The focus of "Human Impacts" is on the "human" aspects of natural resource management. As part of our research efforts in this field we will explore the relationships between natural resources (resource use, management, conservation) and human resources (the people who use them) especially with respect to the Mid-Atlantic region. The attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and demographic characteristics of the public constituency are both critical risk factors for the depletion/degradation of natural resources and enormous sources of support and assistance for conserving/restoring those same resources. Our mission is to examine and learn to use these relationships to improve conservation decision making capabilities. Some of our efforts as in this field are listed in the menu at left.

Chesapeake tidal wetlands [Copyright: Jennifer Schmidt]