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Reed JM, Wolfe BE, Romero LM. Is resilience a unifying concept for the biological sciences? iScience 2024; 27:109478. [PMID: 38660410 PMCID: PMC11039332 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
There is increasing interest in applying resilience concepts at different scales of biological organization to address major interdisciplinary challenges from cancer to climate change. It is unclear, however, whether resilience can be a unifying concept consistently applied across the breadth of the biological sciences, or whether there is limited capacity for integration. In this review, we draw on literature from molecular biology to community ecology to ascertain commonalities and shortcomings in how resilience is measured and interpreted. Resilience is studied at all levels of biological organization, although the term is often not used. There is a suite of resilience mechanisms conserved across biological scales, and there are tradeoffs that affect resilience. Resilience is conceptually useful to help diverse researchers think about how biological systems respond to perturbations, but we need a richer lexicon to describe the diversity of perturbations, and we lack widely applicable metrics of resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Michael Reed
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford 02155, MA, USA
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2
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Villarreal-Rosas J, Brown CJ, Andradi-Brown DA, Domínguez R, Jacobo P, Martínez A, Mascote C, Najera E, Paiz Y, Vázquez Moran VH, Villarreal J, Adame MF. Integrating socioeconomic and ecological data into restoration practice. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14286. [PMID: 38708866 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Driven by the United Nations Decade on Restoration and international funding initiatives, such as the Mangrove Breakthrough, investment in mangrove restoration is expected to increase. Yet, mangrove restoration efforts frequently fail, usually because of ad hoc site-selection processes that do not consider mangrove ecology and the socioeconomic context. Using decision analysis, we developed an approach that accounts for socioeconomic and ecological data to identify sites with the highest likelihood of mangrove restoration success. We applied our approach in the Biosphere Reserve Marismas Nacionales Nayarit, Mexico, an area that recently received funding for implementing mangrove restoration actions. We identified 468 potential restoration sites, assessed their restorability potential based on socioeconomic and ecological metrics, and ranked sites for implementation with spatial optimization. The metrics we used included favorable conditions for propagules to establish and survive under sea-level rise, provision of ecosystem services, and community dynamics. Sites that were selected based on socioeconomic or ecological metrics alone had lower likelihood of mangrove restoration success than sites that were selected based on integrated socioeconomic and ecological metrics. For example, selecting sites based on only socioeconomic metrics captured 16% of the maximum attainable value of functioning mangroves able to provide propagules to potential restoration sites, whereas selecting sites based on ecological and socioeconomic metrics captured 46% of functioning mangroves. Our approach was developed as part of a collaboration between nongovernmental organizations, local government, and academics under rapid delivery time lines given preexisting mangrove restoration implementation commitments. The systematic decision process we used integrated socioeconomic and ecological considerations even under short delivery deadlines, and our approach can be adapted to help mangrove restoration site-selection decisions elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher J Brown
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | - Pilar Jacobo
- World Wildlife Fund, México, Mexico City, México
| | | | | | | | - Yves Paiz
- The Nature Conservancy, México, Merida, Mexico
| | | | | | - María F Adame
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
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Adams VM, Dimitrova N, Possingham HP, Allan JR, Kuempel CD, Peterson N, Kaiye A, Keako M, Tulloch VJ. Scheduling incremental actions to build a comprehensive national protected area network for Papua New Guinea. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa M. Adams
- Discipline of Geography and Spatial Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
| | - Nadya Dimitrova
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde New South Wales Australia
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- The Nature Conservancy South Brisbane Queensland Australia
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - James R. Allan
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Caitlin D. Kuempel
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Nate Peterson
- The Nature Conservancy South Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Alu Kaiye
- Conservation and Environment Protection Authority Port Moresby Papua New Guinea
| | - Malcolm Keako
- Conservation and Environment Protection Authority Port Moresby Papua New Guinea
| | - Vivitskaia J.D. Tulloch
- Department of Forest and Conservation Science University of British Columbia British Columbia Canada
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Quintas-Soriano C, Gibson DM, Brandt JS, López-Rodríguez MD, Cabello J, Aguilera PA, Castro AJ. An interdisciplinary assessment of private conservation areas in the Western United States. AMBIO 2021; 50:150-162. [PMID: 32086786 PMCID: PMC7708591 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01323-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Conservation easements are the fastest growing private conservation strategy in the United States. However, mechanisms to assess private land conservation as well as their support by the general public are not well understood. This study uses the ecosystem services framework for assessing existing private lands in Idaho and identifies areas for future conservation easements. Using conservation targets of the land trust as a guide for selecting ecosystem services, we (a) mapped the spatial delivery of conservation targets across public and private lands, (b) explored public awareness in terms of social importance and vulnerability, and (c) mapped future priority areas by characterizing conservation bundles. We found that public lands provided the highest levels of conservation targets, and we found no difference in conservation target provision between private areas and conservation easements. The spatial characterization of conservation target bundles identified potential future priority areas for conservation easements, which can guide planning of land trust conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Quintas-Soriano
- Social-Ecological Interactions in Agricultural Systems, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
