Berry Meredith S, Nickerson Norma P, Metcalf Elizabeth Covelli
Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
Wildl Soc Bull. 2016 Sep;40(3):554-563. doi: 10.1002/wsb.687. Epub 2016 Sep 21.
Public opinion can be an influential factor in wildlife management decisions. Evaluating public opinions can help legitimize, or delegitimize, management and facilitate long-term conservation goals. This is especially true for the controversial issues surrounding the management of predators. We surveyed Montana, USA, residents during summer of 2013 to measure public opinion regarding economic and ecological impacts of the gray wolf (), and current management of this species. Although opinions were polarized in some areas, a greater percentage of Montanans think that wolves negatively affect the economy, but impact tourism (which contributes to the economy) positively. These differences may reflect the belief that rancher economic losses from wolf predation of cattle is greater than overall tourism gains related to wolves (e.g., wolf-watching), in addition to the perception of wolves negatively affecting big game (e.g., elk []). Results also show that a slightly greater percentage of Montanans feel that wolves positively rather than negatively affect the ecosystem. Regarding specific practices, more Montanans than not have a positive opinion of maintaining wolves on the landscape and also support hunting of wolves. More Montanans hold negative rather than positive opinions, however, regarding wolf trapping. This result was most evident in western Montana as assessed by a spatial distribution of opinions by county and has implications for current wolf management and nontarget species. Results of ordinal regression analyses revealed that big game hunters, males, and those who held negative opinions of the effect of wolves on the Montana ecosystem and economy were significantly more likely to support both hunting and trapping practices. Living in western Montana predicted positive opinions of hunting, but alternatively, negative opinions of trapping. These results provide an understanding of public opinion of wolf management by county as well as statistical inferences that can be useful for informing more regionally oriented management practices.
公众舆论可能是野生动物管理决策中的一个影响因素。评估公众舆论有助于使管理合法化或非法化，并促进长期保护目标的实现。这在围绕食肉动物管理的争议性问题上尤为如此。2013年夏季，我们对美国蒙大拿州的居民进行了调查，以衡量公众对灰狼的经济和生态影响以及该物种当前管理的看法。尽管在某些方面意见存在两极分化，但更多的蒙大拿人认为狼对经济有负面影响，但对旅游业（对经济有贡献）有积极影响。这些差异可能反映出这样一种信念，即狼捕食牛给牧场主造成的经济损失大于与狼相关的总体旅游收益（例如观狼），此外还反映出人们认为狼对大型猎物（例如麋鹿）有负面影响。结果还表明，略多一些的蒙大拿人认为狼对生态系统有积极而非消极影响。关于具体做法，更多的蒙大拿人对在当地保留狼持积极看法，也支持猎狼。然而，更多的蒙大拿人对诱捕狼持负面而非正面看法。根据各县意见的空间分布评估，这一结果在蒙大拿州西部最为明显，并且对当前的狼管理和非目标物种有影响。有序回归分析结果显示，大型猎物猎人、男性以及那些对狼对蒙大拿州生态系统和经济的影响持负面看法的人更有可能支持狩猎和诱捕做法。居住在蒙大拿州西部预示着对狩猎持积极看法，但对诱捕持负面看法。这些结果有助于了解各县对狼管理的公众舆论，以及可用于为更具区域导向性的管理做法提供信息的统计推断。
