Biodiversity conservation as a promising frontier for behavioural science

Nielsen, Kristian Steensen; Marteau, Theresa M.; Bauer, Jan Michael; Bradbury, Richard B.; Broad, Steven; Burgess, Gayle; Burgman, Mark A.; Byerly, Hilary; Clayton, Susan; Espelosin, Dulce; Ferraro, Paul J.; Fisher, Brendan; Garnett, Emma; Jones, Julia P. G.; Otieno, Mark; Polasky, Stephen; Ricketts, Taylor H.; Trevelyan, Rosie; Linden, Sander van der; Veríssimo, Diogo; Balmford, Andrew

doi:10.1038/s41562-021-01109-5

Cited by 92 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 99 publications

(120 reference statements)

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“…Therefore, human–wolf coexistence would benefit from encouraging changes in human behavior. Awareness campaigns should adopt strategies to influence human behaviors (Balmford et al, 2021; Cinner, 2018; Nielsen et al, 2021) with the potential to impact on reducing risky situations with wolves. Here, we have highlighted several behavioral changes that should be prioritized: not leaving children unattended, adopting preventive damage measures and waste management practices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living with wolves: Lessons learned from Iran

Mohammadi

Alambeigi

López‐Bao

et al. 2022

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Given the complex and dynamic interrelationships of the underlying factors contributing to conflicts associated with wolf presence and persistence in human-dominated landscapes, it is often difficult to clearly identify the ultimate causes of these conflicts. In this study, a system dynamics modeling approach was adopted to simulate human-wolf conflicts in an area with the greatest number of recently fatal wolf attacks on humans in Iran. Data used to build the model were obtained from questionnaire surveys and satellite tracking of wolves. We simulated changes in ecological and social factors that may influence conflicts under different assumptions. Our findings indicate that, in this context, the proximity of wolves to human settlements is one of the determining factors leading to increased wolf attacks on humans and livestock.When the distance between wolf territories and human settlements increases, the likelihood of both wolf incidents and retaliatory killings are expected to decrease. Effective communication of information regarding wolves across local communities is expected to result in a positive shift in attitudes toward the species, as well as a decrease in fear, which in turn will affect the rate of conflicts. Improper disposal of carcasses of domestic animals by the locals, dumping of waste in open dumpsites close to villages, and leaving children unattended on agricultural fields are expected to increase the recurrence of conflicts. We strongly urge Hamadan provincial office of environment and nongovernmental organizations to initiate communication programs to raise awareness on the human-wolf conflict and its mitigation. This includes how to properly handle livestock carcasses at safe distances from human settlements. Furthermore, design and construction of sanitary landfills in the vicinity of each village, as well as providing education on how to properly use these sites could help reduce risky conflicts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living with wolves: Lessons learned from Iran

Mohammadi

Alambeigi

López‐Bao

et al. 2022

Conservat Sci and Prac

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“…Hence, even if Individual A has a negative behavioural preference towards wolves, she may be prevented from shooting a wolf by lack of opportunity, skills or equipment (Slagle & Bruskotter, 2019); and Individual B might not engage in wolf conservation due to time constraints. While empirical assessments of behaviour can be very challenging (Text S2), they are increasingly recognized as a necessity for characterizing, understanding and improving human–nature relationships (Nielsen et al., 2021; Nilsson et al., 2020).…”

Section: Three Dimensions For Characterizing Iren Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Involuntary support encompasses all relationship types that combine positive behaviour and a neutral or negative behavioural preference (Figure 3f; Table S2). It may occur when an action's positive impacts on the entity are not known to the individual, or a side effect rather than a motive (Nielsen et al., 2021). Depending on the supported entity, involuntary support can either jeopardize or promote sustainability and conservation goals.…”

Section: The Iren Typologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking individual relationships with entities of nature

et al. 2022

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Recognizing variation in human–nature relationships across different contexts, entities of nature and individual people is central to an equitable management of nature and its contributions to people, and to design effective strategies for encouraging and guiding more sustainable human behaviour. We complement the broader Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) conceptual framework by zooming in from relationships between people and nature to individual relationships with entities of nature (IREN), and introduce a new typology that categorizes those relationships based on individual attitude, behavioural preference and behaviour towards an entity. These three dimensions illustrate if an individual perceives the entity to provide mainly positive, negative or no contributions; prefers to have a mainly positive, negative or no impact on the entity; and performs mainly actions with positive, negative or no impacts on the entity. The IREN typology defines 17 overarching relationship types, including not only types where attitude, behavioural preference and behaviour are all negative (intolerance), all neutral (indifference) or all positive (stewardship), but also types where the valence of some dimensions diverges. Among those, we integrate and redefine established types like tolerance, and introduce new ones like ambivalent opposition, which is highly relevant for the management of overabundant or invasive species. Combining attitude, behavioural preference and behaviour to categorize different IREN types can help detect inequalities in the benefits and detriments individual people receive from different entities, and signal societal conflict potential or misalignment of behaviour with conservation goals. Combining those three dimensions also indicates the relative importance of goal‐oriented motives like the desire to optimize an entity's perceived contributions, moral motives like the desire to act righteously and implementation barriers preventing individuals from acting according to their preference. By adding an individual‐ and entity‐specific perspective, the IREN framework and typology can encourage more equitable approaches to managing the benefits and detriments people derive from nature, and assist the development of more effective strategies for aligning human behaviour with conservation and sustainability goals.

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“…Under such an anthropogenic environmental change scenario, we need to seek solutions that require a better understanding across the natural and social sciences, which includes engagement from all sectors of society (Dhanjal-Adams et al 2016 ; Reddy et al 2017 ). Nevertheless, the science of behavior change and social influences has not received adequate attention in conservation science and practice (Cowling 2014 ; Cinner 2018 ; Nielsen et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the social impacts of enforcement activities on illegal wildlife trade in China

Rong

et al. 2021

Ambio

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Illegal wildlife trade enforcement is a cornerstone conservation strategy worldwide, yet we have a limited understanding on its social impacts. Using Chinese online wildlife seizure news (2003–2018), we evaluated the interactions among enforcement operations, news frequency, and social engagement (i.e., whistle-blowing) frequency. Our results showed that intensive enforcement operations, which commenced after 2012, have social impacts by increasing the frequency of all seizure news significantly by 28% [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 5%, 51%] and those via whistle-blowing by 24% [95% CI: 2%, 45%], when compared to counterfactual models where possible confounding factors were accounted for. Furthermore, we revealed the potential interaction between enforcement seizure news with and without social engagement, and the consequential social feedback process. Of the species identified from ‘whistle-blowing’ news, up to 28% are considered as high conservation priorities. Overall, we expanded our understanding of the enforcement impacts to social dimensions, which could contribute to improving the cost-effectiveness of such conservation efforts.

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Biodiversity conservation as a promising frontier for behavioural science

Cited by 92 publications

References 99 publications

Living with wolves: Lessons learned from Iran

Living with wolves: Lessons learned from Iran

Rethinking individual relationships with entities of nature

Understanding the social impacts of enforcement activities on illegal wildlife trade in China

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