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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 36(1)

Human dimensions of wildlife population management in Australasia – history, approaches and directions

Kelly K. Miller
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School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Vic. 3125, Australia. Email: kelly.miller@deakin.edu.au

Wildlife Research 36(1) 48-56 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR08006
Submitted: 17 January 2008  Accepted: 26 November 2008   Published: 21 January 2009

Abstract

It is now widely accepted that it is important to understand the ‘human dimensions’ of wildlife management issues in order to achieve management goals. This growing field of study was born in the 1960s and involves an examination of societal values, knowledge and behaviours associated with wildlife and wildlife management issues. This paper provides an overview of the history and directions in human dimensions research, focusing specifically on its application for wildlife population management in Australasia (in particular, Australia and New Zealand). It also provides a ‘toolkit’ of methods and approaches for those wishing to undertake, interpret or utilise human dimensions enquiries.


Acknowledgements

I thank the Australasian Wildlife Management Society and Dr Jim Hone for the opportunity to present this work at the 2007 Fenner Conference on the Environment. Thanks to Dr Camilla Myers, Dr Andrea Taylor and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper.


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1 The work of Dr Graeme Caughley is singled out here for the purposes of the special issue of Wildlife Research in which this article appears. The special issue includes a collection of papers presented at the 2007 Fenner Conference on the Environment. The theme of this conference was Wildlife Population Dynamics and Management and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Australasian Wildlife Management Society as well as Caughley’s distinguished wildlife management career.