Landowners' cognitions and motivations coupled with practice durability influence persistence in grazing agricultural conservation practices in southwest Virginia
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Abstract
Agricultural conservation practices are often used to protect stream health while continuing food production. However, recovery of stream health is often not as rapid or extensive as planned. The efficacy of practices may be improved by promoting their continued use by landowners (i.e., persistence) after cost-share contracts with government agencies end. Persistence rates and their drivers are typically unknown. Therefore, we mail-surveyed 889 landowners to understand persistence in grazing practices in southwest Virginia. Survey responses were analyzed quantitatively using logistic regression and qualitatively via coding. We found that persistence rates for vegetative practices, cattle-exclusion fencing, off-stream watering structures, and pasture management were 74%, 84%, 94%, and 94%, respectively. Both the quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that landowner cognitions (i.e., attitudes toward practices, environment, and agencies), environmental motivations, and practice durability influence persistence. Our results highlight that persistence could be encouraged by: (1) providing targeted messaging that demonstrates persistence benefits and aligns with landowners' motivations, (2) ensuring that responsibility to maintain practices is transferred during land-tenure changes, and (3) allocating more agency funding to practice maintenance.
Suggested Citation
Mouser, J.B., Dayer, A.A., Ciparis, S., Bottenfield, S., Angermeier, P., 2025, Landowners' cognitions and motivations coupled with practice durability influence persistence in grazing agricultural conservation practices in southwest Virginia: Conservation Science and Practice, e70201, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70201.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Landowners' cognitions and motivations coupled with practice durability influence persistence in grazing agricultural conservation practices in southwest Virginia |
| Series title | Conservation Science and Practice |
| DOI | 10.1111/csp2.70201 |
| Edition | Online First |
| Publication Date | December 29, 2025 |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Society for Conservation Biology |
| Contributing office(s) | Coop Res Unit Leetown |
| Description | e70201, 15 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| Other Geospatial | southwest Virginia |