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Abstract
Efforts to mitigate the current biodiversity crisis require a better understanding of how and why humans value other species. We use Internet query data and citizen science data to characterize public interest in 621 bird species across the United States. We estimate the relative popularity of different birds by quantifying how frequently people use Google to search for species, relative to the rates at which they are encountered in the environment. In intraspecific analyses, we also quantify the degree to which Google searches are limited to, or extend beyond, the places in which people encounter each species. The resulting metrics of popularity and geographic specificity of interest allow us to define aspects of relationships between people and birds within a cultural niche space. We then estimate the influence of species traits and socially constructed labels on niche positions to assess the importance of observations and ideas in shaping public interest in birds. Our analyses show clear effects of migratory strategy, color, degree of association with bird feeders, and, especially, body size on niche position. They also indicate that cultural labels, including "endangered," "introduced," and, especially, "team mascot," are strongly associated with the magnitude and geographic specificity of public interest in birds. Our results provide a framework for exploring complex relationships between humans and other species and enable more informed decision-making across diverse bird conservation strategies and goals.
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Sobratee N, Slotow R. A Critical Review of Lion Research in South Africa: The Impact of Researcher Perspective, Research Mode, and Power Structures on Outcome Bias and Implementation Gaps. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Ellison AM. Foundation Species, Non-trophic Interactions, and the Value of Being Common. iScience 2019; 13:254-268. [PMID: 30870783 PMCID: PMC6416672 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Foundation species define ecosystems, control the biological diversity of associated species, modulate critical ecosystem processes, and often have important cultural values and resonance. This review summarizes current understanding of the characteristics and traits of foundation species and how to distinguish them from other “important” species in ecological systems (e.g., keystone, dominant, and core species); illustrates how analysis of the structure and function of ecological networks can be improved and enriched by explicit incorporation of foundation species and their non-trophic interactions; discusses the importance of pro-active identification and management of foundation species as a cost-effective and efficient method of sustaining valuable ecosystem processes and services and securing populations of associated rare, threatened, or endangered species; and suggests broader engagement of citizen-scientists and non-specialists in the identification and study of foundation species and their biological and cultural values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M Ellison
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA 01366, USA.
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Ripple WJ, Wolf C, Newsome TM, Betts MG, Ceballos G, Courchamp F, Hayward MW, Valkenburgh B, Wallach AD, Worm B. Are we eating the world's megafauna to extinction? Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- William J. Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Forest Biodiversity Research Network Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Christopher Wolf
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Forest Biodiversity Research Network Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Forest Biodiversity Research Network Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
- School of Life and Environmental Science The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Matthew G. Betts
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Forest Biodiversity Research Network Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Gerardo Ceballos
- Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico C.U. Ciudad de Mexico Mexico
| | - Franck Courchamp
- Ecologie, Systématique, and Evolution, Univ Paris‐Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech Université Paris‐Saclay Orsay France
| | - Matt W. Hayward
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences The University of Newcastle Callaghan New South Wales Australia
| | - Blaire Valkenburgh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Los Angeles California
| | - Arian D. Wallach
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science University of Technology Sydney Broadway New South Wales Australia
| | - Boris Worm
- Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
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Jarić I, Correia RA, Roberts DL, Gessner J, Meinard Y, Courchamp F. On the overlap between scientific and societal taxonomic attentions - Insights for conservation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 648:772-778. [PMID: 30138876 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Attention directed at different species by society and science is particularly relevant within the field of conservation, as societal preferences will strongly impact support for conservation initiatives and their success. Here, we assess the association between societal and research interests in four charismatic and threatened species groups, derived from a range of different online sources and social media platforms as well as scientific publications. We found a high level of concordance between scientific and societal taxonomic attention, which was consistent among assessed species groups and media sources. Results indicate that research is apparently not as disconnected from the interests of society as it is often reproached, and that societal support for current research objectives should be adequate. While the high degree of similarity between scientific and societal interest is both striking and satisfying, the dissimilarities are also interesting, as new scientific findings may constitute a constant source of novel interest for the society. In that respect, additional efforts will be necessary to draw scientific and societal focus towards less charismatic species that are in urgent need of research and conservation attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Jarić
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, Kneza Viseslava 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Ricardo A Correia
- DBIO & CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro do Martins, 57072-90, Maceió, AL, Brazil; School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
| | - David L Roberts
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology & Conservation, Marlowe Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NR, United Kingdom
| | - Jörn Gessner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yves Meinard
- Université Paris Dauphine, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR7243, Place Lattre de Tassigny, F-75016 Paris, France
| | - Franck Courchamp
- Ecologie, Systématique, and Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
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56
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Technoscience and Biodiversity Conservation. Asian Bioeth Rev 2018; 10:245-259. [PMID: 33717291 DOI: 10.1007/s41649-018-0071-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 has opened new avenues in gene editing. This system, usually considered as molecular scissors, permits the cutting of the DNA at a targeted site allowing the introduction of new genes or the removal or the modification of existing ones. The genome-editing, involving gene drive or not, is then considered with a strong interest in a variety of fields ranging from agriculture to public health and conservation biology. Given its controversial aspects, it is then no surprise that actors in biodiversity conservation do express conflicting views on this emerging and disruptive technology. The positions are ranging from a request for a moratorium to the will to test and deploy it in strategies aiming at eradicating invasive species of mammals on islands. Reviewing some of its recent developments brings light on the conflicts of interest, the financial support, and lobbying currently occurring in this growing field of biotechnology. While an optimistic view on the use of gene drive for ecosystem conservation was first promoted by several molecular biologists, the risks and uncertainties associated have now led to some reservations. Overall, the eventual use of this novel approach for conservation raises concerns related to the engagement of the public, the communication between scientists, and the public and the risk of a manufactured consent. There are also a series of essential ethical and philosophical questions on the relations we have with Nature that needs to be answered.
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Ellison AM. An elegy for tropical forested wetlands
Endangered Forested Wetlands of Sundaland. Gianluca Polgar and Zeehan JaafarSpringer International Publishing, 2018 Reviewed by Aaron M. Ellison Hardback, alkaline Paper, xvii + 152 pp. ISBN 9783319524153, US $149.9. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Tribot AS, Deter J, Mouquet N. Integrating the aesthetic value of landscapes and biological diversity. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0971. [PMID: 30185647 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As a cultural ecosystem service, the aesthetic value of landscapes contributes to human well-being, but studies linking biodiversity and ecosystem services generally do not account for this particular service. Therefore, congruence between the aesthetic perception of landscapes, ecological value and biodiversity remains poorly understood. Here, we describe the conceptual background, current methodologies and future challenges of assessing landscape aesthetics and its relationship with biodiversity. We highlight the methodological gaps between the assessment of landscape aesthetics, ecological diversity and functioning. We discuss the challenges associated with connecting landscape aesthetics with ecological value, and the scaling issues in the assessment of human aesthetics perception. To better integrate aesthetic value and ecological components of biodiversity, we propose to combine the study of aesthetics and the understanding of ecological function at both the species and landscape levels. Given the urgent need to engage society in conservation efforts, this approach, based on the combination of the aesthetic experience and the recognition of ecological functioning by the general public, will help change our culture of nature and promote ecologically oriented conservation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie Deter
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.,Andromède Océanologie, Carnon, France
| | - Nicolas Mouquet
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Cove MV. What if trophy hunters didn't kill their trophies? Conserv Lett 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael V. Cove
- Department of Applied Ecology; North Carolina State University; Raleigh North Carolina
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