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Felgentreff ES, Buchholz S, Straka TM. From science to society to practice? Public reactions to the insect crisis in Germany. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Institute of Landscape Ecology University of Münster Münster Germany
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2
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Shaw MN, Borrie WT, McLeod EM, Miller KK. Wildlife Photos on Social Media: A Quantitative Content Analysis of Conservation Organisations’ Instagram Images. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12141787. [PMID: 35883335 PMCID: PMC9311588 DOI: 10.3390/ani12141787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Although images are more effective than words at communicating important conservation ideas, different aspects of these images have been demonstrated to have positive and negative effects on viewers’ views towards wildlife and towards the organisation that posted the image. The most prevalent and engaging characteristics of wildlife photographs posted to Instagram in 2020 and 2021 were assessed using a quantitative content analysis, with Australian organisations as a case study. The findings show that conservation organisations can confidently share and post photographs that promote positive attitudes towards wildlife and the conservation organisation, and that Instagram posts can feature and promote a wide range of currently underrepresented species. Abstract Wildlife populations are vanishing at alarmingly high rates. This issue is being addressed by organisations around the world and when utilizing social media sites like Instagram, images are potentially more powerful than words at conveying crucial conservation messages and garnering public support. However, different elements of these images have been shown to potentially have either positive or negative effects on viewers’ attitudes and behaviours towards wildlife and towards the organisation posting the image. This study used a quantitative content analysis to assess the most common and engaging elements of wildlife images posted to Instagram in 2020 and 2021, using Australian conservation organisations as a case study. A total of 670 wildlife images from the Instagram accounts of 160 conservation organisation Instagram accounts were coded and analysed. Results highlight that the most common image elements used included natural backgrounds, mammals and birds, and no human presence. In addition, it was found that the taxon of the animal featured in a post and the presence of humans did not impact engagement levels. Our findings highlight the potential for Instagram posts to feature and promote a wide range of currently underrepresented species, and for conservation organisations to be able to confidently share and post images that promote positive perceptions of both the animal and the conservation organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan N. Shaw
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne 3125, Australia; (W.T.B.); (K.K.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - William T. Borrie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne 3125, Australia; (W.T.B.); (K.K.M.)
| | - Emily M. McLeod
- Department of Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria, Parkville 3052, Australia;
| | - Kelly K. Miller
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne 3125, Australia; (W.T.B.); (K.K.M.)
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3
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Troumbis AY, Iosifidis S, Kalloniatis C. Uncovering patterns of public perceptions towards biodiversity crime using conservation culturomics. CRIME, LAW, AND SOCIAL CHANGE 2022; 78:405-426. [PMID: 35529301 PMCID: PMC9055009 DOI: 10.1007/s10611-022-10028-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines aspects of the relationship between (1) the recently typified form of biodiversity crime, (2) information made available to the public through the Internet, and (3) cultural dynamics quantified through info-surveillance methods through Culturomics techniques. We propose two conceptual models: (1) the building-up process of a biodiversity crime culturome, in some language, and (2) a multi-stage biodiversity conservation chain and biodiversity-crime activities relating to each stage. We use crowd search volumes on the Internet on biodiversity crime-related terms and topics as proxies for measuring public interest. The main findings are: (1) the concept of biodiversity-crime per se is still immature and presents low penetration to the general public; (2) biodiversity-crime issues, not recognized as such, are amalgamated in conservation-oriented websites and pages; and (3) differences in perceptions and priorities between general vs. niche public with particular interest(s) in environmental issues- are discernable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Y. Troumbis
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilini, Greece
| | - Spyridon Iosifidis
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilini, Greece
| | - Christos Kalloniatis
- Privacy Engineering and Social Informatics Laboratory, Dept. of Cultural Technology and Communication, University of the Aegean, Mitilini, Greece
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Cortés-Avizanda A, Pereira HM, McKee E, Ceballos O, Martín-López B. Social actors' perceptions of wildlife: Insights for the conservation of species in Mediterranean protected areas. AMBIO 2022; 51:990-1000. [PMID: 34251598 PMCID: PMC8847512 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01546-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In the current Anthropocene Era, with numerous escalating challenges for biodiversity conservation, the inclusion of the social dimension into management decisions regarding wildlife and protected areas is critical to their success. By conducting 354 questionnaires in a Mediterranean protected area (the Biosphere Reserve of Bardenas Reales, Northern Spain), we aim to determine sociodemographic factors influencing knowledge levels and perceptions of species and functional groups as, emblematic and threatened. We found that hunters and animal husbandry workers knew more species than other social actors. Additionally, the perception of functional groups as threatened or emblematic differed between social actor groups, with statistically significant associations between perceptions and the characteristics of respondents. Interestingly, we found that although elusive steppe species are globally considered as endangered, these species were the least known by all social actor groups and rarely perceived as emblematic. This research is a novel approach and provides a better understanding of how perceptions can facilitate conservation decisions, particularly regarding endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Av. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain
