M. Nils Peterson

Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Box 7646, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA

Evaluating Climate Change Planning for Longleaf Pine Ecosystems in the Southeast United States

SEAFWA Journal Volume 5, March 2018

Longleaf pine (LLP, Pinus palustris) has been reduced to 3-5% of its original range, but may be particularly resilient to conditions associated with climate change including drought, severe storms, and increased prevalence of pests. Despite the critical role of LLP in building climate resilient ecosystems, little is known about how landscape managers in the region have considered climate change in planning efforts. We gathered 83 publicly accessible natural resource management plans from the southeastern United States that included management of LLP ecosystems between 1999 and 2016. We...

Meta-analysis of Natural Resource Conservation Plan Evaluations

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

The number of studies evaluating the quality and content of many types of plans have grown in recent decades. Natural resource conservation plans have been included in some of these plan evaluation studies; however, no meta-analysis of natural resource planning literature has been conducted. This focus is needed because natural resource conservation planning differs from other types (e.g., hazards mitigation, urban planning), in that planners often come from natural resource backgrounds, must plan in compliance with federal and state planning mandates, and typically operate under the...

Evaluating Poaching Deterrents in the Southeast

SEAFWA Journal Volume 1, March 2014

Any deviation (poaching) from hunting or fishing regulations damages natural resources and negatively impacts both consumptive and non-consumptive wildlife users. This study explored deterrents to rule-breaking rooted in normative and traditional regulatory models, and evaluated factors influencing legitimacy of regulations by poachers. Hunters and anglers in North Carolina who had broken regulations (n = 60) were asked to rate the importance of poaching deterrents including sanctions (penalties issued for breaking rules), enforcement of regulations by wildlife officers, and normative...

Predicting North Carolina Landowner Participation and Interest in Wildlife Related Fee Access

Wildlife-related fee access can provide supplemental income to private landowners, potentially protecting wildlife habitat by keeping land undeveloped. We surveyed 1,368 private landowners in North Carolina to determine the factors influencing whether they leased land to hunters or were interested in offering leases for other types of wildlife related recreation. Five percent of landowners allowed access for fee hunting. Twenty-eight percent of landowners provided access to their property for wildlife related activities, but <1% of these landowners earned income from it. Ten and 16...

Understanding Angler and Hunter Annual Spending in North Carolina

Given the economic importance of fishing and hunting and the pervasive declines in these activities, it is essential that natural resource planners and managers understand factors influencing angler and hunter spending. We conducted a mail survey of a random sample (n = 844) of North Carolina fishing and hunting license holders. On average, anglers spent US$964 and hunters spent $1,437 annually. The model that best explained annual angler expenditures included gender, age, number of days spent fishing annually, total value of their equipment, income, whether someone in their household...

Hunting and Non-hunting College Student's Perceptions of Wildlife and Each Other

Hunting has shaped the history of wildlife conservation, but research exploring the relationship between hunting and conservation is new. A decline in the popularity of hunting has spurred research on hunting participation and recruitment, but less is known about how hunting influences societal negotiation of the appropriate roles for humans and wildlife. We addressed this need with a personally administered survey to 320 college students at North Carolina State University (NCSU). The survey sampled 17 courses in eight of the nine colleges at NCSU with 100% compliance rate. Hunters...

Animal Welfare-based Modification of the Rio Grande Wild Turkey Funnel Trap

The funnel trap has proven a safe (for handlers), efficient, low-manpower method of capturing Rio Grande turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia). Field biologists in Texas maintain that private ranchers accept this technique more readily than alternatives because it is passive and only requires one person. The impact of the technique on animal welfare, however, has not been addressed. In 2002, in the first year of an ongoing population ecology study, we trapped 46 turkeys using a standard walk in trap, and 40 more where a tarpaulin was slipped over the trap prior to removing birds. Using...

How Decision Makers View Wildlife Conservation Challenges in the Southeast United States

SEAFWA Journal Volume 8, March 2021

Effective wildlife management requires understanding conservation challenges as defined by stakeholders and developing strategic responses to them. Outlining these challenges is the first step in wildlife management decision making. Research has documented how wildlife conservation practitioners and the public prioritize conservation issues, but little is known about the perspectives of people making conservation decisions, exposing a critical blind spot in efforts to effectively manage wildlife. In this case study, we interviewed 19 directors and 29 board members of state wildlife...