A War of Words: Do Conflict Metaphors Affect Beliefs about Managing “Unwanted” Plants?

Abstract

Woody plants have increased in density and extent in rangelands worldwide since the 1800s, and land managers increasingly remove woodland plants in hopes of restoring pre-settlement conditions and/or improved forage for grazing livestock. Because such efforts can be controversial, especially on publicly owned lands, managers often attempt to frame issues in ways they believe can improve public acceptance of proposed actions. Frequently these framing efforts employ conflict metaphors drawn from military or legal lexicons. We surveyed citizens in the Rocky Mountains region, USA, about their beliefs concerning tree-removal as a management strategy. Plants targeted for removal in the region include such iconic tree species as Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine as well as other less-valued species, such as Rocky Mountain juniper, that are common targets for removal nationwide. To test the influence of issue frame on acceptance, recipients were randomly assigned surveys in which the reason for conifer removal was described using one of three terms often employed by invasive biologists and land managers: "invasion", "expansion", and "encroachment". Framing in this instance had little effect on responses. We conclude the use of single-word frames by scientists and managers use to contextualize an issue may not resonate with the public.

Cognition of complexity and trade-offs in a wildfire-prone social-ecological system

“…Advocates of risk reduction actions that affect aesthetic values (e.g. which includes most forest management practices) should be attentive to variation in aesthetic preferences across socially diverse landscapes (Ribe 1989, Nay andBrunson 2013). In the case of trade-offs involving air quality, our results provide empirical support for what many decision-makers and other wildfire risk mitigation practitioners know from personal experience-stakeholders may not distinguish 'bad' smoke (e.g.…”

Unwanted No More: Land Use, Ecosystem Services, and Opportunities for Resilience in Human-Influenced Shrublands

“…For example, a recent survey of residents of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho found that rangelands in a natural shrub-steppe condition were viewed as less scenic than those that had undergone conifer encroachment. 6 If shrublands are under-appreciated, there is less chance of public pressure to halt conversion to other vegetation types or land uses.…”

From scientific arguments to scepticism: Humans’ place in the Greenhouse

“…However, other scholars demonstrate that RELIGION metaphors have been used to dispute such sceptical arguments to present scientists as prophets capable of interpreting signs (Foust and Murphy, 2009: 153–156). Nay and Brunson’s (2013) survey demonstrates that MEDICINE metaphors may also effectively convince recipients to protect the forests (p. 165), as in the following: ‘An ecological system is healthy and free from distress syndrome if it is stable and sustainable’ (Ross et al, 1997: 119). MEDICINE metaphors can promote compassion among recipients who can interpret environmental disruption according to their own experience of sickness (Augé, 2021).…”