- Social-Ecological Research Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Avenue, Pocatello, ID 83209 USA
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Centro Andaluz para la Evaluación y Seguimiento de Cambio Global (CASCG), Universidad de Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Dainee M. Gibson
- Social-Ecological Research Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Avenue, Pocatello, ID 83209 USA
| | - Jodi S. Brandt
- Human–Environment Systems Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725 USA
| | - María D. López-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Centro Andaluz para la Evaluación y Seguimiento de Cambio Global (CASCG), Universidad de Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3)-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Av. Friedrich Gauss 5, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona Spain
| | - Javier Cabello
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Centro Andaluz para la Evaluación y Seguimiento de Cambio Global (CASCG), Universidad de Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Pedro A. Aguilera
- Informatics and Environmental Research Group, Department of Biology and Geology, University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Antonio J. Castro
- Social-Ecological Research Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Avenue, Pocatello, ID 83209 USA
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Centro Andaluz para la Evaluación y Seguimiento de Cambio Global (CASCG), Universidad de Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120 Almería, Spain
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Wineland SM, Fovargue R, Gill KC, Rezapour S, Neeson TM. Conservation planning in an uncertain climate: Identifying projects that remain valuable and feasible across future scenarios. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Wineland
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Rachel Fovargue
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Ken C. Gill
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
| | - Shabnam Rezapour
- Enterprise and Logistics Engineering Florida International University Miami FL USA
| | - Thomas M. Neeson
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
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Kockel A, Ban NC, Costa M, Dearden P. Addressing distribution equity in spatial conservation prioritization for small-scale fisheries. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233339. [PMID: 32428006 PMCID: PMC7237002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial conservation prioritization is used worldwide for designing marine protected areas (MPA) that achieve set conservation objectives with minimal impacts to marine users. People involved in small-scale fisheries (SSF) may incur negative and disproportionate impacts from implementing MPAs, yet limited available data often restricts their representation in MPA planning. Using a Philippines case study, we focus here on the systematic design of a MPA network that aims to minimize and distribute costs equitably for SSF whilst achieving representation targets for biodiversity conservation. The objectives of the study are to: (1) document a participatory mapping approach for collecting SSF data for prioritization using the local knowledge of fishers; and (2) examine how the completeness and resolution of SSF data may affect prioritization outputs in terms of biodiversity representation, spatial efficiency, and distribution equity. In the data-poor region, we conducted participatory mapping workshops with fishers in 79 communities to collect data on the spatial distribution patterns of different SSF fisheries and communities, and employed remote sensing techniques to define coastal habitats, which were targeted for inclusion in MPAs. The datasets were integrated within the decision-support tool Marxan with Zones to develop three scenarios. The SSF data incorporated in each scenario varied based on their completeness (considered all fishing methods or only dominant methods) and resolution (fishing methods itemized by community or municipality). All scenarios derived MPA plans that met representation targets with similar area coverage. The outputs, however, varied in terms of distribution equity, measured by the distribution of opportunity costs (loss of fishing grounds) across different fisheries and communities. Scenarios that did not include minority fisheries or variations between communities, led to inequitable costs. These results highlight the need to incorporate detailed data on SSF at appropriate resolutions, and how this can be achieved through participatory approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Kockel
- Geography Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Natalie C. Ban
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maycira Costa
- Geography Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Philip Dearden
- Geography Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Gooden J, ‘t Sas-Rolfes M. A review of critical perspectives on private land conservation in academic literature. AMBIO 2020; 49:1019-1034. [PMID: 31606881 PMCID: PMC7067726 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01258-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, private land conservation has increased in profile among policymakers and academics. Conservation initiatives on privately owned land help to mitigate global biodiversity loss and introduce new actors to conservation. However, they have also been the subject of numerous critical accounts. This review catalogs issues that emerge in critical literature, identifying 25 themes, classified into three groups: Implementation Effectiveness, Value Conflict, and Economic Inefficiency. Gaps in the literature include the need for broader geographic coverage; assessment of the issues' specificity to private land conservation; and evaluation of the extent to which issues in the literature reflect broader societal values. The literature's strong emphasis on value conflict suggests that greater attention to governance effectiveness may steer private land conservation toward practices that are more just, equitable, and representative and lead to increased societal support. We recommend further research to address identified gaps, with a greater orientation toward inclusive governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Gooden
- Oxford University Centre for the Environment, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Oxford University School of Geography and the Environment, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY UK
| | - Michael ‘t Sas-Rolfes
- Oxford University Centre for the Environment, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Oxford University School of Geography and the Environment, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY UK
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8
