Personalised Ecology

Gaston, Kevin J.; Soga, Masashi; Duffy, James P.; Garrett, Joanne K.; Gaston, Sian; Cox, Daniel T. C.

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2018.09.012

Cited by 64 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…These results are consistent with the ‘personalised ecology’ framework, which suggests that people experience human–nature relationships based on the ecological communities in their surroundings. People are more likely to interact with species that are diurnal, common, and apparent, such as birds that are common in urban feeders (Gaston, Soga, et al, ). Frugivores/nectarivores tend to be more common in urban areas and gardens as people place hummingbird feeders and put out ripe plantains to attract them.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can avian functional traits predict cultural ecosystem services?

et al. 2019

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The functional trait diversity of species assemblages can predict the provision of ecosystem services such as pollination and carbon sequestration, but it is unclear whether the same trait‐based framework can be applied to identify the factors that underpin cultural ecosystem services and disservices. To explore the relationship between traits and the contribution of species to cultural ecosystem services and disservices, we conducted 404 questionnaire surveys with birdwatchers and local residents in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We used an information–theoretic approach to identify which of 20 functional traits for 199 Costa Rican bird species best predicted their cultural ecosystem service scores related to birdwatching, acoustic aesthetics, education and local identity, as well as disservices (e.g. harm to crops). We found that diet was the most important variable explaining perceptions of cultural ecosystem service and disservice providers. Aesthetic traits such as plumage colour and pattern were important in explaining birdwatching scores. We also found people have a high affinity for forest‐affiliated birds. The insight that functional traits can explain variation among cultural perspectives on values derived from birds offers a first step towards a trait‐based system for understanding the species attributes that underpin cultural ecosystem services and disservices.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can avian functional traits predict cultural ecosystem services?

et al. 2019

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“…In recent years, people are interacting less with nature. This change in behaviour has been attributed to urbanisation, biodiversity loss, technological changes and safety concerns (Gaston et al., ; Soga & Gaston, ). However, there is a large body of evidence that demonstrates that exposure and relatedness to nature is beneficial for physical and mental health (Dean et al., ; Franco, Shanahan, & Fuller, ; Wood, Hooper, Foster, & Bull, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying cultural ecosystem services: Disentangling the effects of management from landscape features

2019

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Cultural ecosystem services are undeniably important, yet are typically neglected in land management decisions due to a suite of intractable challenges: they are highly complex, localised, and inextricably associated with landscape features. However, to incorporate the ecosystem services framework into land management, decision‐makers need the tools to disentangle the effects of land use from other factors. This is a major challenge for ecosystem services research. Forestry is a widespread land use that has considerable potential to deliver a broad range of ecosystem services, although this requires careful management planning. Additionally, modern production forestry is undergoing a period of rapid change in the face of a plethora of challenges, such as climate change and disease. To increase cultural ecosystem services delivery from forests, managers need tools to understand the implications of different management options. In this paper, we directly test how land use affects cultural ecosystem services. We use a new approach that recognises the underlying complexity of cultural ecosystem services but produces easily interpretable results that are locally relevant and directly applicable to land management. By combining participatory geographic information systems (GIS) and a novel site matching technique, we relate cultural values explicitly to land management, while accounting for the influence of landscape features. Applying this new method to a major UK forest site, we conducted a large survey to gather participatory GIS data points. We showed that land management significantly affected cultural ecosystem service values and were able to make a series of practical forest management recommendations. Notably, a greater diversity of tree species would improve cultural value, and open space is important within the forest landscape. This approach is highly flexible and can be applied to any type of landscape. It allows cultural ecosystem services to be fully integrated into land management decisions to formulate the best management strategy to maximise ecosystem service delivery. A plain language summary is available for this article.

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“…Thinking about the future of LC conservation, we should not ignore the attitudes of the coming generation [17]. Carnivore interactions with humans will depend on the ecology of species, as well as on people's opportunities and behavior [54]. It is important to acknowledge that the acceptability of LC management is not only guided by what people think, but also by what they feel [55].…”

Section: Education For Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Love Off, Fear On? Brown Bear Acceptance by Teenagers in European Countries with Differing Population Statuses

et al. 2020

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The acceptance of large carnivores is one of the key issues for their conservation. We analyzed the level acceptance of brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) amongst 10-18 year old school students in four European countries using anonymous questionnaires. Our aim was to characterize the drivers of species acceptance, described as a rural-urban cline, as well as fear levels and the respondents' familiarity with bears. We found lower levels of acceptance of bears were related to fear of bears and that bear acceptance was not higher in the bear-inhabited countries, but urban inhabitants tended to better accept the species. Factor analysis revealed the importance of country-related aspects, familiarity with bears, experiences in human-wildlife conflict, gender-age differences, respondent's relationship to nature and the origin of their knowledge of the species. We consider that bear-related education and mass media in Latvia and Lithuania could reduce fear of these animals and sustain their acceptance, while human-wildlife conflict management measures in Bulgaria and Turkey are recommended to boost the appreciation of the species.Sustainability 2020, 12, 2397 2 of 15 between the ages of 10 and 13 years, these consolidated at around 16 years of age. Therefore, early age positive attitudes can be developed into more nature friendly views and may foster wildlife conservation in the future [9]. In this study, we focus on brown bear (BB) acceptance by teenagers, as this is indicative of the future of conservation of the BB and other large carnivores. Teenagers are also important in the light of the current trend of scientific ignorance in society and the rapid decrease of interest in biology among schoolchildren [16]. Gender differences in the aforementioned issues are well expressed, as well as a decreasing interest towards animals in older children [17].Teenager attitudes toward LC species depend on several factors, one of which is the presence of a LC species. In Lithuania wolf (Canis lupus) acceptance has been found to be directly related to their presence in the region [18]. In Norway, where the wolf population is minimal, wolf was rated as the most dangerous animal by children and adolescents (9-15 years) regardless of respondents' age, with girls expressing more negatively [19]. The rural-urban cline is also very important in the planning of the future of LC conservation [12]. Removed from the direct arena of human-carnivore conflict, young people living in urban areas are able to more rapidly change their attitudes towards nature and conservation, developing a positive LC acceptance [20]. However, urbanization cannot be seen as a solution to human-wildlife conflicts because the actual conflict may not, in reality, concern the wildlife. All conservation or damage-related conflicts are ultimately between humans with different interests, views and values [21], e.g., urban vs. rural inhabitants.Differences in species acceptance between even neighboring countries may be unexpectedly high: in three Baltic countries ...

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Personalised Ecology

Cited by 64 publications

References 45 publications

Can avian functional traits predict cultural ecosystem services?

Can avian functional traits predict cultural ecosystem services?

Quantifying cultural ecosystem services: Disentangling the effects of management from landscape features

Love Off, Fear On? Brown Bear Acceptance by Teenagers in European Countries with Differing Population Statuses

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