </p><p> To address the need for accurate, high resolution estimation of streambank erosion, we also explored the role of laser scanning for estimating streambank migration and volumetric sediment loss. This was accomplished by comparing estimates of streambank migration and volumetric sediment loss derived from repeated erosion pin, streambank profile, and combined airborne and terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) surveys. Results indicated that LiDAR derived estimates were larger and highly variable compared to estimates derived from erosion pin and streambank profile surveys, which more accurately represented change along the study reach. Inflated LiDAR estimates were most likely the result of combining high resolution terrestrial LiDAR with relatively low resolution airborne LiDAR that could not effectively capture topographic features such as undercut banks. Although cost-prohibitive in some cases, repeated terrestrial LiDAR scans would likely circumvent these issues with higher point densities and better scan angles facilitating more accurate representation of streambank geometry, ultimately providing more accurate estimates of channel change. </p>

<p> It is difficult to assess rangeland management practices at a hillslope scale because of the spatial and temporal variability of ecohydrological processes across a landscape. The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) aims to provide a cost-effective method for quantifying benefits of conservation practices on rangelands. This study uses the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) to develop a framework to assess rangeland management practices by quantifying sediment yield and runoff. Kaler Ranch, located in Eastern Arizona, was used as a study site because of their recently implemented rangeland conservation practices. Vegetation parameters were developed based on field data collected across the ranch and used to represent various rangeland management scenarios in RHEM. Peak flow and sediment yield rates were determined for each scenario using RHEM and were used as metrics to evaluate rangeland condition. RHEM provided an adequate method to evaluate the relative differences between upland rangeland management scenarios; however, it was less effective at evaluating changes in management practices within a riparian area.</p>

<p>To better understand the value of those who engage in environmental stewardship of natural areas, we studied volunteer steward's motivation to participate, their sustainable behaviors and attitudes toward stewardship-related constructs. Specifically, we designed and conducted a survey of volunteers who work as stewards in urban natural areas in Portland, Oregon. We hypothesize that as volunteer frequency increases: participants will be more motivated to participate for environmental reasons, volunteers will be more likely to feel a strong connection to the stewardship site, participants will be more likely to engage in public pro-environmental behaviors, and their level of environmental literacy will increase. Participants were sampled using a face-to-face survey methodology over the course of late winter and spring of 2012 during 18 different Portland Parks and Recreation sponsored stewardship events. We examined the motivations, attitudes and behaviors of the volunteers, and devised appropriate management implications for those organizing volunteer efforts. We equated a three-tiered typology of environmental literacy, based upon the frequency of volunteer participation, and analyzed our survey data using a principal component analysis, generalized linear models, and a qualitative coding analysis. The most frequent participants showed a higher likelihood of participation in public environmental behaviors, whereas participants at all frequency levels were also likely to participate in private environmental behaviors, such as removing invasive plants in one's yard. Volunteers across all frequencies of participation were motivated to engage in stewardship events by a desire to help the environment. By understanding volunteers' motivations and linked behaviors, park managers may gain insights about the recruitment, retention, and messaging of volunteers upon whom they may depend to achieve restoration goals. We recommend considering volunteers' motivations and benefits derived from participation in messaging to recruit and retain volunteers. Additionally, park managers should take advantage of educational opportunities linked to stewardship events, such as training programs and chances for volunteer mentorship.</p>

<p> The vegetation associations in the Eastern San Cristobal Valley of Barry M. Goldwater Range-East (BMGR) were mapped using a combination of field surveys (relev&eacute;s) and interpretation of aerial imagery in order to contribute to ongoing mapping efforts of Barry M. Goldwater Range -East. Throughout the San Cristobal Valley, 149 relev&eacute; samples were collected to characterize the vegetation associations. Seventeen vegetation associations were identified and mapped, including a new <i>Larrea tridentata/Ambrosia dumosa/Grusonia kunzei</i> (Creosote bush-White bursage-Devil's cholla) association. Accuracy assessment of the map was conducted using a contingency table finding the map to be 82% accurate.</p><p> Route proliferation in the San Cristobal Valley of Barry M. Goldwater Range-East (BMGR) was also mapped and measured using remotely sensed imagery in geographic information systems and modeled with geographical variables in a multivariate regression. Throughout the San Cristobal Valley study site, 6,878 km of unauthorized routes were identified. Geographic explanatory variables distance from slopes greater than 34% (b = -3.252e-5, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and the most influential variable distance from unauthorized routes (b = -0.006568, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) were tested for significance and influence in predicting unauthorized route density. The resulting model, built from the two significant geographic variables in a multivariate regression, was able to explain 57% of the variability in the data. The results from this study have shown that through the use of GIS and remote sensing, unauthorized route density can be predicted by geographic variables which can then be used to make future route management decisions.</p>

