Why Are Rivers Important? Ecosystem Service Definition Via Qualitative Research: A Southwestern Pilot Study M. Weber USEPA Other Partners: P. Ringold USEPA Sonoran Institute H. Thurston USEPA Arizona DEQ L. Norman USGS EPA Region 9 Nita Tallent-Halsell USDOI NPS Tumacacori NHP B. Labiosa USGS... 12/9/2010
Presentation Outline 1. Why the fuss about ecosystem service definition? 2. Background on ecosystem services of streams 3. How Qualitative Research can be applied 4. Background on the Santa Cruz River case study 5. Preliminary findings from resident interviews & next steps
What Are Ecosystem Services? More relevant but hard to describe to one s spouse Numerous definitions, share Human Health & Well-Being goal How are ESs different from the same old thing? Source: Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005 Can we gain some grounding by actually talking with people? Source: P. Ringold, after J. Boyd
What Are Ecosystem Services? Source: P. Ringold, after J. Boyd Intermediate Ecosystem Services vs. Final Ecosystem Services Intermediate Ecosystem Services absolutely still important
What Are Ecosystem Services of Streams? EPA 2009 Workshop Indicators of Final Ecosystem Services of Streams Working hypothesis developed for stream user groups Relevance for EPA National Monitoring Attended by 25 social and natural scientists Funded by USEPA, Corvallis, OR Organizers: P. Ringold, J. Boyd, D. Landers, M. Weber
What Are Ecosystem Services of Streams? EPA 2009 Workshop Working Hypothesis http://www.epa.gov/nheerl/arm/streameco/index. html (structure below) User Group Quantity Quality Recreation Non-User 27 beneficiary categories, 16 col., 432 cells total What is important to measure at a stream site? Is there some way to test the working hypothesis?
What is Qualitative Research? A formal way of actually talking with people Several disciplines, e.g Grounded Theory, & numerous journals Vetted interview and focus-group protocols Find out what people care about also why Idea and hypothesis-generating. Surprises expected. Can explore cognition, contextual factors NOT quantitative Under-represented in valuation research
Human Subjects Strategy Phase 1: Sample of convenience 22 interviews in November, 2010: 12 neighborhood contacts; 10 orgs. n = 22 Over 70% of those contacted agreed to be interviewed No incentives, no Spanish translation
What is The Santa Cruz River? 4 3 2 1 Map Key # = Photo Location = River Channel (flows north) = Wastewater Treatment Plant Maps courtesy of Google US Mexico
1 2 Tumacacori, AZ North of Amado, AZ 3 4 Near W. St. Mary s Rd., Tucson, AZ Near W. El Camino del Cerro, Tucson, AZ
How did it go? General - Recruiting is time-intensive, but 70%+ ultimately agreed If unfamiliar: difficulty with the task. Photos helped. If familiar: difficulty imagining something different. Difficulty abstracting from tradeoffs, so asked for wish list. Teasing out the obvious, but preferences varied. Pragmatic channel focus misses important things: Beyond Active Channel Beyond Natural Factors Ecological vs. Anthropogenic Context vs. Specifics
What did they say? Ecological Context - Desire for natural Importance of reference state Environmental ethics health of the land, not the people so much Precautionary principle Really a foolish thing to let them [species] go if we don t even understand the benefits they give us Deference to scientists That s why I love science they can evaluate those things and decide what is the most responsible Desire for self-sustaining system
What did they say? Ecological Specifics - Water Quantity for water supply; recharge; floods Water Quality for safe water supply Water presence/absence, for esthetics Vegetation: lush ; green ; huge trees ; dense Animals: birds ; fish ; lizards
What did they say? Anthropogenic Context - Human connections, history, community It actually matters to me that other people feel connected to their river The way we ve killed the river has had an enormous impact right down to Tucson s identity Non-use value for others use value. Concern for downstream. Aquifer recharge: volume stored and safe quality Hard to extract preferences from tradeoffs, known & unknown You are asking me to play God. I don t have all the answers I Don t know enough to know Photo: Sonoran Institute
What did they say? Anthropogenic Specifics - Personal Safety (other people; channelized banks) Chemical/Biological Safety (drinking, contact recreation) Lack of garbage, graffiti Natural banks, not channelized Accessibility (pro and con) Sound, Odor
So now what? Prepare for Phase 2: Focus-Groups, incentives, translation Integrate with EPA stream monitoring (see Ringold et al., ACES 2010) Compare with definitions of FES of streams in the literature (see Beadles et al., ACES 2010) Proceed to Phase 3: Pre-test & Survey Integrate with Santa Cruz Watershed Ecosystem Portfolio Model (see Norman et al., ACES 2010) Tribal study potential Planning parallel qualitative study in the Willamette Valley
Thanks (541) 754-4315 weber.matthew@epa.gov West Branch of the Santa Cruz River 1904 and 1981 Photos by NOAA
What Are Ecosystem Services of Streams? Variety in goods (see Beadles et al. ACES 2010) EPA National Monitoring grapples with this Meta-analyses grapple with this Johnston et al. 2005, Canadian Journal of Ag Econ van Houtven et al. 2007, Energy & Resource Econ EPA Regulatory Impact Analyses grapple with this Researchers struggle with this
Interview Script Outline Confidentiality terms, verify consent Warm-up, trust building Any questions before we begin? Would you say you are familiar with rivers and streams around here or unfamiliar? Is there anything important to you about rivers & streams in S. AZ.? o Follow-up, probe questions Is there anything important to you about the Santa Cruz River? o Follow-up, probe questions. Show & explain photos. What would you change about the Santa Cruz River, if you could? Is there anything else you d like to add?
Human Subjects Strategy Phase 2: Recruit average residents, broad sociodemographics, incentives & translation 10 Focus Groups in Spring 2011: 8 in Tucson; 1 in Tubac; 1 in Rio Rico. n ~70
Human Subjects Strategy Phase 3: Choice Experiment Development Pre-testing interviews n = 16 OMB Control # 2090-0028; Human Subjects exemption C10-013CS Survey deployment n undetermined
What is The Santa Cruz River? The primary drainage for a multi-national watershed Study unit for an Ecosystem-Portfolio-Model, led by USGS Formerly many reaches perennial, now ephemeral or effluent-dominated in the U.S. Two reaches designated as Navigable Historically significant for human settlement 1942 1989 Photos: Bob Webb, USGS