Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: The Internet is changing countless things about our society--the way we communicate, do business, gain information and more. While the Internet provides a multitude of services for most Americans, questions remain about its usefulness to the American farm operator searching for information and resources. A number of researchers consider the Internet capable of providing a powerful link between farmers, researchers, and other relevant agencies or groups, but past studies show that farmers are reluctant to adopt the Internet as a primary information source.
This paper will focus on the effects of farm operator Internet use on conservation practice adoption and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) program participation in three Alabama watersheds. Particular attention will be given to indicators for both Internet use and conservation adoption. The paper will also examine the overall usefulness of the Internet in creating a natural resource management context that could dramatically change the way information is created and disseminated in the agricultural community.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Biodiversity conservation is typically approached in a piecemeal fashion, with projects focusing narrowly on a specific technique such as park management, ecotourism, or timber certification. This tendency has been reinforced by recent trends including donor preferences for approaches that promise measurable, short-term results, and the concurrent movement by international conservation organizations toward threat reduction strategies, in which projects are designed to mitigate time-bound, site-specific threats to biodiversity. However laudable the emphasis on targeted approaches and demonstrable effectiveness, these requirements bias conservation strategies toward simplistic models of cause-and-effect that are at odds with the ontology of extinction; in practice, threats to biodiversity are diverse, probabilistic, interactive, difficult to predict, and evolve over time. This paper will propose conservation systems as an alternative to predominant practices. Drawing on experiences from health-care and social services systems, as well as insights from the literature on institutional design, the paper will present design criteria that conservation practitioners can use to construct resilient social safety nets for biological diversity.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Based on dissertation field research, this paper explores the implications of the new emphasis on local community development within conservation strategies. Does this new model enhance efforts atpreserving biodiversity? Does it improve human wellbeing? After assessing the success of four Integrated Conservation and DevelopmentProjects, two on Sumatra and two on Borneo, potential explanations for these outcomes are discussed. Broadly, there are 3 categories ofpotential explanations for project success or failure: exogenous variables, endogenous variables, and general feasibility of projectgoals.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: In order to practice conservation effectively, it is essential for conservationists, policymakers, activists and scientists to have access to a wide variety of data about complex ecological, political and economic systems. While a number of data integration projects have attempted to build conservation science database super-systems, most have failed to overcome the key challenges: compelling people to share, easy and flexible access to data and information, and guidance for using scientific data, analytical methods and results. We developed an innovative information system that addresses these core challenges. This new Internet-based service allows users to search conservation data geographically and by topic. Users are able to: (1) integrate and view multiple conservation datasets, (2) create their own visualizations, (3) view data interchangeably as maps, tables, or graphs, (4) combine or fuse datasets, (5) save and share their visualizations with others, (6) download raw datasets for more advanced uses, and (7) upload their own data to the system. Users are also able to evaluate, comment and rank the data they find, making good data more valuable and easier to find by others. The system is being designed to foster collaboration, significantly speed up the transfer of conservation science to conservation practitioners, and ultimately lead to better science-driven conservation decisions.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: The Conservation Reserve Program provides financial incentives to voluntarily retire cropland into conservation practices. In 2004, a targeted, native grass conservation practice - CP33 Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds - was created to help meet specific habitat goals of the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative for northern bobwhite and other grassland birds. To monitor bird response in Mississippi, we randomly selected 40 CP33-buffered fields and paired them with unbuffered control fields with similar cropping system and adjacent habitats within the same landscape. We surveyed singing males at field margins during summer 2006 and 2007. We used Poisson regression to test for effects of CP33 buffers, but first controlled for effects of weather and surrounding land use. Dickcissel, Northern Bobwhite, Mourning Dove, Northern Mockingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Red-winged Blackbird were significantly more abundant (P < 0.10) on CP33 bordered fields during at least one year. In agricultural landscapes, CP33 field buffers may increase available habitat non-target species in addition to target species. When programmatic incentives are targeted to specific habitat objectives, the Conservation Reserve Program has great potential to help ameliorate current population declines for grassland- and edge-associated species. Continued monitoring of existing practices is necessary to better target CRP subsidies and increase the program’s habitat benefits.