Drivers of Climate Change Risk Perceptions among Diverse Forest Stakeholders in Maine, USA

Abstract

Climate change is impacting forest ecosystems, which support key ecosystem services and the general well-being of natural resource-dependent communities in Northeastern, USA. Understanding the determinants of climate change risk perceptions among forest resource stakeholders is critical to eliciting broad support for adaptation. We examined social-psychological drivers of climate change risk perceptions using hierarchical regression based on an online survey of 211 forest stakeholders, representing a wide range of subsectors, in Maine, USA. Using the climate change risk perceptions model (CCRPM), we explained 70% of the variance in risk perception. Political orientation, belief in climate change, social norms, affect, and experience with weather-related impacts were all significant predictors of perceived risk. Mediation results demonstrate that experience with weather-related impacts influences risk perceptions indirectly via attribution and holistic affect. This study advances our understanding of the social-psychological determinants of climate change risk perceptions, with implications for communication and outreach strategies.

Keywords:

• Affect
• experience
• forest management
• forest owners
• socio-ecological systems
• survey research

Acknowledgments

We would also like to thank the participants who shared their perspectives in the survey, as well as the two anonymous reviewers who provided constructive feedback and suggestions. This work is largely based on the thesis work of Alyssa Soucy at the University of Maine.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, McIntire Stennis through the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station under project number ME0-41504; AFRI Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change (AFRI ANRCVC) Challenge Area Program under Grant number 2018-69002-27933; US Forest Service, State and Private Forestry under Grant number 17-DG-11420004-144; and the AVANGRID Foundation.