Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management

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Human DimensionsofNatural ResourceManagement
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Do we need to manage natural resources?
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...no area on earth can be regarded as truly
natural. IUCN
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HDNRM is a balancing act between use(s) and
integrityof a natural resource
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
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HDNRM is a balancing act between use(s) and
integrityof a natural resource
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
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Big Questions in HDNRM

• WHY
• do we manage natural resources?
• ...and...
• HOW
• do we manage natural resources?

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What is HDNRM?

• ...the application of social science theory and
  methods to help understand the cultural,
  sociological, psychological, economic,
  biological, and physical aspects of natural
  resource management and environmental problem
  solving. Fulton, Nelson, Anderson, Lime

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What is HDNRM?

• ...an area of investigation which attempts to
  describe, predict, understand and affect human
  thought and action toward natural environments
  and to acquire such understanding for the primary
  purpose of improving stewardship of natural
  resources. Human dimensions research builds on
  concepts and theories from several disciplines
  including sociology, psychology, economics,
  anthropology, geography, political science,
  marketing, and education. University of
  Delaware Sea Grant

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The domains of HDNRM
Ecosystemic
Political
Economic
Sociopsychological
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HDNRM is a balancing act between use(s) and
integrityof a natural resource
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
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Ecocentric view of natural resources
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
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Anthropocentric view of natural resources
Integrity
Use(s)
Management
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Resource Conflict

• Conflict is when the behavior of an individual or
  group interferes with the goals of another
  individual or group
• Goal may be tangible (e.g. market valuation) or
  intangible (e.g. desired experience)

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Resource use conflicts

• Outdoor recreation
• Wilderness
• Wildlife and fish habitat
• Range
• Timber
• Watershed
• Human and community development
• Oil, gas and minerals
• Cultural resources

• Complementary
• Competitive
• Supplementary

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Dual mandate of HDNRM

• Providing a quality user experience
• Protecting the quality of the environment and/or
  resource base

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Goal of HDNRM is balancing acceptable use with
protection of the dependent natural resources
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What is a Resource?

• Resources are productive functions and operations
  performed by tangible substances when used to
  satisfy a given end or defined want. Resources
  explicitly require objectives and planning agents
  (managers).

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Key factors of natural resources
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Key factors of natural resources

• Utility
• Scarcity

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Classes of natural resources

• Stock
• Flow
• Constant
• Cyclical
• Variable

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Stock or Flow?
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Why are natural resourcesso controversial?
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Preservation Conservation Exploitation
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Simple definition of conservation

• A way that we manage our natural resources for
  sustained output without depleting them and/or
  damaging the resource base

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Conservation of stock vs. flow natural resources
The Conservation Continuum
0 amount used over time 100
0 rate of use over time 100
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Conservation of stock vs. flow natural resources
The Conservation Continuum
Stock Natural Resources
0 amount used over time 100
0 rate of use over time 100
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Conservation of stock vs. flow natural resources
The Conservation Continuum
Stock Natural Resources
0 amount used over time 100
0 rate of use over time 100
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Conservation of stock vs. flow natural resources
The Conservation Continuum
Flow Natural Resources
0 amount used over time 100
0 rate of use over time 100
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Conservation of stock vs. flow natural resources
The Conservation Continuum
Flow Natural Resources
0 amount used over time 100
0 rate of use over time 100
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Conservation of stock vs. flow natural resources

• Conservation generally requires decreases in
  present rates of use for stock and carefully
  controlled rates of use for flow resources

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Examples of management tools that can conserve
natural resources

• Bag or creel limits
• Court injunctions
• Permit systems
• Hunting seasons
• Reserves
• Education
• Preservation

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What is preservationof natural resources?
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Preservation

• A management approach which attempts to maintain
  natural ecological integrity and processes
  through regulation of factors which would prove
  to be disruptive

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Ecosystem

• A community of organisms and their physical
  environment interacting as an ecological system

• Preservation is a management approach which
  attempts to maintain natural ecological integrity
  and processes through regulation of factors which
  would prove to be disruptive

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Ecological Change in HDNRM
No Human Impact
Acceptable Impact
Unacceptable Impact
Human-Induced Changes
Natural Changes
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Ecological Change in HDNRM
limit of acceptable change
No Human Impact
Acceptable Impact
Unacceptable Impact
Human-Induced Changes
Natural Changes
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Carrying Capacity

• The maximum population size that can be sustained
  by an environment

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Carrying Capacity

• The maximum population size that can be sustained
  by an environment

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Weakness of CC in HDNRM

• Finding a single ecological carrying capacity
  that accommodates ecological, social and
  managerial demands

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General Dimensions of Carrying Capacity in HDNRM
Ecological
Societal
Managerial
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The future of Human Dimensions of Natural
Resource ManagementThe Precautionary Principle
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Precautionary Principle

• When an activity raises threats of harm to human
  health or the environment, precautionary measures
  should be taken even if some cause and effect
  relationships are not fully established
  scientifically.
• (Wingspread Statement, 1998)