Values and attitudes toward canada geese (branta canadensis) and population management on the university of manitoba fort garry campus

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Date
2024-09-24
Authors
Mulhall, Frances
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Abstract
Canada geese populations have increased across North America and have now been declared overabundant in some jurisdictions. Human-geese conflicts may rise, making a case to better understand peoples’ views toward this highly adaptable species. This study’s goal was to gain a better understanding of a university campus community’s values and attitudes as well as acceptance of lethal management techniques toward Canada geese found on the campus. A self-administered online questionnaire, using a modified Tailored Design Method was applied to University of Manitoba students, staff and faculty. Findings showed a significant difference between campus users in both general wildlife and Canada geese value orientations. General wildlife value orientations predicted Canada geese value orientations, while Canada geese value orientations significantly predicted acceptance of lethal population management options. Using the Potential for Conflict Index 2 demonstrated that as the severity of conflict scenarios increased, the level of consensus about lethal management decreased and varied among users. All lethal management options were rejected in favour of public education. This study showed how human dimensions can help management authorities better understand interest groups that may have a relationship with wildlife species. In this case, it also confirmed support for increased public education to minimize human-geese conflicts on campus.
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Keywords
Canada geese, Human dimensions, Potenial for Conflict Index, Cognitive heirarchy
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