Stakeholder perspectives on conservation program implementation in agricultural landscapes

Background/Question/Methods

Ecosystem services from agricultural lands can contribute to the conservation of ecosystem functioning and integrity. Managing for ecosystem services requires the implementation of appropriate strategies by land managers. The provisioning of ecosystem services through conservation programs might be enhanced through intentional education activities, especially by targeting gaps and misconceptions regarding the role of conservation programs in the agricultural landscape. Improved communication also ensures that critical social and environmental feedback will aid in the continuing evolution of conservation programs. Change agent perspectives on the efficacy and potential of conservation practices should guide the development of these education activities. The intent of this study was to test the hypothesis that crop specialists, extension agents, farmers and students vary in their understanding and acceptance of ecosystem service roles in agriculture. In order to test this hypothesis, the four groups were surveyed for their understanding and acceptance of conservation strategies in agricultural landscapes, as well the role the government should play in supporting these efforts. 

Results/Conclusions

To date, 256 surveys have been collected from meetings in Iowa. The results of this study indicate gaps in the knowledge of ecosystem services by the four groups studied, with the student group having the highest confidence in their knowledge of ecosystem services. Students also had the highest confidence in their own ability to get agricultural conservation funds from the government, followed by farmers, and lastly crop professionals and extension agents. Perspectives on the value of conservation programs to productivity also varied, with students the most optimistic that conservation strategies could improve agricultural productivity, and farmers and crop professionals equally unsure of any positive or negative effects. Some question responses were less varied, and may indicate opportunities to close the gap between these groups. We will discuss direct interactions with these different groups and propose ways to close these gaps to enhance communication and implementation of effective agricultural conservation programs. We will also discuss results from short answer survey questions and interaction effects of demographics that might be influencing these results.