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Disseminating research in wildlife management is challenging. This study explores how framing four information texts influenced Swedish crop farmers’ (n = 1,182) perceived ability to cope with wild geese, and their behavioral intentions to implement goose damage prevention strategies. A digital survey, based on a before–after randomized controlled trial, evaluated the impact of message framing with content representing varying psychological distance at a social (farmer vs. management authorities) and spatial (farmer’s field vs. landscape) dimension. Introducing management authorities as active partners increased farmers´ intentions to undertake adaptation measures and scaring tactics among farmers with less experience with geese. Meanwhile, farmers with higher levels of experience showed a greater willingness to undertake hunting interventions. The findings suggested that social support is important to increase farmers’ ability to cope. Future evaluations should explore collaborative communication strategies between researchers and wildlife management.

Events in sports and culture may not seem to align with environmental sustainability goals given the consumption and travel associated with them. Since events are important to many people, however, there is potential in utilizing events as part of environmental strivings. Drawing on research of events and environmental psychology, an experimental study was conducted at a major orienteering event in Sweden to study event’s potential in encouraging environmentally sustainable lifestyles. The impact of an environmental message on beliefs about the environmental ambition of the event and pro-environmental behaviors was examined among participants (n = 296), as were relationships between pro-environmental behavior at home and at the event via different psychological processes. The participants who received the environmental message considered the environmental ambition of the organizer to be higher than those receiving a control message, but there was no effect of the message on pro-environmental behaviors at the event. Moreover, pro-environmental behavior at home and at the event were significantly correlated, and environmental self-identity, environmental salience in orienteering, and event self-efficacy were mediators (Adj R2 =.25). The study draws attention to the interactions between participants and event context in order for pro-environmental behaviors to be realized at events. Possibilities and challenges associated with facilitating pro-environmental actions in an event context, but also using events as arenas for change, are discussed.

Compensation is a common strategy to alleviate financial losses caused by wildlife, but its effects on farmers' tolerance towards damage to crops caused by wildlife are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews in three areas in and around biosphere reserves in Sweden and Germany to examine farmers' appraisals of wildlife-related crop damage and their evaluation of financial compensation in relation to crop damage prevention measures. We found that tolerated yield loss was higher and more variable with compensation compared to a scenario without compensation. Yet, also under a scenario of full financial compensation, farmers tolerated a median of less than 10% yield loss. Using an environmental stress model, our analysis revealed that farmers' perception of crop damage risk was influenced by their experience with wildlife and crop damage, their coping appraisals (e.g. accessibility of prevention measures and compensation), and individual motivations. Our results indicate that while compensation can be effective, its success to increase tolerance to crop damage varies most likely based on farmers' values and how they perceive administrative challenges. Effective management of wildlife-related crop damage near and within protected areas should thus combine compensation schemes with tailored communication and crop damage prevention strategies involving governmental authorities, farmers, and other stakeholders.

Due to the increased risk of forest damage associated with climate change, forest management needs to be diversified. To encourage a transition towards a diversified forest, facilitating and hindering factors need to be understood. This study uses a novel approach to study how place dynamics and psychological factors promoting a change are associated with change intentions among private forest owners—a group with a significant role in management transitions. The goal intention to change tree species composition and three behavioral intentions to increase the share of broadleaves were examined using a survey of a randomly selected sample of private forest owners in Sweden (N = 1793). Results revealed that intentions to increase broadleaves through natural regeneration were stronger than the intention to adopt improved silver birch, supporting a higher potential in changes more aligned with current practices. Physical, social, and relational dimensions of place were separately and interactively associated with change intentions. For example, owners in the south region, with a greater information flow and a higher trust in forest actors, displayed a stronger intention to adopt improved birch, and trust was more important among non-certified compared to certified owners. Damage risk perceptions and psychological drivers (e.g., goal feasibility) were associated with change intentions. In addition, results confirmed the role of experience, cognitions, and emotions associated with improved birch for the intention to adopt the species. This interdisciplinary approach draws attention to the dynamics in the owners' decision context and decision-making to understand the unfolding of forest management transitions.

A transition toward climate adapted forest management requires an understanding of change processes. To uncover social influence in forest owners’ networks, this study examined the acquisition of information about alternative management methods (e.g., no clear-cuts) alongside how social interactions and beliefs are associated with subjective knowledge, normative beliefs, and willingness to adopt these methods. A survey was conducted in a random sample of Swedish private forest owners (n = 1763). Results revealed that the owners received little information about these methods. Receiving more information from personal, external and some professional forestry sources was associated with higher subjective knowledge. Whereas receiving more information from private companies was negatively associated with in particular normative beliefs, more information from, for example the government and external sources, was positively correlated with normative beliefs and willingness. The study recognizes the role of informational and normative influence, but also the owners’ beliefs, for a management transition.

