| Summary: | 碩士 === 東海大學 === 景觀學系 === 103 === Wetlands being threatened is a global issue. As most wetlands in the world are disappearing, being reduced or fragmented for economic development, the ecological resources of wetlands will gradually deplete. Taiwan is an island on the west side of Pacific Ocean. It is also an important stop for migratory birds in East Asia and Southeast Asia. The health of wetlands in our nation is therefore directly related to the integrity of wetlands in all the other nations along the west coast of Pacific Ocean. In recent years, the government of Taiwan has made much effort in promoting conservation of wetlands. In conservation of wetlands, community participation plays an important role. For a community with a wetland in the environment, the wetland is a part of the life of the community’s residents. Conceptually, “community awareness” includes one’s perception of and belief in all kinds of things and the environment of the community. Therefore, this study focused on residents of wetland communities to explore how the four factors of community awareness, including “community care”, “community preference”, “community affinity”, and “community identity” as well as the four factors of environmental awareness, including “environmental sensitivity”, “environmental cognition”, “environmental knowledge”, and “conservation attitude” vary by demographic variables. Further, the relationship between community awareness and environmental awareness was also examined.
To measure residents’ community awareness and environmental awareness, a questionnaire consisting of both nominal and ordinal scales was used. Questions were developed to be evaluated on a five-point Likert scale. Besides, a non-structured interview was conducted to facilitate data correction. All items related to the scope of this research could be listed in the questionnaire, so the range of measurements was wide. The main findings were as follows:
1. “Community awareness” and “environmental awareness” were related among residents in the adolescent and elderly groups. Elderly residents showed higher community awareness than residents of other age groups. Besides, community awareness was higher among residents with a middle level of education, residents with a lower level or a higher level of income, and residents who were married and working in the primary or the tertiary industry.
2. The analysis of the four factors of environmental awareness, namely “environmental sensitivity”, “environmental cognition”, “environmental knowledge”, and “conservation attitude”, by demographic variables indicated that environmental awareness was slightly higher among “male” residents than among “female” ones, residents in communities consisting of mainly adults, and residents having an income between the low and high levels. Differences in environmental awareness between occupations were minimal.
3. Among the factors of community awareness, “community care” was positively related to “environmental cognition”, “environmental knowledge”, and “conservation attitude”; “community affinity” was positively related to “environmental sensitivity”, “environmental knowledge”, and “conservation attitude”; “community identity” was positively related to “environmental sensitivity”, “environmental cognition”, “environmental knowledge”, and “conservation attitude”; “community preference” was not positively related to any factor of environmental awareness but had a negative relation to “environmental knowledge” and “conservation attitude”.
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