- Department of Conservation Biology, EBD (CSIC), C/. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- Infraestruturas de Portugal Biodiversity-Chair CIBIO-InBIO Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos da Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, nº 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Henrique M. Pereira
- Infraestruturas de Portugal Biodiversity-Chair CIBIO-InBIO Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos da Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, nº 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108 Halle, Saale Germany
| | - Ellen McKee
- Department of Conservation Biology, EBD (CSIC), C/. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Berta Martín-López
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Universtitätsalle 1, 21355 Lüneburg, Germany
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5
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Andrade RS, Freitas L. Impact of an IUCN national Red List of threatened flora on scientific attention. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Red Lists are thought to attract attention to the conservation of threatened species. Determining the impact of these lists on the attention of scientists is a matter of consequence for biodiversity conservation. We evaluated trends in mentions of Brazilian angiosperm plants in the biodiversity conservation literature and tested the effect of the Red List of Brazilian Flora (RLBF) publication on these mentions. We collected mentions in the literature available in Google Scholar from the years 1990-2020, for 2449 Brazilian angiosperm species assessed in different IUCN categories. We used a Bayesian structural time-series method to test the effect of the RLBF publication on the number of mentions for the set of species in the IUCN categories, angiosperm families, and plants of commercial interest. The results showed a gap in mentions for many threatened and Data Deficient species in the scientific literature. We also found that the mentions were biased toward species of commercial interest and were unrelated to their threat status. Publication of the RLBF positively affected the number of mentions for IUCN threat categories and for more than half of the angiosperm families. These results were obtained after a few species of commercial interest were excluded from each treated group. This study suggests that the Red List assessments are essential to determine priorities for resource allocation to scientific activities. However, this effect was not sufficient to reduce the bias in scientific attention. Our findings support the need to stimulate more effective programs to fund research on threatened plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- RS Andrade
- Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 20460-030, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - L Freitas
- Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 20460-030, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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7
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Barbero S, Teta P, Cassini GH. A comprehensive review of dietary strategies of sigmodontine rodents of central-eastern Argentina: linking diet, body mass, and stomach morphology. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Information on dietary ecology plays a key role in a wide array of biological research and conservation decisions, but its availability is biased towards large and charismatic taxa, whereas small mammals are underrepresented. Of the scarce publications on the Neotropical sigmodontine rodents, most are concentrated in central-eastern Argentina and, up until now, no revision of the totality of these data has been made available. In this work, we performed a thorough review of the dietary information from over 50 publications on 22 species, finding omissions and errors propagated up to the present time. This resulted in a robust database, the proposal of a posteriori dietary categories, and a list of the species that have been neglected in feeding ecology research. In turn, we used that database to test whether the patterns which associate diet and morphology in medium-sized and large mammals could be replicated in these small rodents, despite their overall generalist habits and the restrictions characteristic to their size. We found that larger species tend towards a low-protein diet. Additionally, we identified some stomach types that are restricted to specific diets. These results are consistent with the observations for larger species and shed light on the biology of small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Barbero
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo Teta
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermo H. Cassini
- División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Ruta 5 y Avenida Constitución s/n, Luján (6700), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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9
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Correia RA, Ladle R, Jarić I, Malhado ACM, Mittermeier JC, Roll U, Soriano-Redondo A, Veríssimo D, Fink C, Hausmann A, Guedes-Santos J, Vardi R, Di Minin E. Digital data sources and methods for conservation culturomics. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:398-411. [PMID: 33749027 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing loss of biological diversity is primarily the result of unsustainable human behavior. Thus, the long-term success of biodiversity conservation depends on a thorough understanding of human-nature interactions. Such interactions are ubiquitous but vary greatly in time and space and are difficult to monitor efficiently at large spatial scales. However, the Information Age also provides new opportunities to better understand human-nature interactions because many aspects of daily life are recorded in a variety of digital formats. The emerging field of conservation culturomics aims to take advantage of digital data sources and methods to study human-nature interactions and thus to provide new tools for studying conservation at relevant temporal and spatial scales. Nevertheless, technical challenges associated with the identification, access, and analysis of relevant data hamper the wider adoption of culturomics methods. To help overcome these barriers, we propose a conservation culturomics research framework that addresses data acquisition, analysis, and inherent biases. The main sources of culturomic data include web pages, social media, and other digital platforms from which metrics of content and engagement can be obtained. Obtaining raw data from these platforms is usually desirable but requires careful consideration of how to access, store, and prepare the data for analysis. Methods for data analysis include network approaches to explore connections between topics, time-series analysis for temporal data, and spatial modeling to highlight spatial patterns. Outstanding challenges associated with culturomics research include issues of interdisciplinarity, ethics, data biases, and validation. The practical guidance we offer will help conservation researchers and practitioners identify and obtain the necessary data and carry out appropriate analyses for their specific questions, thus facilitating the wider adoption of culturomics approaches for conservation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo A Correia
