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Blake K, Anderson SC, Gleave A, Veríssimo D. Impact on species' online attention when named after celebrities. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14184. [PMID: 37700661 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Celebrities can generate substantial attention and influence public interest in species. Using a large-scale examination of publicly available data, we assessed whether species across 6 taxonomic groups received more page views on Wikipedia when the species was named after a celebrity than when it was not. We conducted our analysis for 4 increasingly strict thresholds of how many average daily Wikipedia page views a celebrity had (1, 10, 100, or 1000 views). Overall, we found a high probability (0.96-0.98) that species named after celebrities had more page views than their closest relatives that were not named after celebrities, irrespective of the celebrity threshold. The multiplicative effect on species' page views was larger but more uncertain as celebrity page-view thresholds increased. The range for thresholds of 1 to 1000 was 1.08 (95% credible interval [CI] 1.00-1.18) to 1.76 (95% CI 0.96-2.80), respectively. The hierarchical estimates for the taxa tended to be positive. The strongest effects were for invertebrates, followed by amphibians, reptiles, fish, and mammals, whereas the weakest effect was for birds at lower page-view thresholds. Our results suggest that naming species after celebrities could be particularly significant for those belonging to taxonomic groups that are generally less popular than others (e.g., invertebrates). Celebrities may further influence the effectiveness of this marketing strategy, depending on their likability and connection to the species named after them. Eponyms may serve as a reminder of the disproportionate power dynamics between populations and some namesakes' untenable actions. However, they also provide an opportunity to recognize remarkable individuals and promote equity, inclusivity, and diversity in taxonomic practice. We encourage taxonomists to examine whether naming threatened species after celebrities could affect conservation support, especially for species that are otherwise typically overlooked by the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Blake
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sean C Anderson
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, Canada
- Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
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Mammola S, Adamo M, Antić D, Calevo J, Cancellario T, Cardoso P, Chamberlain D, Chialva M, Durucan F, Fontaneto D, Goncalves D, Martínez A, Santini L, Rubio-Lopez I, Sousa R, Villegas-Rios D, Verdes A, Correia RA. Drivers of species knowledge across the tree of life. eLife 2023; 12:RP88251. [PMID: 37846960 PMCID: PMC10581686 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of biodiversity is unevenly distributed across the Tree of Life. In the long run, such disparity in awareness unbalances our understanding of life on Earth, influencing policy decisions and the allocation of research and conservation funding. We investigated how humans accumulate knowledge of biodiversity by searching for consistent relationships between scientific (number of publications) and societal (number of views in Wikipedia) interest, and species-level morphological, ecological, and sociocultural factors. Across a random selection of 3019 species spanning 29 Phyla/Divisions, we show that sociocultural factors are the most important correlates of scientific and societal interest in biodiversity, including the fact that a species is useful or harmful to humans, has a common name, and is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Furthermore, large-bodied, broadly distributed, and taxonomically unique species receive more scientific and societal attention, whereas colorfulness and phylogenetic proximity to humans correlate exclusively with societal attention. These results highlight a favoritism toward limited branches of the Tree of Life, and that scientific and societal priorities in biodiversity research broadly align. This suggests that we may be missing out on key species in our research and conservation agenda simply because they are not on our cultural radar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), National Research CouncilVerbaniaItaly
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- National Biodiversity Future CenterPalermoItaly
| | - Martino Adamo
- National Biodiversity Future CenterPalermoItaly
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of TurinTorinoItaly
| | - Dragan Antić
- University of Belgrade - Faculty of BiologyBelgradeSerbia
| | - Jacopo Calevo
- Royal Botanic GardensLondonUnited Kingdom
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin UniversityPerthAustralia
| | - Tommaso Cancellario
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), National Research CouncilVerbaniaItaly
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Dan Chamberlain
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of TurinTorinoItaly
| | - Matteo Chialva
- National Biodiversity Future CenterPalermoItaly
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of TurinTorinoItaly
| | - Furkan Durucan
- Department of Aquaculture, Isparta University of Applied SciencesIspartaTurkey
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), National Research CouncilVerbaniaItaly
- National Biodiversity Future CenterPalermoItaly
| | - Duarte Goncalves
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of PortoMatosinhosPortugal
| | - Alejandro Martínez
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), National Research CouncilVerbaniaItaly
| | - Luca Santini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Iñigo Rubio-Lopez
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), National Research CouncilVerbaniaItaly
| | - Ronaldo Sousa
- CBMA – Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of MinhoMinhoPortugal
| | | | - Aida Verdes
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesMadridSpain
| | - Ricardo A Correia
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science (HELICS), Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of AveiroAveiroPortugal
- Biodiversity Unit, University of TurkuTurkuFinland
