TY - JOUR
T1 - More Than a Service
T2 - Values of Rivers, Wetlands and Floodplains Are Informed by Both Function and Feeling
AU - Campbell, Cherie J.
AU - Lovett, Siwan
AU - Capon, Samantha J.
AU - Thompson, Ross M.
AU - Dyer, Fiona J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank survey respondents for their time and thoughtful responses. We thank two anonymous reviewers and editors for constructive comments that helped to improve the earlier version of this manuscript. We thank Tim Sykes for feedback and information regarding cultural ecosystem services and the framing of values. Cherie J. Campbell: Conceptualisation, Methodology – survey design and distribution, Formal analysis, Writing – original draught and revisions; Fiona J. Dyer, Ross M. Thompson, Samantha J. Capon: Supervision, Conceptualisation, Methodology – survey design review and editing, survey distribution, Writing – review and editing; Siwan Lovett: Methodology – survey design review and editing, survey distribution, Writing – review and editing. CJC received funding from an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship as well as top-up funding through the Australian Commonwealth Environmental Water Office’s (CEWO) Basin-scale Monitoring Evaluation and Research project (Flow-MER). CEWO had no involvement in the study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or decision to publish the research. FJD, RMT, SJC and SL did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors to undertake this specific research, though FJD, RMT and SL all received funding from CEWO as part of the Flow-MER project. Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions.
Funding Information:
CJC received funding from an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship as well as top-up funding through the Australian Commonwealth Environmental Water Office’s (CEWO) Basin-scale Monitoring Evaluation and Research project (Flow-MER). CEWO had no involvement in the study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or decision to publish the research. FJD, RMT, SJC and SL did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors to undertake this specific research, though FJD, RMT and SL all received funding from CEWO as part of the Flow-MER project. Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - How people value rivers, wetlands and floodplains influences their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours towards these ecosystems, and can shape policy and management interventions. Better understanding why people value rivers, wetlands and floodplains and their key ecosystem components, such as vegetation, helps to determine what factors underpin the social legitimacy required for effective management of these systems. This study sought to ascertain perspectives on the value of non-woody vegetation in river-floodplain systems via an online survey. The survey found that participants valued non-woody vegetation for their provision of a range of ecosystem functions and services, with strong emphasis on ecological aspects such as regulation functions, habitat provision and biodiversity. However, the inclusion of a question framed to focus on stories or narratives resulted in a different emphasis. Responses indicated that non-woody vegetation, and rivers, wetlands and floodplains were valued for the way they made people feel through lived experiences such as recreational activities, personal interactions with nature, educational and research experiences. This highlights the important role of storytelling in navigating complex natural resource management challenges and ascertaining a deeper understanding of values that moves beyond provision of function to feeling. Improved understanding of the diverse ways people value and interact with river-floodplain systems will help develop narratives and forms of engagement that foster shared understanding, empathy and collaboration. Appreciation of plural values such as the provision of functions and services along with the role of emotional connections and lived experience will likely increase lasting engagement of the general public with management to protect and restore river-floodplain systems.
AB - How people value rivers, wetlands and floodplains influences their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours towards these ecosystems, and can shape policy and management interventions. Better understanding why people value rivers, wetlands and floodplains and their key ecosystem components, such as vegetation, helps to determine what factors underpin the social legitimacy required for effective management of these systems. This study sought to ascertain perspectives on the value of non-woody vegetation in river-floodplain systems via an online survey. The survey found that participants valued non-woody vegetation for their provision of a range of ecosystem functions and services, with strong emphasis on ecological aspects such as regulation functions, habitat provision and biodiversity. However, the inclusion of a question framed to focus on stories or narratives resulted in a different emphasis. Responses indicated that non-woody vegetation, and rivers, wetlands and floodplains were valued for the way they made people feel through lived experiences such as recreational activities, personal interactions with nature, educational and research experiences. This highlights the important role of storytelling in navigating complex natural resource management challenges and ascertaining a deeper understanding of values that moves beyond provision of function to feeling. Improved understanding of the diverse ways people value and interact with river-floodplain systems will help develop narratives and forms of engagement that foster shared understanding, empathy and collaboration. Appreciation of plural values such as the provision of functions and services along with the role of emotional connections and lived experience will likely increase lasting engagement of the general public with management to protect and restore river-floodplain systems.
KW - Environmental flows
KW - Perspectives
KW - Riparian vegetation
KW - Social-ecological systems
KW - Storytelling
KW - Values
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85174920826&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00267-023-01900-2
DO - 10.1007/s00267-023-01900-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85174920826
SN - 0364-152X
VL - 73
SP - 130
EP - 143
JO - Environmental Management
JF - Environmental Management
IS - 1
ER -