Perceptions of Wood in Rivers and Challenges for Stream Restoration in the United States |
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Authors: | Anne Chin Melinda D Daniels Michael A Urban Hervé Piégay Kenneth J Gregory Wendy Bigler Anya Z Butt Judith L Grable Stanley V Gregory Martin Lafrenz Laura R Laurencio Ellen Wohl |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Geography, College of Geosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA;(2) Department of Geography, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA;(3) Department of Geography, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA;(4) University of Lyon, CNRS-UMR 5600, Environnement, Ville, Societe, Site ENS-lsh, 15 Parvis René Descartes, 69007 Lyon Cedex 07, France;(5) Department of Geography, University of Southampton, Southampton, S017 1 BJ, United Kingdom;(6) Department of Geography and Environmental Resources, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA;(7) Department of Biology, Central College, Pella, Iowa 50219, USA;(8) Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia 31698, USA;(9) Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA;(10) Department of Geography, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon 97207, USA;(11) Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA;(12) Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA |
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Abstract: | This article reports a study of the public perception of large wood in rivers and streams in the United States. Large wood
is an element of freshwater aquatic ecosystems that has attracted much scientific interest in recent years because of its
value in biological and geomorphological processes. At the heart of the issue is the nature of the relationship between scientific
recognition of the ecological and geomorphological benefits of wood in rivers, management practices utilizing wood for river
remediation progress, and public perceptions of in-channel wood. Surveys of students’ perceptions of riverscapes with and
without large wood in the states of Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Oregon, and Texas suggest that
many individuals in the United States adhere to traditionally negative views of wood. Except for students in Oregon, most
respondents considered photographs of riverscapes with wood to be less aesthetically pleasing and needing more improvement
than rivers without wood. Analysis of reasons given for improvement needs suggest that Oregon students are concerned with
improving channels without wood for fauna habitat, whereas respondents elsewhere focused on the need for cleaning wood-rich
channels for flood risk management. These results underscore the importance of public education to increase awareness of the
geomorphological and ecological significance of wood in stream systems. This awareness should foster more positive attitudes
toward wood. An integrated program of research, education, and policy is advocated to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge
and public perception for effective management and restoration of river systems with wood. |
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Keywords: | Large wood Environmental perception Environmental management Environmental education River restoration |
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