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- Info
Connecting local environmental knowledge and land use practices: A human ecosystem approach to urbanization in West Georgia
| Author: |
McDaniel, J.; Alley, K. |
| Date: |
2005 |
| Periodical: |
Urban Ecosystems |
| Link: |
http://www.springerlink.com/content/r8711208n52h57v1/
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| Abstract: |
As forests and the communities that live and work in them are transformed through urbanization, environmental knowledge and awareness of the impacts of land use practices on the local environment is reduced. The primary focus of this paper was to identify those factors which have a significant impact on the level of environmental knowledge possessed by landowners in rural, urban, and developing watersheds in western Georgia. Factors such as gender, education, income, and participation in outdoor activities were examined. Residents of managed riparian watersheds and/or those who participated regularly in outdoor recreation activities were found to possess the highest degree of environmental knowledge, in contrast to those residing in urban watershed areas. These results suggest that the level of environmental knowledge is more closely aligned with variables that indicate an individualsÂ’ exposure to the natural world rather then their level of education or socioeconomic status. Consequently, environmental awareness may be best promoted in urban areas by promoting opportunities for outdoor recreation and maintaining adequate amounts of green space. |
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