Human Dimensions
of
Natural Resource
Management
Do we need to
manage natural resources?
...no area on earth can be regarded
as truly “natural.”
IUCN
HDNRM is a balancing act
between use(s) and integrity
of a natural resource
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
HDNRM is a balancing act
between use(s) and integrity
of a natural resource
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
Big Questions in HDNRM
WHY
do we manage natural resources?
...and...
HOW
do we manage natural resources?
What is HDNRM?
...the application of social science
theory and methods to help
understand the cultural, sociological,
psychological, economic, biological,
and physical aspects of natural
resource management and
environmental problem solving.
Fulton, Nelson, Anderson, Lime
What is HDNRM?
...an area of investigation which attempts to
describe, predict, understand and affect human
thought and action toward natural
environments and to acquire such
understanding for the primary purpose of
improving stewardship of natural resources.
Human dimensions research builds on concepts
and theories from several disciplines including
sociology, psychology, economics,
anthropology, geography, political science,
marketing, and education.
University of Delaware Sea Grant
The domains of HDNRM
Ecosystemic
Economic
Political
Sociopsychological
HDNRM is a balancing act
between use(s) and integrity
of a natural resource
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
Ecocentric view
of natural resources
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
Anthropocentric view
of natural resources
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
Resource Conflict


Conflict is when the behavior of an
individual or group interferes with
the goals of another individual or
group
Goal may be tangible (e.g. market
valuation) or intangible (e.g. desired
experience)
Resource use conflicts



Complementary
Competitive
Supplementary









Outdoor recreation
Wilderness
Wildlife and fish habitat
Range
Timber
Watershed
Human and community
development
Oil, gas and minerals
Cultural resources
Dual mandate of HDNRM


Providing a quality user experience
Protecting the quality of the
environment and/or resource base
Use(s)
Integrity
Management
Goal of HDNRM is balancing
acceptable use with protection
of the dependent natural
resources
What is a Resource?
Resources are productive functions
and operations performed by tangible
substances when used to satisfy a
given end or defined want. Resources
explicitly require objectives and
planning agents (managers).
Key factors of natural resources
Key factors of natural resources


Utility
Scarcity
Classes of natural resources


Stock
Flow
• Constant
• Cyclical
• Variable
Stock or Flow?
Why are natural resources
so controversial?
Preservation
Conservation
Exploitation
Simple definition of conservation
A way that we manage our natural
resources for sustained output without
depleting them and/or damaging the
resource base
Conservation of stock vs. flow
natural resources:
The Conservation Continuum
0%
amount used over time
100%
0%
rate of use over time
100%
Conservation of stock vs. flow
natural resources:
The Conservation Continuum
Stock Natural Resources
0%
amount used over time
100%
0%
rate of use over time
100%
Conservation of stock vs. flow
natural resources:
The Conservation Continuum
Stock Natural Resources
0%
amount used over time
100%
0%
rate of use over time
100%
Conservation of stock vs. flow
natural resources:
The Conservation Continuum
Flow Natural Resources
0%
amount used over time
100%
0%
rate of use over time
100%
Conservation of stock vs. flow
natural resources:
The Conservation Continuum
Flow Natural Resources
0%
amount used over time
100%
0%
rate of use over time
100%
Conservation of stock vs. flow
natural resources
Conservation generally requires
decreases in present rates of use for
stock and carefully controlled rates of
use for flow resources
Examples of management tools that
can conserve natural resources







Bag or creel limits
Court injunctions
Permit systems
Hunting seasons
Reserves
Education
Preservation
What is preservation
of natural resources?
Preservation
A management approach which
attempts to maintain natural ecological
integrity and processes through
regulation of factors which would
prove to be disruptive
Ecosystem
A community of organisms and their
physical environment interacting as an
ecological system
Preservation is a management approach
which attempts to maintain natural
ecological integrity and processes through
regulation of factors which would prove to
be disruptive
Ecological Change in HDNRM
No Human
Impact
Natural
Changes
Acceptable Unacceptable
Impact
Impact
Human-Induced
Changes
Ecological Change in HDNRM
limit of acceptable change
No Human
Impact
Natural
Changes
Acceptable Unacceptable
Impact
Impact
Human-Induced
Changes
Carrying Capacity
The maximum population size that can
be sustained by an environment
Carrying Capacity
The maximum population size that can
be sustained by an environment
Weakness of CC in HDNRM

Finding a single ecological carrying
capacity that accommodates
ecological, social and managerial
demands
General Dimensions of Carrying
Capacity in HDNRM
Ecological
Societal
Managerial
The future of Human Dimensions of
Natural Resource Management:
The Precautionary Principle
Precautionary Principle
When an activity raises threats of
harm to human health or the
environment, precautionary measures
should be taken even if some cause
and effect relationships are not fully
established scientifically.
(Wingspread Statement, 1998)