{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129247"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129247","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Agroforestry adoption in Illinois: Influence of place attachment and development of an agroforestry suitability tool","abstract":"Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-19 without embargo terms","abstract_html":"Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-19 without embargo terms","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ramirez, Alexandra R."],"institution":"University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Natural Res & Env Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Wardropper, Chloe","Kar, Shibu","Pitas, Nick"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05-07","date_published":"2025-05-07","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:04Z","subjects":["Agroforestry","Adoption","Decision-making","Place Attachment","Online Support Tool","Suitability","Illinois"],"languages":["en","eng"],"rights":["Copyright 2025 Alexandra Ramirez"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129247","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Wardropper, Chloe","Kar, Shibu","Pitas, Nick"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ramirez, Alexandra R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-05-07","2025-05"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Natural Res & Env Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Agroforestry","Adoption","Decision-making","Place Attachment","Online Support Tool","Suitability","Illinois"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2025 Alexandra Ramirez"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129247"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-19 without embargo terms","The student, Alexandra Ramirez, accepted the attached license on 2025-04-24 at 14:21.","The student, Alexandra Ramirez, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2025-04-24 at 14:22.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2025-05-07 at 08:53.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21959 on 2025-10-19 at 18:10:56","The Midwest has seen an increase in climate-smart agriculture practices that aim to combat environmental degradation from conventional agriculture while maintaining or increasing economic revenue. One of these practices is agroforestry, or the intentional integration of woody perennials into agriculture, which has the potential to improve soil health, water quality, carbon sequestration, provide livestock food and shelter, increase biodiversity, and create habitat for wildlife. Advocates also promise improvements in farm resilience and income. However, the adoption of agroforestry varies due to technical, financial, and structural challenges; thus, research is needed to better understand—and assist—farm operators deciding to adopt this intensive set of practices with long lag-times to return on investment. To this end, I conducted semi-structured interviews (n=36) with program administrators (n=10), agroforestry operators (n=18), and conventional operators (n=8). In Chapter 2, I draw on place attachment theory to understand how different connections to one’s land affect agroforestry adoption. I find retired individuals and young operators are adopting agroforestry because of their place attachment to their operation. These operators are adopting agroforestry because it contributes to their quality-of-life goals for their families, community, and farms biodiversity. In Chapter 3, I present the development process of the Agroforestry Suitability Tool, an online geospatial decision-support system that aims to assist program administrators targeting suitable areas for agroforestry adoption across the Midwest. Practically, this thesis aims to inform program administrators on how place attachment can be leveraged to increase agroforestry adoption, and to introduce a support tool delivering information to key stakeholders."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Agroforestry adoption in Illinois: Influence of place attachment and development of an agroforestry suitability tool"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Wardropper, Chloe","Kar, Shibu","Pitas, Nick"],"dc:creator":["Ramirez, Alexandra R."],"dc:date":["2025-05-07","2025-05"],"dc:description":["Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-19 without embargo terms","The student, Alexandra Ramirez, accepted the attached license on 2025-04-24 at 14:21.","The student, Alexandra Ramirez, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2025-04-24 at 14:22.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2025-05-07 at 08:53.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21959 on 2025-10-19 at 18:10:56","The Midwest has seen an increase in climate-smart agriculture practices that aim to combat environmental degradation from conventional agriculture while maintaining or increasing economic revenue. One of these practices is agroforestry, or the intentional integration of woody perennials into agriculture, which has the potential to improve soil health, water quality, carbon sequestration, provide livestock food and shelter, increase biodiversity, and create habitat for wildlife. Advocates also promise improvements in farm resilience and income. However, the adoption of agroforestry varies due to technical, financial, and structural challenges; thus, research is needed to better understand—and assist—farm operators deciding to adopt this intensive set of practices with long lag-times to return on investment. To this end, I conducted semi-structured interviews (n=36) with program administrators (n=10), agroforestry operators (n=18), and conventional operators (n=8). In Chapter 2, I draw on place attachment theory to understand how different connections to one’s land affect agroforestry adoption. I find retired individuals and young operators are adopting agroforestry because of their place attachment to their operation. These operators are adopting agroforestry because it contributes to their quality-of-life goals for their families, community, and farms biodiversity. In Chapter 3, I present the development process of the Agroforestry Suitability Tool, an online geospatial decision-support system that aims to assist program administrators targeting suitable areas for agroforestry adoption across the Midwest. Practically, this thesis aims to inform program administrators on how place attachment can be leveraged to increase agroforestry adoption, and to introduce a support tool delivering information to key stakeholders."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129247"],"dc:language":["en","eng"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2025 Alexandra Ramirez"],"dc:subject":["Agroforestry","Adoption","Decision-making","Place Attachment","Online Support Tool","Suitability","Illinois"],"dc:title":["Agroforestry adoption in Illinois: Influence of place attachment and development of an agroforestry suitability tool"],"dc:type":["text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Natural Res & Env Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:04Z"}