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3910-193, Portugal
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, 57072-900, Brazil
| | - Richard Ladle
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, 57072-900, Brazil
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4485-661, Portugal
| | - Ivan Jarić
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Ana C M Malhado
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, 57072-900, Brazil
| | - John C Mittermeier
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, U.K
| | - Uri Roll
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel
| | - Andrea Soriano-Redondo
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4485-661, Portugal
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, 1349-017, Portugal
| | - Diogo Veríssimo
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
- Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3BD, U.K
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA, 92027, U.S.A
| | - Christoph Fink
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Anna Hausmann
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Jhonatan Guedes-Santos
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, 57072-900, Brazil
| | - Reut Vardi
- The Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-GurionDurban, 8499000, Israel
| | - Enrico Di Minin
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4041, South Africa
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10
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Di Minin E, Fink C, Hausmann A, Kremer J, Kulkarni R. How to address data privacy concerns when using social media data in conservation science. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:437-446. [PMID: 33749044 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Social media data are being increasingly used in conservation science to study human-nature interactions. User-generated content, such as images, video, text, and audio, and the associated metadata can be used to assess such interactions. A number of social media platforms provide free access to user-generated social media content. However, similar to any research involving people, scientific investigations based on social media data require compliance with highest standards of data privacy and data protection, even when data are publicly available. Should social media data be misused, the risks to individual users' privacy and well-being can be substantial. We investigated the legal basis for using social media data while ensuring data subjects' rights through a case study based on the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. The risks associated with using social media data in research include accidental and purposeful misidentification that has the potential to cause psychological or physical harm to an identified person. To collect, store, protect, share, and manage social media data in a way that prevents potential risks to users involved, one should minimize data, anonymize data, and follow strict data management procedure. Risk-based approaches, such as a data privacy impact assessment, can be used to identify and minimize privacy risks to social media users, to demonstrate accountability and to comply with data protection legislation. We recommend that conservation scientists carefully consider our recommendations in devising their research objectives so as to facilitate responsible use of social media data in conservation science research, for example, in conservation culturomics and investigations of illegal wildlife trade online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Di Minin
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4041, South Africa
| | - Christoph Fink
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Anna Hausmann
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Jens Kremer
- Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Ritwik Kulkarni
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
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11
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Hinde K, Amorim CEG, Brokaw AF, Burt N, Casillas MC, Chen A, Chestnut T, Connors PK, Dasari M, Ditelberg CF, Dietrick J, Drew J, Durgavich L, Easterling B, Henning C, Hilborn A, Karlsson EK, Kissel M, Kobylecky J, Krell J, Lee DN, Lesciotto KM, Lewton KL, Light JE, Martin J, Murphy A, Nickley W, Núñez-de la Mora A, Pellicer O, Pellicer V, Perry AM, Schuttler SG, Stone AC, Tanis B, Weber J, Wilson M, Willcocks E, Anderson CN. March Mammal Madness and the power of narrative in science outreach. eLife 2021; 10:e65066. [PMID: 33616530 PMCID: PMC7899649 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
March Mammal Madness is a science outreach project that, over the course of several weeks in March, reaches hundreds of thousands of people in the United States every year. We combine four approaches to science outreach - gamification, social media platforms, community event(s), and creative products - to run a simulated tournament in which 64 animals compete to become the tournament champion. While the encounters between the animals are hypothetical, the outcomes rely on empirical evidence from the scientific literature. Players select their favored combatants beforehand, and during the tournament scientists translate the academic literature into gripping "play-by-play" narration on social media. To date ~1100 scholarly works, covering almost 400 taxa, have been transformed into science stories. March Mammal Madness is most typically used by high-school educators teaching life sciences, and we estimate that our materials reached ~1% of high-school students in the United States in 2019. Here we document the intentional design, public engagement, and magnitude of reach of the project. We further explain how human psychological and cognitive adaptations for shared experiences, social learning, narrative, and imagery contribute to the widespread use of March Mammal Madness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Hinde
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, the Center for Evolution and Medicine, and the School of Sustainability, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Carlos Eduardo G Amorim
