KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BMPS AND MOSQUITO MANAGEMENT ACROSS A SOCIOECONOMIC GRADIENT

Abstract

To reduce nutrient pollution in our waterways and restore impaired watersheds, residents are needed to voluntarily practice a range of stormwater best management practices (BMPs). The overall goal of my thesis was to better understand barriers to BMP implementation by exploring the links among resident demographics, knowledge, and behaviors, as well as mosquito management, so that appropriate education can be more effectively developed and targeted. Importantly, this study found respondents who defined themselves as Caucasian or other races, and that were in owned houses, had higher mean BMP knowledge than respondents that identified themselves as African American and who are renters, respectively. This study also found that one barrier to BMP implementation, concern of mosquito breeding in BMPs, was not significant. Estimated abundances for all mosquito abundance metrics were significantly higher in combined other types of wet containers compared to wet disconnected downspouts, a commonly found BMP.