Digital Commons Network^™

Upper South Fork Of The Flathead Users: What Social Setting Attributes Are The Most Important?, Forest Waters Moulton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Previous research has shown that wilderness visitors place much value on an uncrowded social recreation setting. However, the current indicators that the Flathead National Forest has implemented to monitor this setting on the upper South Fork of the Flathead River may not satisfy several of the qualities of a good indicators, particularly “significance.” In an attempt to recommend new indicators to monitor opportunities for quality experience within this social setting, this study assessed the significance or importance of several alternative social setting attributes. It also attempted to provide meaningful qualifications to these evaluations by analyzing variation in three concepts associated …

What They Consider, How They Decide: Best Practices Of Technical Experts In Environmental Decision-Making, Cassandra J. Hemphill

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Drawing from qualitative data gathered from environmental management professionals, this paper describes best practices for decision-making in environmental clean-up. Technical experts are knowledgeable about both cultural and technical rationality and employ both, as appropriate, to achieve more robust decisions. Experts use active, passive, and interactive communicative strategies to reduce uncertainties and manage tensions. Deliberation is used to achieve robust decisions. The analysis suggests that organizations can improve acceptability of decisions by authorizing experts to incorporate cultural rationality early in the decision process.

The Changing Role Of Sámi Women In Reindeer Herding Communities In Northern Norway And The 1970-1980s Women’S Resistance And Redefinition Movement, Marcie Kaye Bremmer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Historically, different nations-states at different times have tried to claim authority over the Sámi in the circumpolar north. After the nation state borders were drawn in the 1700s and 1800s, separating Russia, Norway, Sweden and Finland, Norway introduced a harsh and 1800s separating Russia, Norway, Sweden and Finland, Norway introduced a harsh assimilation policy that lasted over a century. Cultural Darwinist views and national assimilationist legislation and social strategies chipped away at Sámi society and its identity as an indigenous people. Over time Sámi women found their accustomed social, economic, and political autonomy eroded. Post World War II, the emerging …

Private Property Owner Regard Of Hazard Fuel Mitigation In The Wildland Urban Interface, Jennifer Ann Martynuik

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The objective of this research was to document and to analyze private property owner reasons and justifications for implementing, or not, the fire prevention effort of hazard fuel mitigation. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 42 property owners in the forest proximate community of Seeley Lake, Montana. Using an interpretive approach and grounded theory methodology, the content analyses of transcribed interviews was completed for the purpose of capturing the variations in WUI property owner behaviors and viewpoints on hazard fuel mitigation. The property owners provided diverse reasons and nuanced justifications for their decisions. Hazard fuel mitigation was often undertaken for …

An Inquiry Into Eco-Labeling: The Promise Of Predator Friendly Certification (Pfc), Melissa Ellen Katherine Early

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Agricultural landscapes play key roles in preserving biodiversity through habitat protection while providing ecosystem services necessary for rural livelihoods. There is a small, but growing movement among agricultural producers to live with nature rather than to dominate nature. Within this larger agriculture movement are efforts to live with predators rather than eliminating them through lethal means. This is reflective of the changing conversation around predators in the New West. Means of co-existence include livestock guardian animals, electric fencing, fladry, range rider patrols, rotational grazing, and lights etc. One grassroots effort in this area is Predator Friendly Certification (PFC). PFC is …

Exploring Visitor Experiences Along The Going-To-The-Sun Corridor Of Glacier National Park, Elena Nikolaeva

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Visitor use on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) corridor is one of the most critical issues that Glacier National Park faces. According to the park’s General Management Plan, it should be addressed to safeguard the quality of park resources and the visitor experiences. 80% of park visitors travel along at least some part of the road, which is the primary park experience and one of the most spectacular highlights of the park. The road was built in early 1930, and now brings almost 2 million visitors annually into the heart of Glacier NP. Increased number of cars on this narrow historic …

Environmental Documentary Film: A Contemporary Tool For Social Movement, Rachel Gregg

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Building a 21st century movement capable of inspiring social and structural change requires creative education, resourceful collaboration, and civic engagement. The U.S. environmental movement is in need of strategies that bring a wide spectrum of people together, facilitate appropriate interpretation of problems, and prompt innovative, forward-thinking solutions. Environmental documentary film has the ability to dramatize the reality of environmental issues and empower audiences to become an active part of the change necessary to address environmental crises. Utilizing a specific genre of environmental documentary film in novel and inventive ways, people can be gathered, educated, and inspired to become active participants …

Exploring Public Participation Decision-Making At Superfund Sites: A Mental Models Approach, Walter Steven Ackerlund

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

While public policies and programs in the United States encourage public participation in agency decisions on environmental issues, how best to engage the public remains controversial. Public participation is more challenging when complex and uncertain scientific or technical issues are involved. This research applies a mental model methodology to explore what people engaged in Superfund site cleanup decisions think about when making public participation decisions. The intent is to find better ways of engaging people in constructive processes that achieve mutual understanding and lead to better decisions.

