Coyote Management in Residential Areas: Human Dimensions Research Needs

To effectively meet the challenges of urban coyote (Canis latrans) management, wildlife professionals will need human dimensions (and ecological) research to fill information gaps associated with a typical program planning process. Most wildlife agencies use the steps of a rational decision-making approach to plan and develop their programs (i.e., they define goals, identify problems and opportunities, identify management objectives, develop management action alternatives, and implement and evaluate alternatives). We describe general human dimensions (HD) information needs associated with each step, and then suggest corresponding HD research priorities to support urban coyote management decisions. We suggest that HD research priorities include: (I) situational analysis to characterize impact perceptions, attitudes, experiences, and behaviors of key stakeholders in hot spots for human-coyote conflict; (2) investigations that shed light on the processes of coyotes\u27 habituation to humans and humans\u27 habituation to coyotes; (3) studies that allow managers to apply acceptance capacity concepts to objective setting; (4) locally-specific research to characterize acceptability of various management actions among key stakeholders; and (5) outcome evaluations to measure attitude, perception, and behavior change associated with management actions

Toward an Understanding of Beaver Management as Human and Beaver Densities Increase

Estimates of beaver (Castor canadensis) density play an important role in wildlife managers’ decisions about beaver population management, because managers anticipate higher incidence of problem complaints when a beaver population increases. To manage the impacts of beavers in an urbanizing landscape, managers need better information on changes in stakeholder beliefs and attitudes as beaver and human densities reach high levels. We conducted additional analysis of data collected in 2002 through mail surveys of residents in New York and Massachusetts to test hypothesized relationships between beaver density and damage experience, attitudes toward beavers, and norms about beaver management actions. Consistent with previous research, we found a correlation between personal experience with beaver-related problems, lower acceptance capacity for beavers, and higher acceptability of lethal beaver management actions. In comparison to residents living in areas with low beaver density, residents of areas with high beaver density were more likely to: experience beaver-related problems; believe that beaver-related damage had greatly increased in their area; express a preference for beaver population reduction; express less tolerant attitudes toward beaver presence; and accept lethal control of beavers as a response to beaver-related problems. These findings add to understanding of wildlife acceptance capacity, generally, and tolerance of beavers specifically. Based on our findings, we propose a conceptual model representing key dynamic interrelationships between stakeholder attitudes, norms, and common beaver management practices. We discuss a causal loop diagram representing the model to illuminate the challenges wildlife managers are likely to face as the context for beaver management changes. The model articulates the dynamic complexity of urban beaver management and fills a gap in the literature by conceptualizing beaver management as a coupled human–natural system. Such models may aid communication in locales where high densities of beaver and people set the stage for human–wildlife conflict and emergence of disruptive wildlife management issues

Deer, People, and Parks: Perspectives of Residents in Communities Near Valley Forge National Historical Park

Click on the PDF for an Executive Summary and the full report. Visit the HDRU website for a complete listing of HDRU publications at: http://hdru.dnr.cornell.edu

How do Suburban Coyote Attacks Affect Residents’ Perceptions? Insights from a New York Case Study

Understanding the human dimensions of human-coyote conflicts in metropolitan areas has taken on greater importance as coyotes (Canis latrans) have established themselves as the top predator in many urban ecosystems across North America. Though uncommon, coyote attacks on humans do occur in metropolitan areas and often receive widespread media coverage. Little research has been done to clarify how media coverage of these uncommon events may influence urban residents’ attitudes toward coyotes. In 2010, two children in Westchester County, New York, were injured in coyote attacks. In fall 2010 and winter 2011, the authors replicated a 2006 telephone survey in two areas of Westchester County, to assess possible changes in residents’ coyote-related experiences, attitudes, and risk perceptions. We documented a substantial, short-term increase in local newspaper coverage about coyotes immediately after the attack. Over 90% of local residents were aware of July 2010 attacks and nearly all residents with awareness reported exposure to media coverage of the attacks (supporting the hypothesis that such media coverage can have an agenda-setting effect). In comparison to 2006 levels, we documented an increase in concern about problems coyotes may cause, concern about coyote-related safety threats to children, and a decline in the proportion of local residents who believed that coyote-related risk to children was acceptably low. The 2006-2010 data comparisons provide support for a media framing hypothesis (i.e., that exposure to media coverage about the attacks made thoughts of human safety more salient, contributing to at least a short-term influence on concern about coyotes). Yet, in early 2011, months after local media coverage of coyotes had returned to background levels, concern about coyotes and coyote-related threats to children remained significantly higher than 2006 levels (i.e., effects continued after media priming ceased). This result suggests that factors other than media priming are needed to explain elevated levels of concern. We hypothesize that awareness of a new impact associated with coyotes (i.e., safety risk to children) may have driven change in resident’s perceptions of coyote-related risk and tolerance for coyote presence. Findings suggest that interventionists with interests in promoting wildlife conservation in urban ecosystems have a window of opportunity in which coyote-related messages may be attended to by local residents. Through efforts to enhance self-efficacy and teach residents how they can reduce the likelihood of a negative interaction with coyotes, interventionists can help human residents learn to live with this mesopredator in urban ecosystems

