Historical antebellum rice fields in the low country of South Carolina have been deeply ingrained in the culture since the early 1700s. Through the installation of rice trunks, a large wooden apparatus that allowed the control of water levels through the rise and fall of tides, large-scale rice production was possible. Sprawling plantations brought immense prosperity to the southeast and ultimately changed our coastal geography. We understand today that tidal wetlands deliver a multitude of ecosystem services crucial for ecological well-being, as well as for the cultural and emotional well-being of residents. They offer services including the provisioning of food, fiber, fuel, and biochemical materials; climate regulation via hydrological flows, water purification, and erosion control; cultural protection and recreational opportunities; and essential ecological functions such as soil formation and nutrient cycling. Since the early 1900s, many of the 236,000 acres of antebellum rice fields across South Carolina’s coast have been left to nature, reverting to natural marsh. However, many are still actively managed for a different sort of production – waterfowl populations.  

Antebellum rice fields provide a critical stopover wintering habitat for many waterfowl and waterbird species. The restoration and protection of antebellum rice fields may be an essential factor in slowing the onslaught of climate change and associated ecosystem service losses, as well as ensuring adequate waterfowl habitat for future populations. However, restoration can be cost-prohibitive, and with rising sea levels, we must assess at what point the restoration and protection of these historical relics are viable.  

Management decisions that fail to consider the history, knowledge, and perceptions of the community can create resistance in community support, underscoring the need to understand human knowledge and perceptions to effectively address both environmental and social dimensions of resilience. Stakeholder surveys play an instrumental part in bridging the gap between policy and people. We are addressing the human dimensions of waterfowl management in antebellum rice fields by creating an in-depth survey that evaluates stakeholder knowledge of historic rice fields, cultural influence, and perceptions of associated infrastructure, and restoration. Out stakeholders are defined as state and private waterfowl managers, area residents, and culturally significant populations.  

We anticipate that state and private waterfowl managers will have a strong knowledge of the ecological significance of waterfowl management. Area residents and culturally sensitive populations will have little understanding of ecological significance. State and private waterfowl managers and culturally significant stakeholders will have a strong desire to continue current rice field management strategies for waterfowl populations. However, we anticipate those with cultural ties to the area wishing to maintain traditional irrigation management through historical rice trunk technology. In contrast, state and private waterfowl managers and area residents may seek less cost-prohibitive methods for irrigation control.  

Surveys will run from October 2024 through December 2024. The analysis will begin in January, with anticipated results by May 2025. These results will then be used in conjunction with aerial drone and acoustic surveys to help develop a decision support tool for future antebellum rice field management to promote coastal resiliency and future waterfowl populations.