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3
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Wilson MJ, Perkin EK. Going rogue: what scientists can learn about Twitter communication from "alt" government accounts. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12407. [PMID: 34760391 PMCID: PMC8570174 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12407] [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] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The inauguration of President Trump in the United States led to the active restriction of science communication from federal agencies, resulting in the creation of many unofficial "alt" Twitter accounts to maintain communication. Alt accounts had many followers (e.g., 15 accounts had > 100,000) and received a large amount of media attention, making them ideal for better understanding how differences in messaging can affect public engagement with science on microblogging platforms. We analyzed tweets produced by alt and corresponding official agency accounts to compare the two groups and determine if specific features of a tweet made them more likely to be retweeted or liked to help the average scientist potentially reach a broader audience on Twitter. We found adding links, images, hashtags, and mentions, as well as expressing angry and annoying sentiments all increased retweets and likes. Evidence-based terms such as "peer-review" had high retweet rates but linking directly to peer-reviewed publications decreased attention compared to popular science websites. Word choice and attention did not reflect official or alt account types, indicating topic is more important than source. The number of tweets generated and attention received by alt accounts has decreased since their creation, demonstrating the importance of timeliness in science communication on social media. Together our results show potential pathways for scientists to increase efficacy in Twitter communications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Wilson
- Freshwater Research Institute, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA, United States of America
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Wood E, Ambrosini A, Wood K, Demetrio C, O'Malley WC, Stratton A, Elbroch LM. Online Noise as Illustrated by Pitfalls and Biogeography Associated With Common Names for Puma concolor. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.692607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Noise is the non-target search results that people encounter when searching for a particular topic of interest; it is also the cloud of distracting data that can obscure or deflect conservation communication. Online noise associated with large carnivores is particularly dense because their defining characteristics make them salient. Mountain lions (Puma concolor) exemplify noise associated with multiple vernaculars for a species in the crosshairs of conservation conundrums. We compared internet search results, Google Trends reflecting topic interest, use in science publications and sentiment in print and online media for P. concolor's most frequent vernacular names, “mountain lion,” “cougar,” “puma” and “Florida panther.” Puma and panther exhibited greater noise and salience than cougar or mountain lion, but, results for mountain lion, followed by cougar, yielded the highest biological relevance. Online sentiment negatively correlated with biological relevance, with positive sentiment highest for the noisiest vernaculars, puma and panther. As conservation practitioners, we must recognize that public outreach is part of our scientific agenda and be conscious of crafting communication that reaches and resonates with our intended audiences.
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Fukano Y, Soga M, Fukuda M, Takahashi Y, Koyama M, Arakawa Y, Miyano N, Akiba Y, Horiguchi M. Debut of an endangered bird in zoos raises public interest, awareness and conservation knowledge of the species. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y. Fukano
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - M. Soga
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - M. Fukuda
- Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan Tokyo Japan
| | - Y. Takahashi
- Tokyo Zoological Park Society Ueno Zoological Gardens Tokyo Japan
| | | | | | | | - Y. Akiba
- Toyama Municipal Family Park Zoo Toyama Japan
- Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums Tokyo Japan
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Thousands of reptile species threatened by under-regulated global trade. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4738. [PMID: 32994397 PMCID: PMC7525537 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18523-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife trade is a key driver of the biodiversity crisis. Unregulated, or under-regulated wildlife trade can lead to unsustainable exploitation of wild populations. International efforts to regulate wildlife mostly miss ‘lower-value’ species, such as those imported as pets, resulting in limited knowledge of trade in groups like reptiles. Here we generate a dataset on web-based private commercial trade of reptiles to highlight the scope of the global reptile trade. We find that over 35% of reptile species are traded online. Three quarters of this trade is in species that are not covered by international trade regulation. These species include numerous endangered or range-restricted species, especially hotspots within Asia. Approximately 90% of traded reptile species and half of traded individuals are captured from the wild. Exploitation can occur immediately after scientific description, leaving new endemic species especially vulnerable. Pronounced gaps in regulation imply trade is having unknown impacts on numerous threatened species. Gaps in monitoring demand a reconsideration of international reptile trade regulations. We suggest reversing the status-quo, requiring proof of sustainability before trade is permitted. There are gaps in international efforts to monitor the wildlife trade, with many species potentially being undetected by the established monitoring groups. Here the authors use an automated web search to document the sale of reptiles online, revealing over 36% of all known reptile species are in trade, including many missing from official databases.
