Identifying ambassador species for conservation marketing

Macdonald, Ewan A.; Hinks, Amy E.; Weiss, David J.; Dickman, Amy; Burnham, Dawn; Sandom, Christopher J.; Malhi, Yadvinder; Macdonald, David W.

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2017.11.006

Cited by 78 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Our findings that ocelots were ubiquitous, and seemingly abundant in protected areas, do not justify complacency regarding their conservation: Deforestation is destroying their habitat. Ocelots are strong candidates for conservation ambassador species (Macdonald et al., ), so their conservation transcends benefits to their own populations, but extends to the species with which they are sympatric, and the habitats they occupy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat use of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazilian Amazon

Wang

Rocha

Abrahams³

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Amazonia forest plays a major role in providing ecosystem services for human and sanctuaries for wildlife. However, ongoing deforestation and habitat fragmentation in the Brazilian Amazon has threatened both. The ocelot is an ecologically important mesopredator and a potential conservation ambassador species, yet there are no previous studies on its habitat preference and spatial patterns in this biome. From 2010 to 2017, twelve sites were surveyed, totaling 899 camera trap stations, the largest known dataset for this species. Using occupancy modeling incorporating spatial autocorrelation, we assessed habitat use for ocelot populations across the Brazilian Amazon. Our results revealed a positive sigmoidal correlation between remote‐sensing derived metrics of forest cover, disjunct core area density, elevation, distance to roads, distance to settlements and habitat use, and that habitat use by ocelots was negatively associated with slope and distance to river/lake. These findings shed light on the regional scale habitat use of ocelots and indicate important species–habitat relationships, thus providing valuable information for conservation management and land‐use planning.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat use of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazilian Amazon

Wang

Rocha

Abrahams³

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Deforestation, fire, and land conversion (e.g., to large‐scale oil palm and Acacia monocultures) are rapidly altering South and Southeast Asian landscapes (Cushman, Macdonald, Landguth, Malhi, & Macdonald, ; Tacconi, ), resulting in some of the highest rates of habitat loss worldwide (Gaveau et al., ; Miettinen, Shi, & Liew, ). Among the many species facing declines in this region, clouded leopards rank notably for their charisma (Macdonald et al., ), umbrella capacity (Dickman, Hinks, Macdonald, Burnham, & Macdonald, ), and ambassadorial potential (Macdonald et al., ). Species of conservation concern in their own right, clouded leopards are also powerful levers of conservation action for broader forest conservation programmes, including umbrella protection for diverse forest biota similarly threatened by widespread habitat loss (Collins, Milner‐Gulland, Macdonald, & Macdonald, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi‐scale habitat modelling identifies spatial conservation priorities for mainland clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa)

Macdonald

Bothwell

Kaszta

et al. 2019

Diversity and Distributions

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“…As top carnivores, they regulate ecosystem health and processes through trophic interactions with mesopredators, herbivores and the vegetation, facilitating biodiversity and ecosystem resilience (Ripple et al, ), and may contribute to nutrient cycling by supporting scavenger diversity (Wilmers, Crabtree, Smith, Murphy, & Getz, ). Their beauty and charisma can provide economic benefits to local communities through tourism (Dickman, Macdonald, & Macdonald, ; Maheshwari & Sathyakumar, ; Vannelli et al, ) and as ambassadors for conservation marketing (Macdonald et al, ). Hence, their conservation is of wider interest (Nowell & Jackson, ; Treves & Karanth, ), but human–carnivore conflicts often hinder conservation efforts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives of traditional Himalayan communities on fostering coexistence with Himalayan wolf and snow leopard

Kusi

Sillero‐Zubiri

Macdonald

et al. 2019

Conservat Sci and Prac

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The Himalayan wolf Canis sp. and snow leopard Panthera uncia are found in the Nepalese Himalayas where conservation efforts target the latter but not the former. We conducted semistructured questionnaire surveys of 71 residents in upper Humla, upper Dolpa, and Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA) during 2014–2016 to understand people's knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and interactions with these two carnivores. We fitted a cumulative link mixed model to predict Likert scale ordinal responses from a series of Generalized Linear Mixed Models. Overall, attitudes were more positive toward snow leopards than wolves. Livestock depredation was the main predictor of the general negative attitude toward wolves (Estimate = −1.30873; p = .029866) but there was no evidence for an effect for snow leopards (Estimate = −0.3640; p = .631446). Agropastoralists had more negative attitudes than respondents with other occupations toward both carnivores and men had more positive attitudes than women. Among our study areas, respondents in the community‐owned KCA had the most positive attitudes. Our findings illustrate the need to reduce human–carnivore conflict through a combined approach of education, mitigation, and economic cost‐sharing with respectful engagement of local communities. Specifically, to encourage more villagers to participate in livestock insurance schemes, they should be improved by including all large carnivores and adjusting compensation to the market value of a young replacement of the depredated livestock type. Carnivore conservation interventions should target the whole predator guild to achieve long‐term success and to protect the Himalayan ecosystem at large.

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Identifying ambassador species for conservation marketing

Cited by 78 publications

References 39 publications

Habitat use of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazilian Amazon

Habitat use of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazilian Amazon

Multi‐scale habitat modelling identifies spatial conservation priorities for mainland clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa)

Perspectives of traditional Himalayan communities on fostering coexistence with Himalayan wolf and snow leopard

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