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With the growing recognition of the importance of the human, or people, side of natural resource management issues, problems, and solutions, the term "human dimensions" is being used more often. To clarify what the human dimensions of natural resource management include, we have outlined the following working definition.

The human dimensions of natural resource management include...

• the driving forces behind people's decisions
• the human behaviors that lead to change
• the effects of change on natural resources and quality of life
• the management strategies to address change

Human Dimensions: Driving Forces

Driving Forces are the base drivers that influence human behavior. These driving forces play a large role in people's decision-making processes, their activities, their impressions of the personal and social benefits and impacts of particular human activities, and their acceptance of change and control with regard to the social and natural environment.

Driving forces might include the following factors:

• psychological
• social
• spiritual
• cultural
• economic
• political
• legal
• managerial

The combination of different driving forces acting together at any given time can be quite complex and include one or more of the following:

• individual, social, spiritual, and cultural values
• beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and opinions
• customs, traditions, and norms
• knowledge, experience, preferences, expectations, and motivations
• influences from social institutions, political initiatives, laws, and regulations

Human Dimensions: Human Behavior

Human Behavior includes all forms of passive and active human behavior or human activities. The following are four key categories of human behavior related to natural environments:

Recreation, Tourism, and Leisure

• photography, painting, and sunbathing
• wildlife viewing, beachcombing, and nature study
• hiking, biking, paddling, surfing, and sailing
• scuba diving, power boating, and sportfishing

Urbanization

• land subdivision and fragmentation
• residential development
• infrastructure development
• commercial development

Commerce, Transportation, and Industry

• farming, forestry, commercial fishing, and aquaculture
• tourism and recreation development
• waterfront and brownfield redevelopment
• manufacturing, shipping, and industrial development

Stewardship and Public Involvement

• restoration and recycling
• volunteering
• community-based management and monitoring
• resource management, education, and research

Effects of Change

Effects of Change are the real and perceived impacts, both positive and negative, of measurable, value-neutral changes originating from a human activity or natural phenomenon (e.g., a hurricane). Measurable changes include biophysical changes to the landscape, physiological changes to individuals, and social and economic changes to society. Examples of measurable changes include the following:

Biophysical

• land cover change
• habitat fragmentation
• erosion and accretion
• altered air, soil, or water quality

Physiological

• physical fitness
• mental alertness

Social

• increased or reduced community cohesiveness
• increased or reduced security
• increased or decreased access

Economic

• local economic viability
• economic opportunity and jobs

The effects of change are based in human values, since humans ultimately determine what constitutes a positive or negative impact. The effects of change on an individual or group may vary according to the driving forces they are influenced by (e.g., expectations, social norms, cultural beliefs). Examples of environmental, social, and managerial effects of change include the following:

Environmental

• quality of the natural environment
• human health and safety

Social

• quality of life
• displacement from particular areas or activities
• change in access or opportunity for specific activities

Managerial

• research, monitoring, or assessment
• planning, zoning, regulation, or enforcement
• outreach and education
• incentives

Human Dimensions: Management Strategies

Management Strategies include all manner of actions to address social and environmental change. Management strategies have the potential to alter the influence of driving forces on people's decisions and associated behaviors, the real or perceived effects of human-induced change, and the level of change and managerial control that people are willing to accept. Management strategies can be indirect (subtle) or direct (obtrusive).

Examples of management strategies include the following:

Direct

• regulation
• enforcement
• surveys and public participation
• spatial and temporal zoning
• restoration projects
• vegetative buffers or other physical barriers
• closures

Indirect

• education and outreach programs
• demonstration projects
• incentive programs
• volunteer efforts or "friends" groups
• interpretive signage, audiovisual materials, or brochures

“Human dimensions research is the application of social science theory and methods to help understand the cultural, sociological, psychological, economic, biological, and physical aspects of natural resource management and environmental problem solving.” (Fulton, D. C., K. C. Nelson, D. H. Anderson, and D. W. Lime. 2000. "Priority Issues and Future Directions in Human Dimensions Research." In Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management: Emerging Issues and Practical Applications. St Paul, MN. Cooperative Park Studies Program, University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources.)

“Human dimensions research aims to understand these human–environmental interactions and facilitate use of this understanding to support decisions affecting environmental processes and their societal outcomes. Research on the human dimensions of ecosystems encompasses a broad array of interrelated disciplines across the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, communication sciences, and related interdisciplinary studies.” (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) - Human Dimensions)

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) - Human Dimensions

“Human dimensions of natural resource management can be defined as an area of investigation which attempts to describe, predict, understand and affect human thought and action toward natural environments and to acquire such understanding for the primary purpose of improving stewardship of natural resources. Human dimensions research builds on concepts and theories from several disciplines including sociology, psychology, economics, anthropology, geography, political science, marketing, and education.” (Delaware Sea Grant)

"The number of situations now confronting natural resource management far exceed the capability of any one scientific group or governmental organization to adequately deal with these issues."
(Ewert, Alan W. 1995. "Getting Alice Through the Door: Social Science Research and Natural Resource Management". USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-156. Pages 111-119.)

"The natural sciences use the scientific method to try to understand natural phenomena, while the social scientists apply the scientific method to understanding social behavior."
(Coordinating Research and Management to Enhance Protected Areas. World Conservation Union, or IUCN)

"Biophysical and social systems are intertwined"
(Coordinating Research and Management to Enhance Protected Areas. World Conservation Union, or IUCN)

Links to resources that give a brief overview of general information on data and statistics are included in this section.

• Sampling sizes
  www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/methods/replicat/index.htm
  (Johnson, Douglas H. 2002. "The Importance of Replication in Wildlife Research." Journal of Wildlife Management. Volume 66, Number 4. Pages 919-932. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online. Accessed October 14, 2004.)
  www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampling.php
• Basic statistics principles
  www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/statprimer/index.html (natural sciences focus)
  writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/stats/ (social science focus)
  www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/statdesc.php
• Qualitative vs. quantitative data
  For an in-depth discussion on qualitative and quantitative data, please see the write-up on William Trochim’s “Research Methods Knowledge Base”
  www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualdeb.php

Trochim, William M. The Research Methods Knowledge Base. 2nd Edition. Internet page at www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/ (version current as of June 6, 2007).