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Identifying key factors, actors and relevant scales in landscape and conservation planning, management and decision making: Promoting effective citizen involvement. J Nat Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Moore JW, Nowlan L, Olszynski M, Jacob AL, Favaro B, Collins L, Williams-Davidson GTL, Weitz J. Towards linking environmental law and science. Facets (Ott) 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2017-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gaps between environmental science and environmental law may undermine sound environmental decision-making. We link perspectives and insights from science and law to highlight opportunities and challenges at the environmental science–law interface. The objectives of this paper are to assist scientists who wish to conduct and communicate science that informs environmental statutes, regulations, and associated operational policies (OPs), and to ensure the environmental lawyers (and others) working to ensure that these statutes, regulations, and OPs are appropriately informed by scientific evidence. We provide a conceptual model of how different kinds of science-based activities can feed into legislative and policy cycles, ranging from actionable science that can inform decision-making windows to retrospective analyses that can inform future regulations. We identify a series of major gaps and barriers that challenge the successful linking of environmental science and law. These include (1) the different time frames for science and law, (2) the different standards of proof for scientific and legal (un)certainty, (3) the need for effective scientific communication, (4) the multijurisdictional (federal, provincial, and Indigenous) nature of environmental law, and (5) the different ethical obligations of law and science. Addressing these challenges calls for bidirectional learning among scientists and lawyers and more intentional collaborations at the law–science interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan W. Moore
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Linda Nowlan
- West Coast Environmental Law, Vancouver, BC V9A 3N6, Canada
| | - Martin Olszynski
- Faculty of Law, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Aerin L. Jacob
- Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and Liber Ero Fellowship Program, Canmore, AB T1W 1P6, Canada
| | - Brett Favaro
- Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1C 5R3, Canada
| | - Lynda Collins
- Faculty of Law, Centre for Environmental Law and Global Sustainability, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | | | - Jill Weitz
- Salmon Beyond Borders, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
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10
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Williamson MA, Schwartz MW, Lubell MN. Spatially Explicit Analytical Models for Social–Ecological Systems. Bioscience 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biy094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Williamson
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis
| | - Mark W Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis
| | - Mark N Lubell
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis
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11
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Karimi A, Tulloch AIT, Brown G, Hockings M. Understanding the effects of different social data on selecting priority conservation areas. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:1439-1449. [PMID: 28425128 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Conservation success is contingent on assessing social and environmental factors so that cost-effective implementation of strategies and actions can be placed in a broad social-ecological context. Until now, the focus has been on how to include spatially explicit social data in conservation planning, whereas the value of different kinds of social data has received limited attention. In a regional systematic conservation planning case study in Australia, we examined the spatial concurrence of a range of spatially explicit social values and land-use preferences collected using a public participation geographic information system and biological data. We used Zonation to integrate the social data with the biological data in a series of spatial-prioritization scenarios to determine the effect of the different types of social data on spatial prioritization compared with biological data alone. The type of social data (i.e., conservation opportunities or constraints) significantly affected spatial prioritization outcomes. The integration of social values and land-use preferences under different scenarios was highly variable and generated spatial prioritizations 1.2-51% different from those based on biological data alone. The inclusion of conservation-compatible values and preferences added relatively few new areas to conservation priorities, whereas including noncompatible economic values and development preferences as costs significantly changed conservation priority areas (48.2% and 47.4%, respectively). Based on our results, a multifaceted conservation prioritization approach that combines spatially explicit social data with biological data can help conservation planners identify the type of social data to collect for more effective and feasible conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Karimi
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, 9177948974, Iran
| | - Ayesha I T Tulloch
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Greg Brown
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Marc Hockings
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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Wu PPY, Mengersen K, McMahon K, Kendrick GA, Chartrand K, York PH, Rasheed MA, Caley MJ. Timing anthropogenic stressors to mitigate their impact on marine ecosystem resilience. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1263. [PMID: 29093493 PMCID: PMC5665875 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01306-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Better mitigation of anthropogenic stressors on marine ecosystems is urgently needed to address increasing biodiversity losses worldwide. We explore opportunities for stressor mitigation using whole-of-systems modelling of ecological resilience, accounting for complex interactions between stressors, their timing and duration, background environmental conditions and biological processes. We then search for ecological windows, times when stressors minimally impact ecological resilience, defined here as risk, recovery and resistance. We show for 28 globally distributed seagrass meadows that stressor scheduling that exploits ecological windows for dredging campaigns can achieve up to a fourfold reduction in recovery time and 35% reduction in extinction risk. Although the timing and length of windows vary among sites to some degree, global trends indicate favourable windows in autumn and winter. Our results demonstrate that resilience is dynamic with respect to space, time and stressors, varying most strongly with: (i) the life history of the seagrass genus and (ii) the duration and timing of the impacting stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Pao-Yen Wu
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia.
