Short answer
Integrate a comprehensive understanding of environmental stewardship principles and practices into the design process, recognizing the complexity of motivations and the need for evidence-based intervention strategies.
- Field
- Sustainability
- Source
- PLoS ONE (2024)
- Method
- Systematic Scoping Review
- Sample
- 77 articles
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Environmental stewardship encompasses a broad spectrum of practical actions aimed at protecting, restoring, and sustainably utilizing natural resources, driven by diverse actors and influenced by various factors. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2024 study published in PLoS ONE. Using Systematic scoping review with 77 articles, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Integrate a comprehensive understanding of environmental stewardship principles and practices into the design process, recognizing the complexity of motivations and the need for evidence-based intervention strategies.
Environmental Stewardship: A Multifaceted Approach to Resource Protection and Sustainable Use
Environmental stewardship encompasses a broad spectrum of practical actions aimed at protecting, restoring, and sustainably utilizing natural resources, driven by diverse actors and influenced by various factors.
PLoS ONE · 2024
Key Findings
- 01Environmental stewardship involves a wide array of actions targeting biodiversity on land and in water.
- 02These actions are undertaken by diverse actors on both private and public lands, across rural and urban settings.
- 03While factors influencing stewardship are identified, few studies formally evaluate interventions to increase it.
- 04The term 'environmental stewardship' is not universally embraced and can conflict with some indigenous worldviews.
Application
Design takeaway
Integrate a comprehensive understanding of environmental stewardship principles and practices into the design process, recognizing the complexity of motivations and the need for evidence-based intervention strategies.
How to apply
When designing products or services related to resource management or conservation, research the specific environmental stewardship actions relevant to the target context and user group, and consider how the design can support or enhance these actions.
Project actions
- 01When researching environmental issues for a design project, consider the concept of environmental stewardship as a framework for understanding human interaction with nature.
- 02Explore how different stakeholders engage in environmental stewardship and how your design could support or enhance these efforts.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Comprehensive scoping of the literature on environmental stewardship.
- +Identification of a wide range of actions, actors, and influencing factors.
Limitations
The scope of 'environmental stewardship' might exclude certain indigenous ecological practices or other forms of nature conservation not explicitly labeled as such in the reviewed literature.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the review is supported by the systematic methodology (PRISMA guidelines). Validity is addressed by the broad scope of the review, aiming to capture the multifaceted nature of environmental stewardship, though the interpretation of 'stewardship' itself can introduce subjectivity.
Think critically
How might the potential conflict between the term 'environmental stewardship' and indigenous worldviews influence the design of conservation initiatives or products intended for diverse cultural contexts?
Design Principles
"Design for ecological integrity by understanding and supporting diverse forms of environmental stewardship."
Understanding the breadth of environmental stewardship actions and the motivations behind them is crucial for designers and engineers aiming to create products and systems that align with ecological preservation and societal well-being. This knowledge informs the development of more sustainable design strategies and interventions.
What This Means for Your Design
Environmental stewardship means taking care of nature, and this study looked at all the different ways people do that, who does it, and what makes them do it. It found that while we know a lot about why people act, we don't know as much about how to get more people to act, and some people don't like the term 'stewardship'.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing the broader context of environmental responsibility and sustainable practices in your design project's background research or justification.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The concept of environmental stewardship, as explored by McLeod et al. (2024), highlights the diverse actions, actors, and influencing factors involved in protecting and sustainably using natural resources. This broad understanding is essential for design projects aiming to foster ecological responsibility, as it informs the development of interventions that resonate with various stakeholders and contexts.
Source
Questions About This Research
- What does the research say about environmental stewardship: a multifaceted approach to resource protection and sustainable use?
- Integrate a comprehensive understanding of environmental stewardship principles and practices into the design process, recognizing the complexity of motivations and the need for evidence-based intervention strategies. Evidence: PLoS ONE (2024).
- Why does "Environmental Stewardship: A Multifaceted Approach to Resource Protection and Sustainable Use" matter for design?
- Understanding the breadth of environmental stewardship actions and the motivations behind them is crucial for designers and engineers aiming to create products and systems that align with ecological preservation and societal well-being. This knowledge informs the development of more sustainable design strategies and interventions.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Integrate a comprehensive understanding of environmental stewardship principles and practices into the design process, recognizing the complexity of motivations and the need for evidence-based intervention strategies.
- What were the main findings?
- Environmental stewardship involves a wide array of actions targeting biodiversity on land and in water.. These actions are undertaken by diverse actors on both private and public lands, across rural and urban settings.. While factors influencing stewardship are identified, few studies formally evaluate interventions to increase it.. The term 'environmental stewardship' is not universally embraced and can conflict with some indigenous worldviews.
- What research method was used?
- Systematic Scoping Review with 77 articles.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2024 journal from PLoS ONE.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing products or services related to resource management or conservation, research the specific environmental stewardship actions relevant to the target context and user group, and consider how the design can support or enhance these actions.
- What are the limitations?
- The review's findings are based on the existing literature, which may have its own biases and gaps. The term 'environmental stewardship' itself is subject to varied interpretations and may not encompass all relevant ecological actions.