The purpose of this research was to assess stakeholder interest pertaining to best management practices for free-roaming horses in the Chilcotin, British Columbia. The study site is located between the towns of Hanceville to the east and Tatla Lake to the west. A case study approach was adopted, utilizing on-site observation, document analysis and semi structured interview methods. Analysis, through the reduction and interpretation of data, allowed for the emergence of the themes and subthemes. Themes were free-roaming horse interaction with both the biophysical and socioeconomic landscape as well as management. British Columbia government, ranchers, First Nations and Non Governmental Organizations were interviewed on their awareness and interaction with free-roaming horses, the management and policies pertaining to the species. Free-roaming horses have historically represented a social and economic resource, although stakeholders have had little input into management decisions. Antiquated policies, clashing social values, changing land title and land use and difficult economic times have resulted in a lack of clarity regarding jurisdiction, and therefore management, for the free-roaming horses. Management goals are not clear due to lack of classification as livestock or wildlife under provincial or federal legislations. A strategy, which promotes decentralization, collaboration and transparency in decision and policy-making is recommended. Multi-stakeholder research is the first step toward creating such a strategy.

Assessments of landscape connectivity are increasingly required in natural resource management. Understanding how landscape structure affects the movement and dispersal of animals may be essential for ensuring the long-term persistence of species of conservation concern. Functional connectivity models describing how features on the landscape influence animal movement behaviour have been produced in two different ways. The resistance surface models landscape connectivity as its inverse, the resistance to movement and dispersal, while the landscape graph represents landscape connectivity by describing the relationships among resource patches. Both methods have limitations that make them less effective for modelling highly-mobile and wide-ranging species such as ungulates and carnivores. This thesis develops a method called grains of connectivity that combines the continuous representation of landscape connectivity provided by resistance surfaces and the scalability provided by landscape graphs to create a flexible modelling framework for these species. The first half of the thesis reviews the conceptual origins of the grains of connectivity method and examines its properties using simulated landscapes. In the second half, empirical evidence of movement and dispersal in a boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) population is used to validate functional connectivity hypotheses generated using the method. Connectivity for caribou at the temporal scale of generations is examined using a landscape genetics approach, while connectivity at the seasonal scale is assessed using the distribution of caribou telemetry locations. Grains of connectivity may be most useful for study systems where animals are not found exclusively in well-defined resource patches and there is uncertainty in the behavioural parameters influencing movement and dispersal. Additionally, the scalability of the analysis can be used to selectively remove spatial heterogeneity that may be uncorrelated with movement and dispersal giving an improved description of the pattern affecting the landscape connectivity process.

Climate change is inevitable. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has forewarned the global community of the consequences of unrestrained burning of fossil fuels (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2011, para. 2). Until there is an economically viable source of alternative energy that can meet current and future demands, consumption of fossil fuels will continue to rise unless abated by models of governance that can assure sustainable use (Homer-Dixon &amp; Garrison, 2010, p. 4). Climate change mitigation strategies take place in isolated cases where the resources and capability exist to address it. Biosphere reserves are governed as such. Each biosphere reserve has the ability to include climate change mitigation strategies within their mandates. Can these models of governance be used to demonstrate how to effectively address and mitigate climate change in other systems?

<p>Rice not collected by harvesters and natural seeds are important foods for waterfowl. Estimation of abundance of these seeds is necessary for calculating waterfowl habitat conservation needs in the Louisiana Chenier Plain (LCP) and Texas Mid-Coast (TMC). My objectives were to quantify dry mass of rice and other seeds from August-November 2010, and estimate waterbird abundances on farmed and idle ricelands in these regions from December 2010-March 2011. Rice abundance in farmed ricelands ranged from 159.7 kg/ha (CV = 66.6%) to 1,014.0 kg/ha (CV = 8.3%). Natural seed abundance in idle ricelands ranged from 99.7 kg/ha (CV = 32.9%) to 957.4 kg/ha (CV = 17.2%). Greatest waterbird densities occurred in shallowly flooded disked ricelands (mean = 7.35 waterbirds/ha, 90%; CI = 2.37-19.70). Ratoon, disked, and shallowly flooded ricelands are important habitat for non-breeding waterbirds but variable estimates of seed and waterbird abundances warrant continuation of this study.