Due to the increased risk of forest damage associated with climate change, diversifying management by also using alternative management methods such as clearcut free forestry is a way to adapt the forest to climate change. Since individual private forest owners making management decisions on their land is a significant owner category in many countries, it is important to understand factors important for their decisions. The aim of the present study is to examine the importance of a dynamic norm outlining a rise in the use of alternative management for owners’ interest in this management via two routes: personal norm and perceived feasibility. Interest was examined in terms of the extent to which the owners believed that their management goals would be fulfilled by using alternative management, i.e., goal-related beliefs, and the intention to adopt alternative management. A survey of a random sample of forest owners in Sweden (n = 1763) was conducted. Results revealed that dynamic norm was significantly associated with goal-related beliefs and intention, but also that perceived feasibility and personal norm were partial mediators, explaining 53 % of the variance in goal-related beliefs and 36 % in intention, respectively. Also adding forest beliefs and control variables increased the explained variance, but the original effects remained significant. The study suggests that a dynamic norm reflecting a rise in the use of alternative management methods may encourage adaptation by highlighting what may be appropriate management in the future (via norm internalization) and by demonstrating the feasibility of the strategy (via social modeling).

Civil society is often depicted as playing a central role in the transition to a more environmentally sustainable society, for example by contributing to more fair and efficient environmental governance. Evidence for such claims is though limited and has not considered the full variety of motives in civic participation. In this paper, the often over optimistic assumptions about the possibility of civil society to generate environmental cooperation within the public is questioned. By studying attitudes toward environmental policies across members of sport and outdoor organizations, results show that membership is associated with both higher and lower policy support, depending on type of policy. It is furthermore shown that membership simultaneously is linked to policy support through its association with trust and reciprocity in civil society. The results indicate that any efforts to involve civil society in environmental governance carefully must consider the specific motives and circumstances of each organization.

Adaptive management (AM) is one approach to manage migratory waterbirds, but obstacles to the implementation of AM require adaptive capacities in the management system (rules, institutions, action situations). This study aims to examine the adaptive capacity of participatory goose management in Sweden. Considering the biophysical and institutional context, we analyzed how tangible, individual, and governance assets were associated with technical and social learning. Interviews with informants in the national council for geese, swans, and cranes, and local management groups (LMGs) were conducted, and documentation reviewed. Results revealed evidence of a local preparedness in areas with an LMG. Nevertheless, the study highlighted a need to formalize the evolving system, to consider a more systematic implementation of AM (including regulations allowing for adaptive responses), and to ensure stakeholder acceptance for management tools and visions. The study illustrates the need for a broad set of assets to ensure learning in participatory management.

Introduction: Sport and outdoor activities have benefits on people’s health and well-being but may also increase the frequency of unsustainable behaviors. The present study explores drivers of travel mode choice and consumption of material (clothes and equipment) associated with physical activity to clarify the extent to which an active and sustainable lifestyle is compatible. The role of identity and varying levels of internalized motivation for pro-environmental behaviors (autonomous and controlled environmental motivation) and engagement in physical activity (autonomous and controlled activity motivation) was examined. In addition, socio-demographic, physical context, and life situation correlates of environmentally significant behaviors associated with physical activity were analyzed.

Methods: A survey of a random sample of the general public in Sweden (n = 1013) was conducted.

Results: After controlling for hours of physical activity, the study showed that environmental self-identity was related to a lower likelihood of using the car alone via autonomous environmental motivation and to a higher likelihood of buying and selling used material via controlled environmental motivation. Physical activity drivers displayed diverse impacts on environmentally significant behaviors, e.g., athlete identity was associated with a higher likelihood of using the car alone and buying new material, but also selling used material. Being a member of a sport or outdoor organization was related to a higher likelihood of using the car alone and buying new material, but also using active travel modes as well as buying and selling used material.

Discussion: With a better understanding of the drivers of environmentally significant behaviors in this domain, strategies to encourage sustainable transport and circular flows of material in sports and outdoors can be outlined.

Understanding wildlife stakeholders is vital in mitigating the risk for inertia in the implementation of management and illegal activities, e.g., poaching. We used a unique set of questionnaire data of stakeholders in Sweden (n = 8728) comprising birdwatchers, hunters, farmers, and the general public, to analyze evaluations of geese, beliefs about goose management at multiple levels, and acceptance of management tools. Also, a hierarchical model incorporating prior wildlife experience and integrating cognitions and emotions for acceptance was tested. The overall attitude towards geese was positive, but ecosystem disservices caused by large populations were acknowledged. The general public and birdwatchers displayed trust in the national, regional, and local levels. In contrast, farmers and hunters trusted mainly the local level. Broad stakeholder acceptance was found for several non-lethal tools for damage reduction and more generally a goose conservation approach including e.g., hunting free zones, but also for hunting during open hunting season. We found support for the proposed model in relation to acceptance of both the conservation and the lethal approach, thereby advancing theory integration. Results suggest that while goose conservation is widely accepted, problems caused by geese and distrust in the higher management levels among some stakeholder groups need to be addressed.