Factors influencing ranchers’ intentions to manage for vegetation heterogeneity and promote cross-boundary management in the northern Great Plains

Abstract

Most private grasslands in the Great Plains are managed with the goal to optimize beef production, which tends to homogenize rangeland habitats. The subsequent loss of vegetation heterogeneity on private lands is detrimental to ecosystem function. However, conservation planners should understand the factors that lead to variation in management of rangelands. We used a mail survey targeted to ranchers in counties with intact rangeland in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska in 2016 to examine factors predicted to be related to attitudes about strategies leading to heterogeneity such as innovativeness and low risk aversion, and intended behaviors associated with creation of heterogeneity. We used survey questions and a set of relevant scales to examine predictors of behavioral intentions for rangeland management and conservation. Attitudes about fire and prairie dogs, two strategies that create heterogeneity, were largely negative, and ranchers with positive attitudes about fire and prairie dogs and higher perceived behavioral control of their ranch and surrounding landscapes had greater intention to engage in heterogeneity-promoting behaviors. Social norms were also important in predicting intended behaviors and attitudes. Our research suggests that heterogeneity of grasslands may remain low unless land managers understand the importance of spatial and temporal heterogeneity and recognize prescribed fire and prairie dogs, and other burrowing colonial mammals, as principal drivers of ecological processes on rangelands. Conservation organizations may find success by modeling management tools, reducing the perceived effort producers must make to adopt behaviors that support heterogeneity, and by developing programs that work to change social norms around fire and prairie dogs.

Grassland bird diversity and abundance in the presence of native and non-native grazers

“…First, comparative studies have often paired bison and fire treatments, to test the effects of an evolutionary disturbance regime on grassland bird communities (Lueders et al 2006, Williams andBoyle 2018). While restoring fire to grassland ecosystems can enhance heterogeneity and restore a key ecological process, social inertia within ranching communities continues to prevent its use across much of the Great Plains (Sliwinski et al 2018). This reality necessitates an understanding of the biodiversity effects of yearround bison grazing in the absence of fire.…”

“…Fire, precipitation, and grazers are the primary ecological forces that produce plant heterogeneity in grassland systems (Fuhlendorf et al 2012). However, precipitation is not manageable, and fire is not socially accepted as a management tool across large portions of the Great Plains (Sliwinski et al 2018). Therefore, the restoration of evolutionary grazing patterns by large herbivores is the primary conservation tool available to promote ecosystem health and biodiversity (Fuhlendorf et al 2018).…”

Similar Bird Communities Across Grazing Systems in the Nebraska Sandhills

“…Our results suggest that bird communities may be homogenized by the narrow focus on beef production in the Great Plains. Although every producer manages their land slightly differently, their goals are similar: to sustain beef production through efficient use of the forage resource for livestock (Vallentine 2001, Reece et al 2007, Sliwinski et al 2018 a ). Managers use relatively similar stocking rates and manage for similar high‐yielding, dominant plant species to optimize beef production, which, at least in the Nebraska Sandhills, leads to homogeneity of vegetation (Sliwinski et al 2018 c ) and bird communities.…”

Predicting Pasture and Forest Landowner Intention to Create Early Successional Habitat

“…Perceived norms.-Landowner perceptions of what others do on their land have been reported to influence landowner willingness to make changes on their own property (Metcalf et al 2016, Drescher et al 2017, Sliwinski et al 2018. We asked survey respondents to state how common it is that other landowners in their region do certain activities using a 5-point Likert scale from not at all common to very common, with unsure as the midpoint.…”

“…Similar to our study, Dayer et al (2016) reported that perceived behavioral control did not influence landowner's intention to harvest timber on their land. Sliwinski et al (2018) reported that it was the strongest predictor of intent to manage for heterogeneous habitat required by prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). An important difference between these studies is that past experience with wildlife habitat management was included as a predictor variable in Dayer et al (2016) and our study, but not in Sliwinski et al (2018).…”