Local Community Knowledge and Perceptions towards Amphibians in Urban and Rural Settings: Tools for Biological Conservation

Abstract

Background Human perceptions determine the degree to which people can coexist with biodiversity. It is, therefore, important to identify the sociodemographic factors that determine these local perceptions to adjust amphibian conservation strategies. In this research, the effect of the urban or rural location where people live, as well as their gender, age and educational level, concerning the knowledge and perceptions about amphibians was determined.Methods The data were collected through individual semi-structured surveys, which sought to evaluate changes in the perceptions, of 401 participants, about amphibians. We measured seven response variables through the Likert scale, which ranges from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree): composition of taxonomic groups, number of known taxonomic groups, species composition of anurans, number of species of anurans, level of importance of amphibians in nature, positive perceptions about amphibians and negative beliefs about amphibians. For each response variable, a Bray-Curtis matrix was generated and multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA).Results Ninety-two percent of people correctly recognized frogs and toads as amphibians, but there was confusion in classifying caecilians and salamanders within this group, or including reptiles (lizards, turtles and snakes) within the group of amphibians. This confusion was more evident for women from urban locality. No one recognized the five native species shown in the study, although the inhabitants of the rural locality recognized more species than those of the urban locality. Positive perceptions of amphibians varied between urban and rural locality for young adults, people with a high school education level, and people without formal education. Negative beliefs varied between urban and rural locations for women, adolescents, young adults, and professionals with undergraduate studies. Half of the people accepted information on the conservation of amphibians.Conclusion Positive perceptions of people about amphibians should be used as a flag to strengthen environmental educational strategies that seek to change negative attitudes about this group. Field activities are crucial to consolidating the positive perceptions of people about amphibians, mainly in urban locations. The results suggest that amphibian conservation plans that aim to inform and educate the public should be focused differently for age groups, genders, and educational level for people in urban and rural locations.

Local community knowledge and perceptions in the Colombian Caribbean towards Amphibians in urban and rural settings: tools for biological conservation

“…This shift towards the massive occupation of cities in the country may increase the degree of uprooting of nature, because they lose direct contact with biodiversity (Cleary et al 2020). In Colombia, there are few studies that relate sociode- Vergara-Rios et al 2021. Local community knowledge and perceptions in the Colombian Caribbean towards Amphibians in urban and rural settings: tools for biological conservation Ethnobio Conserv 10:24 mographic variables with the perceptions of people towards amphibians.…”