| | - Kerrie Mengersen
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
| | - Kathryn McMahon
- School of Sciences and Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia
- WAMSI Headquarters, M095, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Gary A Kendrick
- WAMSI Headquarters, M095, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Kathryn Chartrand
- Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, 14-88 McGregor Road, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
| | - Paul H York
- Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, 14-88 McGregor Road, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
| | - Michael A Rasheed
- Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, 14-88 McGregor Road, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
| | - M Julian Caley
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
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Keiner C. A Two-Ocean Bouillabaisse: Science, Politics, and the Central American Sea-Level Canal Controversy. JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF BIOLOGY 2017; 50:835-887. [PMID: 28058657 DOI: 10.1007/s10739-016-9461-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
As the Panama Canal approached its fiftieth anniversary in the mid-1960s, U.S. officials concerned about the costs of modernization welcomed the technology of peaceful nuclear excavation to create a new waterway at sea level. Biologists seeking a share of the funds slated for radiological-safety studies called attention to another potential effect which they deemed of far greater ecological and evolutionary magnitude - marine species exchange, an obscure environmental issue that required the expertise of underresourced life scientists. An enterprising endeavor to support Smithsonian naturalists, especially marine biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, wound up sparking heated debates - between biologists and engineers about the oceans' biological integrity and among scientists about whether the megaproject represented a research opportunity or environmental threat. A National Academy of Sciences panel chaired by Ernst Mayr failed to attract congressional funding for its 10-year baseline research program, but did create a stir in the scientific and mainstream press about the ecological threats that the sea-level canal might unleash upon the Atlantic and Pacific. This paper examines how the proposed megaproject sparked a scientific and political conversation about the risks of mixing the oceans at a time when many members of the scientific and engineering communities still viewed the seas as impervious to human-facilitated change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Keiner
- Department of Science, Technology, and Society, College of Liberal Arts, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623-5604, USA.
