Thesis
Exploring options for improving conservation on private land, using econometric, biophysical, and social survey techniques
Southern Cross University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.95
Metrics
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Abstract
Ecosystem services are essential to human well-being. Despite this—through land-use change and the contribution to climate change, for example—human activity is degrading the stock and quality of ecosystem services. As most of the world’s terrestrial environment belongs on private land, the conservation of ecosystem services is dependent on the actions of landholders and their understanding of the ecosystems they manage. The central theme of this thesis is focused on the conservation of ecosystem services on private land. It explores three areas of enquiry: i) landholder preferences for the design of environmental payment schemes, ii) soil conservation and iii) the contribution of rapid assessment and reference tools in managing ecosystem services. This thesis uses a combination of established techniques and novel approaches, including econometric, biophysical, and social survey tools. The thesis contains the first use of an ordered choice experiment to determine scheme preferences as determined by landholder willingness to contribute land; a catchment scale land survey that explores the influence of land-use on soil carbon in sub-tropical East Coast Australia; the use of a new rapid survey technique that collects qualitative and quantitative preferences simultaneously (here used to assess farmer perceptions and preferences for soil health); the first known use of van Westendorp price sensitivity meter to determine price signals for participation in environmental payment schemes. The outcomes of this research highlight the usefulness of rapid assessment methodologies to cost-effectively inform conservation management decisions. Additional outcomes contribute to scheme parameters which can improve the uptake of conservation on private land; these include incorporating awareness of labelling effects on participation, targeting willing landholders, and offering semi-flexible scheme designs that promote contract negotiation.
Details
- Title
- Exploring options for improving conservation on private land, using econometric, biophysical, and social survey techniques
- Creators
- Mitchell Owen Kirby
- Contributors
- Caroline A Sullivan (Supervisor) - Southern Cross UniversityLiz Heagney (Supervisor) - Southern Cross University
- Awarding Institution
- Southern Cross University; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Theses
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
- Publisher
- Southern Cross University
- Number of pages
- xiii, 229
- Identifiers
- 991012904700502368
- Copyright
- © MO Kirby 2020
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; School of Environment, Science and Engineering
- Resource Type
- Thesis