An initial expert-informed mental model of public participation decision-making is developed based on …

From Crop To Cup; The Plight Of Coffee, Dana Lynn Foster

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Coffee is in demand across the globe and remains the second most valuable exported legal commodity on earth, only second to oil. The majority of North Americans have a type of ritual with their morning cup of coffee. However only an extremely modest percentage of those people are cognizant of where their coffee comes from or the processes undergone for it to reach their kitchen counters. This paper examines the role that direct trade coffee programs may play in helping to create long lasting, sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships between producers and roasters. The project accompanying the paper is the …

Predicting Amphibian Occurrence Based On Wetland And Landscape Level Factors In Montana, Catherine Anne Mcintyre

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Amphibians have a complex life history that requires a mosaic of habitats, including breeding, foraging, and over-wintering areas. Historically, regulators have focused on wetland breeding habitat quality to explain amphibian presence. Recently, other habitat requirements including landscape level factors have been examined. Data collected from amphibian surveys in Montana were used to determine if wetland quality factors or landscape level factors were better determinants of amphibian occurrence at breeding sites. Twenty-six habitat models were constructed a priori for eight species of amphibians in Montana. This included five models containing parameters associated with wetland quality, ten landscape level models, and ten …

Puma Dispersal Ecology In The Central Rocky Mountains, Jesse R. Newby

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The structuring of populations within a metapopulation, connected through dispersal, is important to basic and applied ecology. However, a considerable gap exists in our knowledge of the influence landscape heterogeneity has on dispersal and its consequences. We examined landscape effects on dispersal and its consequences for puma (Puma concolor) populations using data from three separate populations in the Central Rocky Mountains including the Northern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (NGYE), the Southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (SGYE) and the Garnet Mountains of Montana. We found human-induced mortality reduced inter-population vital rates with population consequences. The NGYE population was dependent largely on immigration for …

A Comparative Analysis Between Knowledge And Bear Safety Information Utilization By Day Hikers In Glacier National Park, Phillip Wayne Zumstein

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to identify Glacier National Park backcountry day users’ bear safety information source utilization, obtain their knowledge level of bear safety, and identify any differences in knowledge level when compared to sources used. The results of this study were intended to provide park managers with a means to more effectively implement the park’s bear safety information program. The study was conducted within Glacier National Park in Montana during the summer of 2011. A survey was given to 540 backcountry day users during their day hikes within the park. A bear safety quiz section was included …

Addressing Food Insecurity And Developing Social Resources Through Community Garden Projects In Low-Income Areas: Qualitative Interviews With Outreach Coordinators From Three Urban Agriculture Organizations, Elizabeth R. Chalgian

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As urban agriculture organizations become increasingly popular, it is important to understand the impact they have on low-income urban communities. Food security and political power are greatly lacking in these areas. Agriculture endeavors, such as community gardens and urban farms, have a significant potential to decrease these deficits. First, this thesis will address how social inequalities, which are products of structural power, prevent the poor from being properly fed and discuss how urban agriculture programs, specifically community gardens, can reduce food insecurity and build a community’s social resources. Later, the discussion will focus on how low-income populations become involved in …

Can Sheep Control Leafy Spurge Without Compromising Efforts To Restore Native Plants?, Eva S. Masin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis includes two studies on the ecological effects of using sheep to control Euphorbia esula (leafy spurge). While sheep can effectively reduce E. esula when used as a long-term management strategy, little is known about their impacts on native plants. The efficacy of sheep grazing for restoration depends both on its potential for controlling undesirable plants and its ability to promote native species that provide key ecosystem goods and services. I investigated the effects of sheep grazing on native plants at both seed and mature-plant stages. To assess impacts on seedling establishment, I measured density of forb and graminoid …

Incentives And Disincentives Of Adolescent Girls Participation In Outdoor Activities And Recommendations For Practitioners, Sarah Anne Megyesi

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In order to increase adolescent girls’ participation in and enjoyment of outdoor activities (OAs), with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of future advocates and stewards of our natural environment, outdoor activity practitioners and other interested parties must gain an understanding of adolescent girls and their perceptions of the outdoors and outdoor activities. Every girl has unique insight and perceptions related to their own as well as other girls’ participation in outdoor activities. In order to best serve adolescent girls through outdoor activity, research must seek answers to how families, schools, mentors, and outdoor activity practitioners can best encourage …