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14
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Nielsen ASE, Strange N, Bruun HH, Jacobsen JB. Effects of preference heterogeneity among landowners on spatial conservation prioritization. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:675-685. [PMID: 27995662 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The participation of private landowners in conservation is crucial to efficient biodiversity conservation. This is especially the case in settings where the share of private ownership is large and the economic costs associated with land acquisition are high. We used probit regression analysis and historical participation data to examine the likelihood of participation of Danish forest owners in a voluntary conservation program. We used the results to spatially predict the likelihood of participation of all forest owners in Denmark. We merged spatial data on the presence of forest, cadastral information on participation contracts, and individual-level socioeconomic information about the forest owners and their households. We included predicted participation in a probability model for species survival. Uninformed and informed (included land owner characteristics) models were then incorporated into a spatial prioritization for conservation of unmanaged forests. The choice models are based on sociodemographic data on the entire population of Danish forest owners and historical data on their participation in conservation schemes. Inclusion in the model of information on private landowners' willingness to supply land for conservation yielded at intermediate budget levels up to 30% more expected species coverage than the uninformed prioritization scheme. Our landowner-choice model provides an example of moving toward more implementable conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niels Strange
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Hans Henrik Bruun
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen O, Denmark
| | - Jette Bredahl Jacobsen
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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15
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Guerrero AM, Wilson KA. Using a social-ecological framework to inform the implementation of conservation plans. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:290-301. [PMID: 27601156 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
One of the key determinants of success in biodiversity conservation is how well conservation planning decisions account for the social system in which actions are to be implemented. Understanding elements of how the social and ecological systems interact can help identify opportunities for implementation. Utilizing data from a large-scale conservation initiative in southwestern of Australia, we explored how a social-ecological system framework can be applied to identify how social and ecological factors interact to influence the opportunities for conservation. Using data from semistructured interviews, an online survey, and publicly available data, we developed a conceptual model of the social-ecological system associated with the conservation of the Fitz-Stirling region. We used this model to identify the relevant variables (remnants of vegetation, stakeholder presence, collaboration between stakeholders, and their scale of management) that affect the implementation of conservation actions in the region. We combined measures for these variables to ascertain how areas associated with different levels of ecological importance coincided with areas associated with different levels of stakeholder presence, stakeholder collaboration, and scales of management. We identified areas that could benefit from different implementation strategies, from those suitable for immediate conservation action to areas requiring implementation over the long term to increase on-the-ground capacity and identify mechanisms to incentivize implementation. The application of a social-ecological framework can help conservation planners and practitioners facilitate the integration of ecological and social data to inform the translation of priorities for action into implementation strategies that account for the complexities of conservation problems in a focused way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M Guerrero
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Kerrie A Wilson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
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Hermoso V, Januchowski-Hartley SR, Linke S. Systematic planning of disconnection to enhance conservation success in a modified world. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 536:1038-1044. [PMID: 26254022 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.07.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Maintaining spatial-temporal connectivity for conservation is necessary to allow the persistence of ecological processes and the biodiversity they sustain. However, conservation practice in human-modified environments can also benefit from prescribed disconnection through the implementation of barriers. Barriers, such as fences or dams, and buffer zones can be a cost-effective way of addressing threats caused by a globally connected world, such as the propagation of invasive species and diseases, creating refuge areas for native biodiversity and helping reduce economic losses caused by native wildlife or invasive species. Despite the global attention that disconnection has received, no clear framework exists to guide the allocation of barriers for conservation management. Here we propose that the implementation of barriers for conservation should be systematically planned, considering ecological trade-offs for multiple species (easing threats vs. interruption of ecosystem processes) and socio-economic cost-benefits (implementation cost vs. reduced human-wildlife conflicts), rather than using ad-hoc opportunistic criteria or accommodating conservation needs for individual species. Such a systematic approach is necessary to ensure both socially acceptable and ecologically effective use of disconnections as a conservation tool and ideally planned across different realms so co-benefits or trade-offs can be accounted for. However, any implementation of disconnection for conservation should be cautiously considered if uncertainty in effectiveness of the barrier and ecological impacts to other species are high. We also suggest the need for improved approaches to monitoring to learn from previous successes and failures. Our recommendations should guide the systematic evaluation and allocation of barriers to help enhance the value of this conservation tool in the face of increasing propagation of threats worldwide. However, new tools and collaborative frameworks across different realms are needed to help stakeholders make better informed decision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virgilio Hermoso
- Centre Tecnologic Forestal de Catalunya, Crta. Sant Llorenc de Monunys, Km 2, 25280 Solsona, Lleida, Spain; Australian Rivers Institute and Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge, National Environmental Research Program Northern Australia Hub, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia.