Coyotes Go “Bridge and Tunnel”: A Narrow Opportunity to Study the Socio-ecological Impacts of Coyote Range Expansion on Long Island, NY Pre- and Post-Arrival

Currently, Long Island, NY is without a breeding population of northeastern coyote (Canis latras var.), yet recent evidence of dispersing individuals on the island, coupled with the “dogged” momentum of coyote range expansion across North America, suggests a Long Island coyote population is close at hand. We highlighted the fleeting opportunity to takes advantage of this natural experiment by developing a multidisciplinary research framework to investigate the ecological and social impacts of the coyote, pre- and post- range expansion. We reviewed coyote spatial ecology, community ecology, and human dimensions research and identified three components of future investigation: predicting future occupancy, monitoring colonization, testing hypotheses of trophic cascades by leveraging and expanding existing ecological data, and exploring attitudes towards coyotes to better understand and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. Each proposed component will integrate for a comprehensive investigation to advance theory and applied management of northeastern coyotes

Understanding Non-traditional Hunters in New York: Initial Insights and Implications for Recruitment and Retention Research

Click on the PDF for an Executive Summary and the full report. Visit the HDRU website for a complete listing of HDRU publications at: http://hdru.dnr.cornell.edu

Measuring Bird Damage to Three Fruit Crops: A Comparison of Grower and Field Estimates

Birds are common pests in fruit orchards. They frequently consume and damage fruit resulting in decreased yields for growers. The true extent of damage is difficult to measure. Producer surveys are often implemented to estimate damage, but the accuracy of these estimates is uncertain. We compared damage estimates obtained through field studies with estimates from a producer survey for three fruit crops: wine grapes, sweet cherries, and ‘Honeycrisp’ apples. We also analyzed relationships between use of various damage management methods and levels of bird damage. We found wine grape and sweet cherry growers accurately assessed bird damage, while ‘Honeycrisp’ apple growers may overestimate damage. Growing region appears to be an important damage predictor for wine grape and sweet cherry crops. Significant relationships between management methods and damage were positive, suggesting growers only use these methods when bird damage is substantial

Public Perceptions of Wildlife-Associated Disease: Risk Communication Matters

Wildlife professionals working at the interface where conflicts arise between people and wild animals have an exceptional responsibility in the long-term interest of sustaining society’s support for wildlife and its conservation by resolving human–wildlife conflicts so that people continue to view wildlife as a valued resource. The challenge of understanding and responding to people’s concerns about wildlife is particularly acute in situations involving wildlife-associated disease and may be addressed through One Health communication. Two important questions arise in this work: (1) how will people react to the message that human health and wildlife health are linked?; and (2) will wildlife-associated disease foster negative attitudes about wildlife as reservoirs, vectors, or carriers of disease harmful to humans? The answers to these questions will depend in part on whether wildlife professionals successfully manage wildlife disease and communicate the associated risks in a way that promotes societal advocacy for healthy wildlife rather than calls for eliminating wildlife because they are viewed as disease-carrying pests. This work requires great care in both formal and informal communication. We focus on risk perception, and we briefly discuss guidance available for risk communication, including formation of key messages and the importance of word choices. We conclude that the risk perception and communication research available is helpful but inadequate, and that thoughtful practice with respect to message and word choice is needed

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data