Metadata Analysis Of The Montana Department Of Environmental Quality's Reference Stream Project Datasets, Jonathan Samuel Leiman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This Master’s Thesis examines certain aspects of the frequently incongruous relationship in the State of Montana between the natural science of water quality measurement and the actual practices to which water quality management research is put. These discordances can be the source of misunderstandings about the purposes and uses for which data were collected. Moreover, miscues regarding the sharing of information among stakeholders have become more significant as adaptive and shared management programs continue to expand. At the core of this study are assessments of the value of water quality data generated by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) …

Modeling Risk Of Hunting Pressure On Large Mammals In Northwestern Argentina, Loretta Kathleen Baker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The subtropical Yungas and Chaco forests of northwestern Argentina are two of the most biodiverse and threatened biomes in South America. It is unclear how development pressure and increased human presence may be affecting wildlife in this increasingly fragmented and degraded landscape. We initiated a broad-scale analysis of the spatial distribution and magnitude of anthropogenic factors that may influence large mammal mortality due to potential human hunting pressure in a landscape linkage connecting these threatened forests. We conducted a literature review of Neotropical study sites that reported hunting of large mammals by indigenous people or colonists, and used this information …

Nest Site Characteristics And Breeding Biology Of Flammmulated Owls In Missoula Valley, Mathew T. Seidensticker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Seidensticker, Mathew, M.S., Spring 2011 Environmental Studies Nest Sites and Breeding Biology of Flammulated Owls in Missoula Valley Chairperson: Len Broberg The Flammulated Owl is listed as a sensitive or species of concern with United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Despite these listings the Flammulated Owl is little studied in Montana. Although region-wide surveys have greatly increased our understanding of distribution and landscape level habitat associations of Flammulated Owls, information about breeding is lacking. In order to address this need for breeding information I searched for and quantified nest site characteristics and …

Opposition And Barriers To Conservation Easements: Insights From Montana Landowners, Alayna S. Dupont

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A conservation easement (CE) is a voluntary agreement that perpetually limits development on private land in order to protect open space, agricultural land, and scenic amenities, as well as ecological or historic resources. Due to the fact that CEs are voluntary, an understanding of the landowner’s decision about whether or not to participate in conservation easement programs is imperative if CE use is to continue and expand. Moreover, understanding how non-participating landowners view CEs, how they regard the incentives, and how CEs fit or do not fit with their ideas regarding private property and conservation is of critical importance for …

The Role Of Microbial Endosymbionts In Sorghum Halepense Invasions: Evidence Of A New Invasion Strategy, Microbially Enhanced Competitive Ability (Meca), Marnie Erin Rout

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Invasive plants can profoundly alter ecosystem processes, and tremendous economic costs are often associated with these disturbances. Attributes like higher growth rates, increased biomass, and enhanced chemical defenses have been documented in many invasive plants. When expanding into new ranges, these traits frequently allow invasive plants to outcompete native plant communities. Current theories suggest these invasive attributes are plant-regulated; however, my work shows that bacterial endosymbionts can regulate these traits in the invasive grass Sorghum halepense. Using culture and molecular approaches, I found the invasive grass harbors several bacterial organisms inside the roots and rhizomes. These bacterial endosymbionts were …

Green Roofs In The Garden City: Exploring The Opportunities For Green Roof Policies In Missoula, Montana, Matthew Ryan Hodges

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Global climate change is expected to have adverse impacts on the Rocky Mountain West, including impacts on water and land use, energy consumption, weather patterns, and wildlife stewardship. The State of Montana, Missoula County and the City of Missoula all have recognized these threats and are taking steps to address climate change impacts. In response to the unique challenges posed by urban environments, the practice of green, or vegetative, roofing has been promoted through policy measures by a number of cities in the United States and abroad. This project explores green roofing and the policies used to encourage the practice …

Distribution, Use And Cultural Meanings Of Ciprés De Las Guaitecas In The Vicinity Of Caleta Tortel, Chile, Kyla Sara Zaret

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study examined the changing roles of ciprés de las Guaitecas (Pilgerodendron uviferum) in the lives and livelihoods of Tortel community members. A political ecology framework built on concepts of power, scale and social construction was used to problematize the availability of the tree as a resource by revealing the multiple, contrasting perspectives of different socio-political actors. National and international policy documents were analyzed in order to uncover the discourses that drive decision-making at those scales. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore local people’s knowledge, perceptions and opinions regarding the difficulties they face in accessing and utilizing …

Wild Collaboration: Ecological Restoration, Religion, And The Reformation Of The Human/Nature Relationship, Adam Carl Lohrmann

