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Although the scientific community has reached a consensus that anthropogenic climate change is a severe and pressing issue, climate change remains a contentious debate with the United States public. Through a survey (N = 273), we explored climate professionals' perspectives on their role and responsibility to promote climate change adaptation/mitigation strategies related to agroecosystems. They believed that climate professionals have a social responsibility to provide scientific input to both policymakers and the public. There was strong agreement that media, political, and public support is necessary for development, and near unanimous agreement for implementation, of climate change mitigation/adaptation strategies. This study highlights the climate professionals' perceptions of their responsibility to provide scientific input, but also demonstrates that they believe the responsibility does not rest solely on their shoulders. Further research should explore scientists' perceptions of their and others' policy roles and scientists' interactions with different influencers of adaptation/mitigation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing attitudes and behaviors of a targeted audience are common ambitions of outreach campaigns. Anthropomorphized images are used to promote and facilitate conservation and environmental messaging. To evaluate their effectiveness as a messaging tactic, Indiana adults were surveyed to examine if attitudes and behavioral intentions (BIs) differed due to image type (cartoon vs. photograph) for three non-charismatic wildlife species. Wildlife management professionals (WMPs) were also interviewed to evaluate their perspectives. Unexpectedly, the surveyed population's increase in attitudes and BIs was species dependent and the cartoon was not unanimously better received. Only one cartoon species was able to elicit a significantly more positive measure than its photograph. WMPs highlighted the cartoon's need for mass appeal, accuracy, and clear messaging. The ability of cartoons to selectively impact attitudes, in conjunction with the support of WMPs, demonstrates that with thoughtful application, cartoons can sometimes be an effective messaging tool for non-charismatic species conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response rates to mail-based surveys have declined in recent decades, and survey response rates for farmers tend to be low overall. Maintaining high response rates is necessary to prevent non-response bias. Historically, incentives have been an effective tool to increase response rates with general populations. However, the effect of incentives on farmers has not been well tested. In this study, we experimentally manipulated the use of a $2 incentive in two surveys targeted at farmers. We tested both the use of the incentive and the timing of incentive distribution in the survey process. We found the incentive significantly increased response rates with farmers but there was no significant effect of when the incentive was distributed. Additionally, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of using the incentive. While the incentive increased response rate, the cost per survey response also increased and the cost of the incentive was not offset by the increased response rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]