Ashley Dayer, Shorna Broussard Allred, Rich Stedman, & Christine Moskell Cornell University, Human Dimensions Research Unit

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Early Successional Habitat (ESH) declining due to Early Successional Habitat (ESH) declining due to changing land use & suppression of disturbance

Supports important non-game & game speciespp p g g p 77% of NY’s forest lands privately owned (Butler, 2008)

Existence of ESH depends on private forest landowners

Challenge to create ESH on private lands private lands

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

1) Explore the state of knowledge and outreach ) p grelated to ESH among experts working with private forest landowners.

2) Determine landowner attitudes, knowledge, motivating factors, and constraints for types of management practices.

3) Develop a typology of landowners to inform outreach .

4) Determine the context forlandowner management

d i idecisions.

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

To explore knowledge of ESH needs and To explore knowledge of ESH needs and management approaches

To understand challenges to ESH conservation

To suggest human dimensions research needs

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

InterviewsE t i f t d ildlif• Experts in forestry and wildlife

• Semi-structured (28)• Phone (23) and in-person (5)( ) p ( )

Snowball sampling

Qualitative analysis Thematic coding (Atlas Ti)

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

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How do you define ESH?

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Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Ecological processes“A f h bi h i di b i d f “Any type of habitat that requires disturbance in order for

the habitat to be maintained over time.”

“Concepts of ecological succession…where after significant disturbance you have transition of one type of habitat to another A gradient a seamless transition In NY start at another. A gradient, a seamless transition. In NY, start at the beginning: bare soil, forbs and grasses, herbaceous species, then woody, then mature trees, and then climax f t Th th li f t ld h di t b d forest. Then the climax forest would have disturbance and open habitat--could be a large disturbance (hurricane or fire)--and then start over.”)

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

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What are the optimal characteristics for wildlife?

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Depends on species

Not one optimal characteristic

Doesn't know optimal

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Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Diversity“F ildlif i l di i f i i i “For wildlife in general…diversity of species composition

(forbs, grasses, shrubs, young trees) and also having diversity of species structure (low lying vegetation to h h ll lid) T i b d those that are more structurally solid). To give a broad

base of species the habitat they need from ground nesting birds to those that nest up higher.”

Challenge to Answer“Every property is different. ‘There isn’t one magic formula,’ Every property is different. There isn t one magic formula,

I tell landowners.”“Habitat specific, species specific…depending on where are

in the state What works for Bobwhite Quail in southern in the state. What works for Bobwhite Quail in southern part of state, won’t work for Woodcock or Brown Thrasher….”

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

What has been successful for the creation of ESH?

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Cutting Natural Processes Burning

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Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Creation techniques “Hydroaxes chainsaws heavy equipment You can only do Hydroaxes, chainsaws, heavy equipment. You can only do

so much if just chainsaws. Bigger equipment is more effective to get more land.”

“If you do cutting, species will come.”y g p

Economics“Landowners listen when you pay. Two kinds of

landowners own 25 acres or less for their own enjoyment landowners…own 25 acres or less for their own enjoyment (hunting, recreation, small food plot but not primary source of income) and those with more land who use as primary source of income and can make money with primary source of income and can make money with rental, grow beef, hay, sheep, etc. Since it’s their primary income, they need to make money to do this work on their land. Work it into their crop rotation.”p

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

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What are the challenges of ESH conservation?

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Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Landowner knowledge and attitudes“St l t t l d t t t i d t i b t t “Struggle to get landowners to cut; current mindset is best to

leave land.” “Loathe to cut anything. Cut a tree kill a chipmunk.”“Got 2 hours? Getting people past the initial visual impact

from a mature forest. We have more mature forest in the East than we’ve ever had. It is the big one. Emotional East than we ve ever had. It is the big one. Emotional response and the timber industry is pitiful. Visual, emotional attachment. Getting people to understand that not all wildlife lives in a mature forest is a challenge Some not all wildlife lives in a mature forest is a challenge. Some go back and forth but people don’t realize that some wildlife won’t.”

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

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What are the landowner risks associated with ESH?

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Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Physical property changes“Don’t like the way it looks and takes a while to regrow”Don t like the way it looks and takes a while to regrow.“If wrong, don’t get plants or wildlife you were after. Malconceived plan. Or not meet their expectations. They didn’t know it would be so ugly ”know it would be so ugly…

Economic risks“Opportunity cost the lost opportunity to do something else that Opportunity cost– the lost opportunity to do something else that

might provide more benefits to landowner. Economic or meet other objectives from the land (more enjoyment or

l t f l t d Ch i t t f value out of pole stand or Christmas tree from letting timber grow). It always depends. If you keep a forest in a certain condition, you have to

ll t it Y ’ i i ll f th th really want it. You’re giving up all of the other potentials of the land for one somewhat narrow use.”

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

What types of human dimensions research would be useful?

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Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Landowner attitudes“If ld fi d t th t bl th t “If we could find out the root problem or concern that

landowners have that would be behind why they don’t like brush or why they think a cut looks bad or why they think it would hurt species then it would be easier to talk about it would hurt species, then it would be easier to talk about how benefit species.”

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Ecological process but challenging to define Ecological process, but challenging to define Diversity optimal; species dependent Well-established creation techniquesq But economics, planning, & species goal

important Challenge: landowner knowledge & attitudes Landowners risk physical changes &

economics economics Great human dimensions need Focus on landowner attitudes & Focus on landowner attitudes &

persuasion

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Confirms challenge of ESH conservation when Confirms challenge of ESH conservation when forests largely privately owned

No one size fits all Planning and finances important Need for human dimensions research Variety of experts as stakeholders for findings

and partners for programs in future

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Experienced landowner interviewsExperienced landowner interviewsLandowner focus groupsSurvey of Southern Tier countiesSurvey of Southern Tier countiesTypology of landownersProgrammatic suggestionsProgrammatic suggestions

Dayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.

Ashley Dayer, aad86@cornell.eduDayer, A.A., Broussard Allred, S., Stedman, R. & Moskell, C. (2010, January 28). Attracting landowners to create the “unattractive”: Professionals’ perceptions of challenges to early successional habitat management on private lands. Presentation for New York Society of American Foresters, Syracuse, New York.