Year of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

Forest and Conservation Science

Department or School/College

W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

Committee Chair

Elizabeth Covelli Metcalf

Commitee Members

Alexander L. Metcalf, Laurie Yung, R. Kyle Bocinsky, Timothy Nichols

Keywords

adaptive capacity, adaptive decision-making, climate change adaptation, ranching, rangeland management, rangelands

Abstract

Rangeland social-ecological systems (SESs), which make up vast tracts of land on Earth, are critical for safeguarding ecosystem services, producing food and fiber, protecting open space, contributing to local and regional economies, and maintaining cultures and knowledges. Sustaining rangelands, the ranching livelihoods that depend on them, and the suite of ecosystem goods and services they provide hinges on a greater understanding of the social processes that influence ranchers' ability to adapt within these changing systems. In this study, I used a mixed-methods approach to examine factors influencing ranchers’ adaptation to drought and climate change across scales.

In Chapter 3, I systematically reviewed social science studies examining adaptation in rangeland SESs, finding that this research is theoretically and conceptually fragmented, yet geographically concentrated. For this body of research to provide important insights into climate change adaptation policy and practice, I suggest there is a need for more transdisciplinary and translational approaches to evaluating adaptation in rangeland SESs, particularly in understudied rangeland systems.

In Chapter 4, I used a quantitative approach to examine factors that influence Montana ranchers’ (n= 450) adaptive decision-making in light of drought and climate change. Consistent with existing theory of adaptive decision-making in rangeland systems, I demonstrated the significant role of ranchers’ management goals and use of information on their use of adaptive practices. Unlike previous conceptualizations, I found that ranchers’ use of rangeland monitoring is also a significant, positive predictor of adaptive decision-making and mediates the influence of other factors — an assertion that has been made in the rangeland management literature but has lacked empirical evidence. These findings demonstrate that the role of loop-learning — or taking in new information and applying it in an iterative fashion to adaptive decision-making processes — may be more important to adaptive decision-making than earlier conceptualizations suggest.

In Chapter 5, I used a mixed-methods approach to examine how ‘structures’ — specifically government programs and grazing permits administered by public lands agencies — influence Montana ranchers’ ability to adapt to drought and other climate-related events. Through an analysis of survey data (n= 450) and in-depth interviews (n= 34), three key themes emerged: 1) the need for increased flexibility within government programs to allow ranchers to achieve desired outcomes in ways that fit their operations and local conditions; 2) the need for participatory design approaches when developing programs intended to assist ranchers in adaptive management and; 3) the need for collaborative, working relationships between ranchers and government representatives in order to navigate the ‘gray zones’ of program and policy implementation on-theground. Based on these findings, I discuss how government programs and permits might more effectively enable ranchers’ ability to adapt to complex and changing conditions. As a whole, this dissertation reflects a commitment to research that uses and develops methodological approaches for conducting meaningful social science research with ranchers in the U.S., expands upon theory and concepts related to climate change adaptation, informs policy and practices for management, and illuminates future research directions.

Download

Share

COinS
 

© Copyright 2022 Ada Parkhurst Smith