Social Value of Bird conservation on Private Lands in Pennsylvania
Open Access
- Author:
- Sharma, Sadie
- Graduate Program:
- Forest Resources
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- February 23, 2021
- Committee Members:
- Melissa M. Kreye, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Margaret C. Brittingham, Committee Member
Katherine Y. Zipp, Committee Member
Bradley Cardinale, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Knowledge and attitudes
Attitude scale
Attitude psychology
Habitat management
Conservation
Willingness to Pay - Abstract:
- Forest management can enhance ecosystem services and protect species diversity by enhancing habitat for wildlife. Unfortunately, the number of birds in North America has fallen by 29% since 1970, primarily because of habitat loss. Most forests in Pennsylvania are privately owned (70%), which implies the need for private lands to maintain the sustainability of bird populations for the foreseeable future. Since most bird conservation benefits will go public, it is important to understand public support for bird-friendly forestry on such private lands. However, the public demand for bird-related ecosystem services on private lands is not well understood. A statewide web survey was used to collect panel responses from 821 households in Pennsylvania. An adjusted sample of 656 observations was used in Chapter 2 and 690 observations in Chapter 3. The survey contained Likert scales to measure relevant conservation attitudes and a choice experiment to measure willingness-to-pay (WTP) for eight different bird conservation programs. Survey questions also measured public knowledge and perceptions of birds and their habitats. Data were analyzed using both mixed logistic regression and descriptive statistics. Respondent scores on the attitude, knowledge, and perception questions were included as co-variants in the regression model. Findings indicate that many people have limited knowledge about birds but strong concerns about their future condition. Most respondents also had positive attitudes towards birds, timber harvesting, and landowner assistance programs. The mean annual WTP across all proposed bird forestry programs was found to be $11.83 per household. When this value was extrapolated to 50% of households in PA, statewide demand for bird conservation was estimated to exceed $47 million annually. Overall, the magnitude of demand for bird conservation along with knowledge and attitudinal positions suggests that public investment in bird conservation on private lands is a legitimate strategy for enhancing public welfare and sustaining bird populations.