Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Associate Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, University of Montana
I am a social scientist in the broad field of human dimensions of natural resources. I apply theories and methods from a variety of psychology- and sociology-related disciplines to understand and address natural resource issues while also advancing theory. I use qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, including spatial (GIS) techniques, to understand relationships between humans and the environment, and the consequences of conservation behaviors across scales. I am particularly interested in using theories of social-ecological system dynamics to inform management toward desired outcomes; understanding the factors which drive individuals' conservation decisions and behaviors (including cross-boundary and collective action realities of many natural resources); improving the use and measurement of attitudes, beliefs, and values to inform agency and NGO decisions; and helping ensure people and communities are fairly and meaningfully engaged in natural resource decisions. I orient my research toward a variety of natural resource contexts and issues, including private land conservation, wildfire policy and management, invasive species control, and human-wildlife interactions.
Experience
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2021–presentAssociate Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, University of Montana
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2018–2021Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, University of Montana
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2013–2018Research Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, University of Montana
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2012–2012Adjunct Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, University of Montana
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2010–2012Postdoctoral Scholar, Penn State University
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2008–2011Adjunct Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Juniata College
Education
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2010Penn State University, Ph.D., Forest Resources & Human Dimensions of Natural Resources & the Environment
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2006Penn State University, M.S., Forest Resources
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2001Juniata College, B.S., Environmental Science
Publications
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2021Journal of Wildlife Management, Collective factors reinforce individual contributions to human-wildlife coexistence
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2020Rangeland Ecology and Management, Western rancher perspectives on social-ecological services provided by flood irrigation
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2020Environmental Research Letters, Integrated spatial analysis for human-wildlife coexistence
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2020Frontiers in Psychology, ). Improving healthy and sustainable decision-making: Psychological science meets ecological conservation
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2019Nature Sustainability, Wildfire in the west: Learning to live in increasingly fire-prone landscapes.
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2019Human Dimensions of Wildlife, Improving non-hunters’ attitudes toward hunting
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2019Ecology & Society, Collective factors drive individual invasive species control behaviors: Evidence from private lands in Montana, USA.
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2019BioScience, The value in resilience: Integrating subjective and objective dimensions of resilience in fire-prone landscapes.
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2019Nature Plants, Addressing weed management social dilemmas: A novel approach to bridge individual & collective interests.
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2019Conservation Biology, Opportunities for better use of collective action theory in research and governance for invasive species management.
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2019Social Marketing Quarterly, More “bank” for the buck: Microtargeting and normative appeals to increase social marketing efficiency.
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2019Environmental Research Letters, The American West as a social-ecological region: Drivers, dynamics, and implications for nested social-ecological systems
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2019Society and Natural Resources, Engaging landowners in the conservation conversation through landowner-listening workshops.
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2019Conservation Biology, Microtargeting for conservation.
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2018PLoS ONE, How does nature exposure make people healthier?: Experimental and non-experimental evidence for the role of impulsivity.
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2018Journal of Forestry, Procurement contracting and forest communities: Factors affecting local business utilization in the inland Northwest.
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2018Society and Natural Resources, Public engagement in social-ecological systems management: An application of social justice theory.
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2017Human Dimensions of Wildlife, Managing public wildlife on private lands: Reciprocity, species status, and stakeholders’ normative beliefs.
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2016Society and Natural Resources, Making decisions about forestland succession: Perspectives from Pennsylvania’s private forest landowners.
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2016Rangeland Ecology and Management, Conserving the Greater Sage-grouse: A social-ecological systems case study from the California-Nevada region.
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2016Forest Science, Evaluation of National Woodland Owner Survey estimators of private forest area and landowners: A case study of Montana.
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2016Journal of Forestry, Segmentation to focus outreach: Behavioral intentions of private forest landowners in Pennsylvania.
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2014Journal of Forestry, Progress in private forest landowner estimation
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2012Journal of Forestry, Private forest landowners: Estimating population parameters
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2011Society and Natural Resources, What do stakeholders add to identification of conservation lands?
Grants and Contracts
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2021The (emotional) tragedies of environmental conflict: A rural risk and well-being assessment in two acts
- Role:
- Senior Personnel
- Funding Source:
- Idaho NSF EPSCoR GEM3
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2019Increasing homeowner participation in wildfire risk assessments
- Role:
- Principle Investigator
- Funding Source:
- USDA FS Rocky Mountain Research Station
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2019Human dimensions of grizzly bear management
- Role:
- Principle Investigator
- Funding Source:
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
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2019Resilience informatics for the convergence of critical capacities to address regional-scale environmental change
- Role:
- Senior Personnel
- Funding Source:
- National Science Foundation
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2018Agricultural behavior change for conservation: A watershed-wide approach
- Role:
- Principle Investigator
- Funding Source:
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
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2018Effects of changes in travel management and hunter access on elk distributions in the northern Sapphire Mountains, MT
- Role:
- Principle Investigator
- Funding Source:
- MPG Ranch, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
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2018Co-production of management alternatives to promote social-ecological resilience in fire-prone landscapes
- Role:
- Principle Investigator
- Funding Source:
- Joint Fire Science Program & Aldo Leopold Wilderness Institute
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2017Human dimensions of working wet meadow conservation
- Role:
- Co-PI
- Funding Source:
- Intermountain West Joint Venture
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2016Identifying ecological and social resilience in fire-prone landscapes
- Role:
- Co-PI
- Funding Source:
- Joint Fire Science Program
Professional Memberships
- International Association for Society and Natural Resources
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Society for Conservation Biology
- American Association of Geographers
- Missoula, Montana, U.S.
- Website
- @metcalf_lab
- Article Feed
- alex.metcalf@umontana.edu
- ORCID
- Joined
