Publication Date
5-2025
Date of Final Oral Examination (Defense)
3-5-2025
Type of Culminating Activity
Dissertation
Degree Title
Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
Department
Biological Sciences
Supervisory Committee Chair
Kelly A. Hopping, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Morey Burnham, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Rebecca L. Som Castellano, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Matthew A. Williamson, Ph.D.
Abstract
This dissertation examines the intersection of local values, social-ecological change, and land management within rural multifunctional landscapes. It does so through two case studies in Idaho using a place-based approach that considers landscapes and communities as multifaceted spaces—biophysical, ecological, cultural, and symbolic—where material and social practices and processes are embedded. The first study investigates public values and attitudes toward sagebrush steppe and its governance, using a mixed-methods approach that includes semi-structured interviews, Q-methodology, and a statewide survey. It highlights the diverse values people hold for the landscape and the challenges of implementing management strategies in a context of regional variation in attitudes. Key findings include the importance of institutional fit, the influence of socio-political and geographic factors on environmental opinions, and shared values and desire to protect sagebrush steppe across ideological divides.
The second study explores how socioeconomic changes impact rural communities, focusing on the role of place meanings in shaping local responses to these shifts. Using interviews, participatory mapping, and content analysis of county plans across three counties, it finds that multiple place meanings—such as those tied to agriculture, recreation, and aesthetics—are central to community identity but are perceived as being under threat from pressures such as development and recreation. Despite these challenges, most participants envision a more multifunctional future that balances a multitude of production, consumption, and protection-oriented place meanings in their counties. Thus, this case study underscores the need for land-use decisions that consider not only what place meanings community members hold, but also where those meanings are tied to the landscape.
Through this dissertation, the theory and practice of people-place relationships are advanced in three ways: (1) by extending the concepts of landscape values and regional place meanings to new contexts, specifically the multifunctional sagebrush steppe ecosystem and rural Western communities, (2) by offering new insights into values elicitation methods and spatially explicit approaches for capturing people's relationships to landscapes, land management preferences, and place meanings, and (3) by highlighting the importance of incorporating local values and place meanings in decision-making processes, and revealing opportunities for improved communication and collaboration in addressing complex community and landscape challenges. Ultimately, this research demonstrates the value of participatory, place-based approaches for understanding of how human-place relationships influence land-use decisions and offers insights that can inform policymakers and land managers navigating the complex challenge of balancing ecological, social, and economic priorities.
DOI
10.18122/td.2374.boisestate
Recommended Citation
Netherton-Morrison, Haley K., "Place-Based Perspectives Enrich Understanding of Multifunctional Landscapes" (2025). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 2374.
10.18122/td.2374.boisestate