| | | | - Simon Linke
- Centre Tecnologic Forestal de Catalunya, Crta. Sant Llorenc de Monunys, Km 2, 25280 Solsona, Lleida, Spain
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Tulloch AIT, Tulloch VJD, Evans MC, Mills M. The value of using feasibility models in systematic conservation planning to predict landholder management uptake. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2014; 28:1462-1473. [PMID: 25382827 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the social dimensions of conservation opportunity is crucial for conservation planning in multiple-use landscapes. However, factors that influence the feasibility of implementing conservation actions, such as the history of landscape management, and landholders' willingness to engage are often difficult or time consuming to quantify and rarely incorporated into planning. We examined how conservation agencies could reduce costs of acquiring such data by developing predictive models of management feasibility parameterized with social and biophysical factors likely to influence landholders' decisions to engage in management. To test the utility of our best-supported model, we developed 4 alternative investment scenarios based on different input data for conservation planning: social data only; biological data only; potential conservation opportunity derived from modeled feasibility that incurs no social data collection costs; and existing conservation opportunity derived from feasibility data that incurred collection costs. Using spatially explicit information on biodiversity values, feasibility, and management costs, we prioritized locations in southwest Australia to control an invasive predator that is detrimental to both agriculture and natural ecosystems: the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). When social data collection costs were moderate to high, the most cost-effective investment scenario resulted from a predictive model of feasibility. Combining empirical feasibility data with biological data was more cost-effective for prioritizing management when social data collection costs were low (<4% of the total budget). Calls for more data to inform conservation planning should take into account the costs and benefits of collecting and using social data to ensure that limited funding for conservation is spent in the most cost-efficient and effective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha I T Tulloch
- National Environmental Research Program Environmental Decisions Hub, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia; Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
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Cook CN, Wintle BC, Aldrich SC, Wintle BA. Using strategic foresight to assess conservation opportunity. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2014; 28:1474-1483. [PMID: 25381735 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2014] [Revised: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The nature of conservation challenges can foster a reactive, rather than proactive approach to decision making. Failure to anticipate problems before they escalate results in the need for more costly and time-consuming solutions. Proactive conservation requires forward-looking approaches to decision making that consider possible futures without being overly constrained by the past. Strategic foresight provides a structured process for considering the most desirable future and for mapping the most efficient and effective approaches to promoting that future with tools that facilitate creative thinking. The process involves 6 steps: setting the scope, collecting inputs, analyzing signals, interpreting the information, determining how to act, and implementing the outcomes. Strategic foresight is ideal for seeking, recognizing, and realizing conservation opportunities because it explicitly encourages a broad-minded, forward-looking perspective on an issue. Despite its potential value, the foresight process is rarely used to address conservation issues, and previous attempts have generally failed to influence policy. We present the strategic foresight process as it can be used for proactive conservation planning, describing some of the key tools in the foresight tool kit and how they can be used to identify and exploit different types of conservation opportunities. Scanning is an important tool for collecting and organizing diverse streams of information and can be used to recognize new opportunities and those that could be created. Scenario planning explores how current trends, drivers of change, and key uncertainties might influence the future and can be used to identify barriers to opportunities. Backcasting is used to map out a path to a goal and can determine how to remove barriers to opportunities. We highlight how the foresight process was used to identify conservation opportunities during the development of a strategic plan to address climate change in New York State. The plan identified solutions that should be effective across a range of possible futures. Illustrating the application of strategic foresight to identify conservation opportunities should provide the impetus for decision makers to explore strategic foresight as a way to support more proactive conservation policy, planning, and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly N Cook
- School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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Raymond CM. Introduction: identifying and assessing conservation opportunity. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2014; 28:1447-1450. [PMID: 25382788 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Raymond
- Barbara Hardy Institute, University of South Australia; Geography and Environmental Studies, School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania; Enviroconnect, P.O. Box 190, Stirling, South Australia 5152, Australia..
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Sutton NJ, Armsworth PR. The grain of spatially referenced economic cost and biodiversity benefit data and the effectiveness of a cost targeting strategy. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2014; 28:1451-1461. [PMID: 25381868 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Facing tight resource constraints, conservation organizations must allocate funds available for habitat protection as effectively as possible. Often, they combine spatially referenced economic and biodiversity data to prioritize land for protection. We tested how sensitive these prioritizations could be to differences in the spatial grain of these data by demonstrating how the conclusion of a classic debate in conservation planning between cost and benefit targeting was altered based on the available information. As a case study, we determined parcel-level acquisition costs and biodiversity benefits of land transactions recently undertaken by a nonprofit conservation organization that seeks to protect forests in the eastern United States. Then, we used hypothetical conservation plans to simulate the types of ex ante priorities that an organization could use to prioritize areas for protection. We found the apparent effectiveness of cost and benefit targeting depended on the spatial grain of the data used when prioritizing parcels based on local species richness. However, when accounting for complementarity, benefit targeting consistently was more efficient than a cost targeting strategy regardless of the spatial grain of the data involved. More pertinently for other studies, we found that combining data collected over different spatial grains inflated the apparent effectiveness of a cost targeting strategy and led to overestimation of the efficiency gain offered by adopting a more integrative return-on-investment approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Sutton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 569 Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, U.S.A
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