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ABSTRACT Lohrmann, Adam, M.S., May 2011 Environmental Studies Wild Collaboration: Ecological Restoration, Religion, and the Reformation of the Human/Nature Relationship Chairperson: Dr. Daniel Spencer In recent years, the field of ecological restoration has gained momentum as an academic discipline, a scientific profession, and as a community-based form of environmental activism and land stewardship. At the same time, the number, scope, complexity, and diversity of restoration projects has expanded, and restoration is now being practiced in every corner of the globe. Witnessing this surge of activity and interest, many restorationists now believe that the practice of restoration can serve as a …

Evaluating Repeat Photography In Documenting Natural And Cultural Landscape Changes: A Changing Crown Of The Continent Ecosystem Between 1899 And 2010, Dusty Leigh Waltner

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Photography can be an invaluable tool in human geographical research, for example, to better understand the importance of place to people. Increasingly, geographers are looking at how photography can play an active role in the construction of geographical knowledge, that is, how photographs are seen rather than what they show. This study examines the use of repeat photography as a research method by conducting a case study on landscape change in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. Grounded in extensive archival research on the past, present, and future uses of photography as a research method, a repeat photography survey was …

Developing Successful Wilderness Stewardship Partnerships, Heather Day

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Partnerships between federal land management agencies and non-profit organizations have existed in various forms for decades, benefiting public lands in myriad ways. However, the consistent decline in agency budgets and available staffing dedicated to Wilderness stewardship have created a need for and subsequent boom of Wilderness stewardship -focused nonprofit organizations across the country. Previous literature addresses the elements of a successful partnership in a more generalized fashion, leaving a need for more empirical examination of the key components of a successful Wilderness stewardship partnership. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with Wilderness stewardship nonprofit staff and staff from the Forest Service, …

Evaluating And Remediating Metals And Arsenic In Surface Waters Of The Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Montana, Chauncey Allan Means

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Located in southeastern Montana, the Northern Cheyenne Reservation sits within the Powder River Basin energy development boundary. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe (Tribe) has had a long history of resisting energy development on the reservation. The Tribe has also opposed off-reservation development that impacts reservation water, air, and cultural resources. Current coal bed methane and coal mine developments near the reservation threaten the quality of life for the Northern Cheyenne people. Trace metal content of the surface waters on the reservation have not been adequately studied. Providing baseline data for future reference for the Tribe will be beneficial for their future …

Factors Influencing The Distribution Of Bull Trout And Westslope Cutthroat Trout West Of The Continental Divide In Glacier National Park, Vincent Stephen D'Angelo

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The reported decline of native bull trout Salvelinus confluentus and westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi populations west of the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park (GNP) prompted research to identify critical habitats and investigate factors influencing their distribution and relative abundance. I evaluated the association of six abiotic factors (stream width, elevation, gradient, large woody debris density, pool density, mean August stream temperature) and a biotic factor (the presence of nonnative lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush) with the occurrence and density of bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in 79 stream reaches in five sub-drainages of the North Fork Flathead …

Recommendations For Instream Flow Rights On National Forest Lands In Montana, Andrew Marias Fischer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A unique opportunity exists to create instream water rights on national forest lands in Montana as a result of the US Forest Service Reserved Water Rights Compact between the US Forest Service (USFS) and the state of Montana, which went into law in 2007. Instream water rights on national forest lands are important because they have the potential to protect streamflows that support many vital ecosystem functions in our forests from water development pressures. Montana Trout Unlimited has an interest in advancing and accelerating this effort by providing stream recommendations to the USFS for the establishment of future water rights. …

Ruffled Feathers: Shared Narratives In The Sage-Grouse Management Conflict In Sublette County, Wyoming, Maureen A. Essen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The tense conflict over sage grouse management in the West, where livelihoods have been pitted against the possibility of an endangered species listing, has been ongoing for many years and has been described as being as tense as the spotted owl conflict in the Northwest in the 1990s. This research is designed to highlight the different frames or narratives within the sage grouse debate in Sublette County, Wyoming while exploring a resurging research methodology. Q methodology, a method intended to identify distinct viewpoints within a sample was employed to understand the different narratives among these conflict parties. The Q method …

Post-Course Environmental Behavior Change Of Wild Rockies Field Institute Participants, Theodore Rosenberger Morrison

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In light of the environmental crisis facing the world, the need for citizens to behave in an environmentally responsible manner is critical to finding lasting solutions. After conducting and analyzing 20 in-depth interviews with alumni of the Wild Rockies Field Institute (WRFI), this study found that despite elevated pre-course levels of environmentally responsible behavior most participants reported an increased level of post course environmental behavior change. Post-course impacts ranged from a change of, or further investment in academic and career goals, lifestyle choices, empowerment, ethical development and political activity. Participants reported these outcomes were influenced by a variety of course …