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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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Karawita H, Perera P. A method for rapid assessment of the distribution and conservation status of Indian pangolin ( Manis crassicaudata) in an extended geographical region. MethodsX 2020; 7:100912. [PMID: 32477893 PMCID: PMC7248234 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2020.100912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of an effective conservation management strategy for the Indian pangolins (Manis crassicaudata) found in Sri Lanka is hindered due to lack of solid evidence based distribution and ecological data on Indian pangolins. We employed a rapid and cost-effective method based on reliable information by combining primary and secondary data. The method was predominantly based on secondary data from the official records maintained by the government and non-governmental institutions related to wildlife conservation. The primary data collection was carried out depending on the findings from the secondary data sources; i.e. structured interviews and field studies were carried out in the localities that identified from secondary data sources. As a source of primary data, the structured interviews were carried out with stakeholders including the officials of government and nongovernmental institutions, hunters and villagers of the identified localities.This method allows collecting quick and accurate data on the distribution, habitats and conservation threats for the species. Cost effective method to collect ecological data of elusive mammals in large areas. Efficient method to identify trends of pangolin related crimes and illicit trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasitha Karawita
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
| | - Priyan Perera
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.,IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group, C/o Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
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Santos JW, Correia RA, Malhado ACM, Campos‐Silva JV, Teles D, Jepson P, Ladle RJ. Drivers of taxonomic bias in conservation research: a global analysis of terrestrial mammals. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J. W. Santos
- Institute of Biological Science and Health Federal University of Alagoas Maceió Brazil
| | - R. A. Correia
- Institute of Biological Science and Health Federal University of Alagoas Maceió Brazil
- Department of Geosciences and Geography Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Helsinki Institute for Sustainability Science University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - A. C. M. Malhado
- Institute of Biological Science and Health Federal University of Alagoas Maceió Brazil
| | - J. V. Campos‐Silva
- Institute of Biological Science and Health Federal University of Alagoas Maceió Brazil
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
| | - D. Teles
- Institute of Biological Science and Health Federal University of Alagoas Maceió Brazil
| | | | - R. J. Ladle
- Institute of Biological Science and Health Federal University of Alagoas Maceió Brazil
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10
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Ladle RJ, Jepson P, Correia RA, Malhado ACM. A culturomics approach to quantifying the salience of species on the global internet. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Ladle
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences Federal University of Alagoas Maceio Brazil
| | - Paul Jepson
- Ecosulis Ltd Bath UK
- Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Ricardo A. Correia
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences Federal University of Alagoas Maceio Brazil
- DBIO & CESAM‐Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies University of Aveiro Aveiro Portugal
| | - Ana C. M. Malhado
- Institute of Biological and Health Sciences Federal University of Alagoas Maceio Brazil
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11
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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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Mikula P, Hadrava J, Albrecht T, Tryjanowski P. Large-scale assessment of commensalistic-mutualistic associations between African birds and herbivorous mammals using internet photos. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4520. [PMID: 29576981 PMCID: PMC5863707 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds sitting or feeding on live large African herbivorous mammals are a visible, yet quite neglected, type of commensalistic–mutualistic association. Here, we investigate general patterns in such relationships at large spatial and taxonomic scales. To obtain large-scale data, an extensive internet-based search for photos was carried out on Google Images. To characterize patterns of the structural organization of commensalistic–mutualistic associations between African birds and herbivorous mammals, we used a network analysis approach. We then employed phylogenetically-informed comparative analysis to explore whether features of bird visitation of mammals, i.e., their mean number, mass and species richness per mammal species, are shaped by a combination of host mammal (body mass and herd size) and environmental (habitat openness) characteristics. We found that the association web structure was only weakly nested for commensalistic as well as for mutualistic birds (oxpeckers Buphagus spp.) and African mammals. Moreover, except for oxpeckers, nestedness did not differ significantly from a null model indicating that birds do not prefer mammal species which are visited by a large number of bird species. In oxpeckers, however, a nested structure suggests a non-random assignment of birds to their mammal hosts. We also identified some new or rare associations between birds and mammals, but we failed to find several previously described associations. Furthermore, we found that mammal body mass positively influenced the number and mass of birds observed sitting on them in the full set of species (i.e., taking oxpeckers together with other bird species). We also found a positive correlation between mammal body mass and mass of non-oxpecker species as well as oxpeckers. Mammal herd size was associated with a higher mass of birds in the full set of species as well as in non-oxpecker species, and mammal species living in larger herds also attracted more bird species in the full set of species. Habitat openness influenced the mass of birds sitting on mammals as well as the number of species recorded sitting on mammals in the full set of species. In non-oxpecker species habitat openness was correlated with the bird number, mass and species richness. Our results provide evidence that patterns of bird–mammal associations can be linked to mammal and environmental characteristics and highlight the potential role of information technologies and new media in further studies of ecology and evolution. However, further study is needed to get a proper insight into the biological and methodological processes underlying the observed patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mikula
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Hadrava
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Entomology, Biological Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Piotr Tryjanowski
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
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Jarić I, Roberts DL, Gessner J, Solow AR, Courchamp F. Science responses to IUCN Red Listing. PeerJ 2017; 5:e4025. [PMID: 29158973 PMCID: PMC5691787 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is often advocated as a tool to assist decision-making in conservation investment and research focus. It is frequently suggested that research efforts should prioritize species in higher threat categories and those that are Data Deficient (DD). We assessed the linkage between IUCN listing and research effort in DD and Critically Endangered (CR) species, two groups generally advocated as research priorities. The analysis of the change in the research output following species classification indicated a listing effect in DD species, while such effect was observed in only a minority of CR species groups. DD species, while chronically understudied, seem to be recognized as research priorities, while research effort for endangered species appears to be driven by various factors other than the IUCN listing. Optimized conservation research focus would require international science planning efforts, harmonized through international mechanisms and promoted by financial and other incentives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Jarić
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - David L Roberts
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Jörn Gessner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Franck Courchamp
- Ecologie, Systematique, and Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Universite Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
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