Evaluating Recreationists’ Awareness and Attitudes Toward Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) at Lake McConaughy, Nebraska, USA

Abstract

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) are shorebirds federally protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act that often nest on beaches in proximity to human recreation. We evaluated whether awareness of piping plovers and their legally protected status and attitudes toward species management varied between groups of recreationists at Lake Mc-Conaughy, Keith County, Nebraska, USA. Awareness of piping plovers varied primarily by the respondents' number of annual visits to Lake McConaughy; the respondents' age, sex, or location of primary residence had less influence. Recreationists with increased awareness of piping plovers and their protected status did not have more favorable attitudes toward plovers and recreation restrictions. The more frequently recreationists visited Lake McConaughy, the less receptive they were to alternative management strategies. Piping plover recovery plans should incorporate general and site-specific human dimensions guidance for conservation practitioners. Additional studies are needed to identify approaches to resolve bird-human conflicts.

Impact perceptions and acceptance capacity toward Piping Plovers Charadrius melodusamong visitors on a public beach in Nebraska, USA

“…Our overall approach was similar to Jorgensen & Brown (2015), but here we build upon the earlier study by developing questions that identify impacts that influence visitors' acceptance of Piping Plovers. We surveyed visitors by conducting personal interviews on beaches at Lake McConaughy from 18 May to 21 Jul 2015 during the Piping Plover breeding season.…”

“…We used (1) primary recreation activities (fishing, boating, camping, swimming and socializing), (2) accompanied by a dog, (3) number of annual visits during the nesting season, and (4) the visitors' sex, age and awareness of the presence of Piping Plovers at Lake McConaughy as variables in a set of a priori models. We included sex and age of the visitor in our models because previous research (Jorgensen & Brown 2015) showed those variables were associated, albeit weakly, with attitudes toward Piping Plovers; that same study showed location of principal residence was not associated with attitudes towards Piping Plovers. We included awareness (yes or no) of Piping Plovers at Lake McConaughy in our models because awareness of a protected species in a beach setting has been associated with negative attitudes toward that species (Maguire et al 2013).…”

“…These studies have focused on specific aspects of the social environment including evaluating education campaigns (Ormsby & Forys 2010), evaluating awareness and attitudes (Antos et al 2006, van Polanen Petel & Bunce 2012, Jorgensen & Brown 2015, assessing human and bird response to beach closures (Burger & Niles 2013, Maguire et al 2013, assessing the attitudes and motivations of dog owners (Bridson 2000, Williams et al 2009, Jorgensen & Brown 2014, and evaluating incentive payments in private lands conservation (Ramsdell et al 2016). While informative and useful, these studies generally lack standardized approaches or conceptual frameworks which would broaden their applicability.…”

Flight initiation distances of nesting Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) in response to human disturbance

“…The period overlaps with the Piping Plover breeding season, which extends from mid-April through July Wilson 2013, 2014). The majority of recreationists visiting the lake are from the Front Range Urban Corridor (FRUC; Cheyenne, Wyoming to Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado) or from the local area (Jorgensen and Brown 2015). The majority of plovers nest along the north shore of Lake McConaughy because extensive sand beaches are present only on this side of the lake.…”

“…In practice, the size and configuration of exclusion zones are left to the discretion of local managers whose experience with the species and best management practices may be lacking. Consequently, the buffer distances of exclusion zones are highly variable, with reported distances ranging from 16 to 800 m (USFWS 1994, 2003, Jorgensen and Brown 2015.…”