Changing Community Variations in Perceptions and Activeness in Response to the Spruce Bark Beetle Outbreak in Alaska

Abstract

Local sociocultural processes including community perceptions and actions represent the most visible social impacts of various economic and environmental changes. Comparative community analysis has been used to examine diverse community perspectives on a variety of socioeconomic and environmental issues. However, as the temporal dimension of community processes remains understudied, relatively little is known regarding how such community variations change over time. This study draws on longitudinal survey data from six communities on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska to explore temporal shifts in community differences in perceptions and activeness in response to forest disturbance associated with an extensive spruce bark beetle outbreak. The surveys were implemented in two phases over a 4-year study period. Results show that while community perceptions on the bark beetle condition waned and coalesced in some ways, significant differences remained or emerged with respect to other facets of local reactions. These shifting variances in community dimensions of the beetle disturbance were related to community positions along the beetle outbreak timeline and general community socioeconomic and biophysical situations (community context). The analysis also revealed community differences and contexts held an even more important role in predicting local responses to beetles in the re-survey. Taken together, findings from this research contribute a better understanding of the persistence and change in community variability as well as the continuity of community contextual effects.

Effects of Community Perceptions and Institutional Capacity on Smallholder Farmers’ Responses to Water Scarcity: Evidence from Arid Northwestern China

“…Community perceptions and corresponding activeness were widely examined in environmental sociology studies to fundamentally understand human behaviors in certain socio-economic and biophysical settings [35,36]. The empirical investigation of community perceptions of water scarcity and smallholder farmers' responses at the local level in this study delineates viable adaptation strategies within a coupled socio-ecological system.…”

“…Community perceptions oftentimes embedded in local sociocultural processes are among the most direct social impacts of social-ecological changes [78,79]. The existing literature on community impacts documented the adaptation of psychological systems of the human environment to physical and environmental perturbations [35,40]. Outcomes of natural resource conservation efforts are strongly influenced by stakeholder perceptions, which drive the interacting participation and collective actions taken by rural communities [80].…”

“…According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a community is defined as "a unified body of individuals, such as the people with common interests living in a particular area, or a group linked by a common policy". From an interaction point of view, a community is typically composed of a shared territory, an established system of institutions and associations, and a set of locally oriented collective actions [34,35]. Local communities are essential representations of socio-ecological systems [36].…”

Combining Bio-Cultural and Asset Based Approach Towards Sustainable Utilization of Catchment Resources

“…The interactions between humans and nature can be well understood in the conceptualization of the socio-cultural aspect of human life in relation to nature, that is, the complex relationship between human and their natural environment [34]. The socio-cultural concepts include worldview, norms, beliefs, thoughts, actions, institutions, livelihood and practices, value, and attitude [24,43,44,34].…”

Formation of a Community of Practice in the Watershed Scale, with Integrated Local Environmental Knowledge

“…These communities tend to be vulnerable to impacts of social and environmental changes [1]. Environmental, social and economic sustainability of rural communities is largely dependent on collaborative action by diverse actors.…”