Personalised ecology and the future of biodiversity

Gaston, Kevin J.; Phillips, Benjamin B.; Soga, Masashi

doi:10.1017/ext.2023.15

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 133 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…(2024), biophobia is shaped by the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, and inheritance alone does not drive this phenomenon exclusively. This perspective aligns with the concept of biophilia, which is believed to be, at least in part hereditary but also greatly influenced by environmental factors (Chang et al., 2022; Gaston et al., 2023; Liefländer et al., 2013).…”

Section: Definitionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…For instance, biophobia might increase the likelihood of actions aimed at eliminating wild organisms deemed to be dangerous and the environments that support them (Bateman et al., 2021; Larson et al., 2024). Further, a decline in people's positive interactions with natural environments can erode their motivation to protect biodiversity actively, potentially resulting in detrimental outcomes for conservation (Gaston et al., 2023; Soga et al., 2023; Soga & Gaston, 2023).…”

Section: Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Biophobia: What it is, how it works and why it matters

Soga,

Evans

2024

People and Nature

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Throughout history, humans have maintained an intricate connection with nature, often finding fascination with, and deriving numerous benefits from, the natural world. This positive emotional bond with nature, which is considered to have a genetic basis, is known as “biophilia”. However, biophilia represents just one facet of our relationship with nature. People can also harbour strong negative emotions and attitudes towards nature, increasingly referred to as “biophobia”. Current evidence suggests that the prevalence of biophobia is high and increasing, especially in more developed and urbanised societies. Despite this, the importance of biophobia has largely been overlooked in discussions about human‐nature interactions. This special feature: ‘Biophobia: a hidden dimension of human‐nature relationships’ includes seven papers from different disciplinary perspectives, including biodiversity conservation, psychology, and behavioral science. These studies explore diverse aspects of biophobia, with a particular emphasis on its drivers and consequences. They also provide key insights into how to mitigate excessive phobic responses towards nature. In this introductory paper, we will briefly explore what biophobia entails, how it operates, and why it is important in the context of the human‐nature relationship. We outline that biophobia can manifest in response to a wide range of organisms and natural environments, and it can have significant adverse impacts on both human health and well‐being and efforts to address the ongoing biodiversity crisis. We hope that this special feature will serve as a catalyst for more biophobia research, encouraging collaboration among researchers from diverse backgrounds. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

show abstract

Section: Definitionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biophobia: What it is, how it works and why it matters

Soga,

Evans

2024

People and Nature

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Extinction of experience due to climate change

Soga,

Gaston

2024

Nat. Clim. Chang.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecology and conservation under ageing and declining human populations

Marini,

Batáry,

Carmenta

et al. 2024

Journal of Applied Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Much research and media attention has revolved around the environmental impacts of growing global human populations. While the conclusions remain contested, these assessments have largely neglected the ecological and conservation impacts of other key regional processes such as declining populations, ageing demographics and rural‐to‐urban migration. These demographic shifts are increasingly prevalent across many regions of the world, and will have significant direct effects on natural resource management and biodiversity conservation by altering individual consumption patterns, land use, land stewardship and natural disturbances. Given that the scientific foundation around this topic is still developing, we first present an initial examination of some of the key environmental impacts, aiming to elevate awareness and encourage further research in these areas. Beyond the ecological implications, declining populations, ageing demographics and rural‐to‐urban migration carry intricate social and cultural consequences that can affect people and nature interactions. Ecological studies that focus on single dimensions of biodiversity or ecosystem responses often overlook these complexities. Demographic changes are likely to be accompanied by shifts in environmental attitudes and connections with nature, all of which will influence our capacity to adapt to or mitigate environmental changes. Finally, environmental policy and practice frameworks are potentially unprepared and their success could be sensitive to these socio‐cultural and demographic shifts. Synthesis and applications: This brief overview demonstrates that population decline, ageing and rural‐to‐urban migration can have extensive implications for biodiversity and the socio‐cultural relationships between people and nature. However, the significance, dynamics and consequences of these processes are still largely overlooked. We believe that these changes warrant specific attention from the research, policy and practice communities, as understanding the outcomes and feedbacks associated with depopulation, ageing populations, loss of culture and tradition and ecological change could aid in designing landscapes and informing management that enhances both human well‐being and biodiversity conservation.

show abstract

Personalised ecology and the future of biodiversity

Cited by 4 publications

References 133 publications

Biophobia: What it is, how it works and why it matters

Biophobia: What it is, how it works and why it matters

Extinction of experience due to climate change

Ecology and conservation under ageing and declining human populations

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About