- Department of Biology, California State University NorthridgeNorthridgeUnited States
- Department of Computational Biology, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Alyson F Brokaw
- Interdisciplinary Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, Texas A&M UniversityCollege StationUnited States
| | - Nicole Burt
- Department of Human Health and Evolutionary Medicine, Cleveland Museum of Natural HistoryClevelandUnited States
| | | | - Albert Chen
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of BathBathUnited Kingdom
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Tara Chestnut
- National Park ServiceMount Rainier National ParkUnited States
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State UniversityCorvallisUnited States
| | - Patrice K Connors
- Department of Biological Sciences, Colorado Mesa UniversityGrand JunctionUnited States
| | - Mauna Dasari
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre DameNotre DameUnited States
| | | | | | - Josh Drew
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural HistorySyracuseUnited States
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseUnited States
| | - Lara Durgavich
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts UniversityMedfordUnited States
| | | | | | - Anne Hilborn
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California RiversideRiversideUnited States
| | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
- Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Marc Kissel
- Department of Anthropology, Appalachian State UniversityBooneUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre DameNotre DameUnited States
| | | | - Jason Krell
- Center for Science and Imagination, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Danielle N Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsvilleUnited States
| | - Kate M Lesciotto
- Department of Clinical Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsvilleUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State UniversityState CollegeUnited States
| | - Kristi L Lewton
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
| | - Jessica E Light
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, and the Interdisciplinary Program in Ecology and Evolution, Texas A&M UniversityCollege StationUnited States
| | - Jessica Martin
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Asia Murphy
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| | - William Nickley
- Department of Design, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Anali Maughan Perry
- Engagement & Learning Services, ASU Library, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | | | - Anne C Stone
- Human Evolution and Social Change, the Center for Evolution, and Medicine, and the Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Brian Tanis
- Department of Biology, Oregon State University-CascadesBendUnited States
| | - Jesse Weber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
| | - Melissa Wilson
- School of Life Sciences and the Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Emma Willcocks
- Department of Biology, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
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12
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Yang W, Liu D, You Q, Chen B, Jian M, Hu Q, Cong M, Ma K. Taxonomic bias in occurrence information of angiosperm species in China. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 64:584-592. [PMID: 33123833 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1821-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Taxonomic bias is a well-known shortcoming of species occurrence databases. Understanding the causes of taxonomic bias facilitates future biological surveys and addresses current knowledge gaps. Here, we investigate the main drivers of taxonomic bias in occurrence data of angiosperm species in China. We used a database including 5,936,768 records for 28,968 angiosperm species derived from herbarium specimens and literature sources. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were applied to investigate explanatory powers of 17 variables on the variation in record numbers of species. Five explanatory variables were selected for a multi-predictor GAM that explained 69% of the variation in record numbers: plant height, range size, elevational range, numbers of scientific publications and web pages. Range size was the most important predictor in the model and positively correlated with number of records. Morphological and phenological traits and social-economic factors including economic values and conservation status had weak explanatory powers on record numbers of plant species, which differs from the findings in animals, suggesting that causes of taxonomic bias in occurrence databases may vary between taxonomic groups. Our results suggest that future floristic surveys in China should more focus on range-restricted and socially or scientifically less "interesting" species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, (Jiangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanchang, 330022, China.,School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Dandan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, (Jiangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanchang, 330022, China.,School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Qinghui You
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Information Technology, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Minfei Jian
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Qiwu Hu
- School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Mingyang Cong
- Analytical & Testing Center, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
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Abstract
The ongoing digital revolution in the age of big data is opening new research opportunities. Culturomics and iEcology, two emerging research areas based on the analysis of online data resources, can provide novel scientific insights and inform conservation and management efforts. To date, culturomics and iEcology have been applied primarily in the terrestrial realm. Here, we advocate for expanding such applications to the aquatic realm by providing a brief overview of these new approaches and outlining key areas in which culturomics and iEcology are likely to have the highest impact, including the management of protected areas; fisheries; flagship species identification; detection and distribution of threatened, rare, and alien species; assessment of ecosystem status and anthropogenic impacts; and social impact assessment. When deployed in the right context with awareness of potential biases, culturomics and iEcology are ripe for rapid development as low-cost research approaches based on data available from digital sources, with increasingly diverse applications for aquatic ecosystems.
