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DISSERTATION LINKED LIVELIHOODS, LAND-USE, AND IDENTITIES ON TRANSITIONING LANDSCAPES IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO: A SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL STUDY Submitted by Jasmine Elizabeth Bruno Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Spring 2021 Doctoral Committee: Advisor: Maria E. Fernández-Giménez Meena M. Balgopal Paul J. Meiman Robin S. Reid Copyright by Jasmine Elizabeth Bruno 2021 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT LINKED LIVELIHOODS, LAND-USE, AND IDENTITIES ON TRANSITIONING LANDSCAPES IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO: A SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL STUDY Rangeland social-ecological systems in Northeastern (NE) Colorado are undergoing linked land-use, livelihood, and identity transitions. Land change is a spatially and temporally complex process in which land-use decisions cascade through interconnected social and ecological spheres, affecting both humans and the environment. While a wealth of empirical research on land cover changes exists, multiscale, multilevel research on the causes and consequences of linked social- ecological change remains limited. To avoid oversimplification and craft system-appropriate policies in rangeland systems, we require in-depth and process-based knowledge of the causes and consequences of change. Moreover, we must build upon and advance theory to support the role of contextual research in advancing sound practical applications and future inquiry in related systems. Thus, this dissertation applies a theoretically informed multi-method approach to examine the interrelationships among livestock shifting livelihoods, well-being, identities, and associated land change transitions inproducers’ two rangeland-dependent communities in NE Colorado. Social-ecological systems (SESs) theory serves as this dissertation's theoretical foundation, framing rangelands as systems in which humans are embedded within and affect ecosystems and vice versa. Within the broader SESs framing, this research advances existing livelihood and well- being theories and frameworks, a land change conceptual model, and identity theory. Moreover, the multi-method design acknowledges and addresses that knowledge from one method offers only a partial perspective of complex systems (i.e., the partiality of knowledge). This dissertation - method methodology facilitates the convergence of multiple perspectives to assemble a meaningful’s multi ii view of social-ecological change in rangeland systems. In so doing, it contributed to evolving social- ecological systems research methodologies. Chapter 1 introduces this dissertation, providing an overview of the research questions, theoretical frameworks, and my positionality. Chapter 2 presents a systematic map that characterizes the North American rangeland social science literature by 1) the research objectives and questions; 2) who was studied; 3) the study location; 4) the theories, methodologies, and methods; and 5) how these research characteristics have changed from 1970 to 2017. This evidence map found the need for more North American research that 1) is informed by social theory, 2) applies a diversity of methods, 3) considers a broader diversity of stakeholders, and 4) draws from multiple social science disciplinary traditions. The subsequent studies address these identified research needs. As rangeland-based livestock systems experience social and ecological change, producers make increasingly complex livelihood decisions for improved or sustained well-being. Understanding these decisions requires more holistic frameworks that capture livelihood decision- making pathways and associated human well-being outcomes so that support systems reflect producers' needs. Using a modified grounded theory approach based on 32 livestock producer interviews, Chapter 3 introduces the empirical foundation for an integrated, place-based livelihood and well-being framework with the potential to address these gaps in the theory and practice of rangeland sustainability. The results show that producers vary in access to cultural and political factors and emphasize diversification (adding ranch-based enterprises), extensification (purchasing or leasing more land or livestock), and contraction (selling land or livestock) as livelihood strategies. We propose that scholars and practitioners apply the resulting integrated framework to conceptualize social-ecological-emotional livestock systems in Colorado and the US more broadly. iii Chapter 4 applies a multi-method approach combining remote sensing and qualitative interviews to examine the causes and consequences of land-use change in two agricultural communities in northeastern Colorado. This research found that both study sites experienced a decline in planted or cultivated land cover (i.e., approximately >20% of the vegetation is annual crops or pasture/hay) from 1984-2019, with 16.0% and 18.7% of each study site total land areas transitioning out of cultivated cover. Most of the cultivated land transitioned to ’s herbaceous/grassland cover (i.e., approximately >80% of the vegetation is non-intensively managed graminoid or herbaceous), with 10.3% and 18.4% of each study site's total land area transitioning to herbaceous/grassland cover from 1984-2019. This chapter identified the significant role of policies specifically an open space conservation program in one community and the Conservation Reserve –Program in the other in driving the trends of decreased cultivated land and increased herbaceous cover. Participants also– emphasized how shifting perceptions of agriculture affect their land-use decisions. Chapter 5 examines how social-ecological change affects individuals, exploring livestock keepers' conceptualization of their occupational identities and the associated gender divisions in the context of rapidly changing North American rangeland systems. Analysis of participant interviews revealed that, while history often presents farmers and ranchers as distinct and conflicting identities, participants related their increasingly plural roles (including dual farmer- rancher roles) with the need to diversify their operations to preserve their way of life. Participants emphasized the significance of land and livestock to both their agricultural identities and financial well-being. These findings capture that while most participants perceived positive shifts towards greater acceptance of women in agriculture, women did not always receive public acknowledgment of their roles as farmers or ranchers. As livestock keepers restructure their identities in response to social-ecological change, opportunities open to support the increased inclusion of diverse identities in agricultural spaces. iv This dissertation examines social-ecological change in NE Colorado through multiple theoretical lenses and methodological approaches, shedding light on the causes and consequences of social-ecological change in NE Colorado's rangeland communities. The findings illuminate the complexity of change, highlighting the need to avoid oversimplification in crafting policies and programs to support rangeland managers. Given some producers' concerns about impending system transformations, I recommend that future work engage these rangeland stakeholders to co- produce pathways to deliberate transformations for rangeland social-ecological systems. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation was made possible by the countless times my community lifted me up. To my advisor, Maria Fernández-Giménez, thank you for the opportunity and motivation to think deeply. My vague ideas and inquiries were always met with a reading that invoked clarity and depth. You are a true scholar. Thank you to the members of my committee for welcoming me. Meena Balgopal, you welcomed me into your lab when I was searching. You trained me in qualitative research with no perquisites and no judgment. Robin Reid, thank you for a seat at the Center for Collaborative Conservation. It was a place of daily encouragement and a network of people dedicated to positive change. Paul Meiman, I am lucky to have been one of the many students that you helped see that secondary producer isn't quite right. There isn't a hierarchy; herbivores are part of complex, interconnected rangeland systems. This dissertation was undoubtedly a team effort. Thank you to the entire author team that dreamt up and worked on Chapter 2. A special thanks to Chantsaa Jamsranjav for spending an entire summer reading hundreds of papers with me and for being my first friend in my Ph.D. For Chapter 3, I have a village of women farmers in Ethiopia to thank for helping me realize that livelihoods are deeply rooted in place and Cara Steger for multiple thoughtful reviews. Since I struggled to load a shapefile when I started this journey, Chapter 4 would not have been possible without Steve Leisz, Jake Bobula, and Sarah Carroll. To Steve, Jake, and Sarah, thank you for teaching me everything I know about geospatial information systems and data and for answering a million questions each. Meena, thank you for giving me the space to ramble on about what I found interesting in my initial exploratory interviews and helping me hone the central question of Chapter 5. vi A special thanks to Rina Hauptfeld and Dani L. Hunter for reading my work and maneuvering graduate school challenges with me. Through the years, my office and hallmates Tomas Pickering, Kevin Jablonski, Sara Carroll, Ryan Schroeder, and Alex Stoneburner have – offered camaraderie and humor. I am also