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Hernandez M, Shenk MK, Perry GH. Factors influencing taxonomic unevenness in scientific research: a mixed-methods case study of non-human primate genomic sequence data generation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:201206. [PMID: 33047065 PMCID: PMC7540799 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Scholars have noted major disparities in the extent of scientific research conducted among taxonomic groups. Such trends may cascade if future scientists gravitate towards study species with more data and resources already available. As new technologies emerge, do research studies employing these technologies continue these disparities? Here, using non-human primates as a case study, we identified disparities in massively parallel genomic sequencing data and conducted interviews with scientists who produced these data to learn their motivations when selecting study species. We tested whether variables including publication history and conservation status were significantly correlated with publicly available sequence data in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA). Of the 179.6 terabases (Tb) of sequence data in SRA for 519 non-human primate species, 135 Tb (approx. 75%) were from only five species: rhesus macaques, olive baboons, green monkeys, chimpanzees and crab-eating macaques. The strongest predictors of the amount of genomic data were the total number of non-medical publications (linear regression; r 2 = 0.37; p = 6.15 × 10-12) and number of medical publications (r 2 = 0.27; p = 9.27 × 10-9). In a generalized linear model, the number of non-medical publications (p = 0.00064) and closer phylogenetic distance to humans (p = 0.024) were the most predictive of the amount of genomic sequence data. We interviewed 33 authors of genomic data-producing publications and analysed their responses using grounded theory. Consistent with our quantitative results, authors mentioned their choice of species was motivated by sample accessibility, prior published work and relevance to human medicine. Our mixed-methods approach helped identify and contextualize some of the driving factors behind species-uneven patterns of scientific research, which can now be considered by funding agencies, scientific societies and research teams aiming to align their broader goals with future data generation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Hernandez
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Authors for correspondence: Margarita Hernandez e-mail:
| | - Mary K. Shenk
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - George H. Perry
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Authors for correspondence: George H. Perry e-mail:
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15
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Silva AFD, Malhado AC, Correia RA, Ladle RJ, Vital MV, Mott T. Taxonomic bias in amphibian research: Are researchers responding to conservation need? J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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16
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Societal attention toward extinction threats: a comparison between climate change and biological invasions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11085. [PMID: 32632156 PMCID: PMC7338409 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67931-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Public attention and interest in the fate of endangered species is a crucial prerequisite for effective conservation programs. Societal awareness and values will largely determine whether conservation initiatives receive necessary support and lead to adequate policy change. Using text data mining, we assessed general public attention in France, Germany and the United Kingdom toward climate change and biological invasions in relation to endangered amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species. Our analysis revealed that public attention patterns differed among species groups and countries but was globally higher for climate change than for biological invasions. Both threats received better recognition in threatened than in non-threatened species, as well as in native species than in species from other countries and regions. We conclude that more efficient communication regarding the threat from biological invasions should be developed, and that conservation practitioners should take advantage of the existing attention toward climate change.
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Acerbi A, Kerhoas D, Webber AD, McCabe G, Mittermeier RA, Schwitzer C. The impact of the “World's 25 Most Endangered Primates” list on scientific publications and media. J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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