scholarly journals Fantastic beasts and why to conserve them: animals, magic and biodiversity conservation

Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Holmes ◽  
Thomas Aneurin Smith ◽  
Caroline Ward
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Spiritual Beliefs ◽  
Broader Impacts ◽  
Broad Issue ◽  
Utilitarian Approach ◽  
Negative Impacts

AbstractThere is a broad set of human beliefs, attitudes and behaviours around the issue of magical animals, referring to both mythical animals not recognized by science and extant animals that are recognized by science but have magical properties. This is a broad issue ranging from spiritual beliefs around mythical animals living in Malagasy forests, to cultural heritage associated with the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland. Beliefs and behaviours around magical animals can have positive and negative impacts on biodiversity conservation goals. Yet, so far, the discipline of conservation biology has not adequately considered magical animals, neglecting to account for the broader knowledge from outside the natural sciences on this issue, and taking a narrow, utilitarian approach to how magical animals should be managed, without necessarily considering the broader impacts on conservation goals or ethics. Here we explore how magical animals can influence conservation goals, how conservation biology and practice has thought about magical animals, and some of the limitations of current approaches, particularly the failure to consider magical animals as part of wider systems of belief and culture. We argue that magical animals and their implications for conservation merit wider consideration.

scholarly journals Dialogues between social and natural sciences: contribution to the debate on socio-environmental conflicts

2015 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 2335-2348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Milanez
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Environmental Conflicts ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mining Projects ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Strong Candidate ◽  
Social Environmental

ABSTRACT In this article, I argue that attempting to solve real problems is a possible approach to bring social and natural sciences together, and suggest that - as Environmental Impact Assessment necessarily brings together social and environmental issues - this debate is a strong candidate for such a task. The argument is based on a general discussion about the possibilities and limitations of Environmental Impact Assessments, the social-environmental impacts of mining activities and three case studies. The analysis of the cases indicates possibilities and limitations of the dialogue between scientists from various areas - and of the collaboration with social movements and affected communities - in avoiding negative impacts of mining projects and, eventually, increasing their sustainability.

The paradox of accounting for cultural heritage: a longitudinal study on the financial reporting of heritage assets of major Australian public cultural institutions (1992–2019)

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Ferri ◽  
Shannon I.L. Sidaway ◽  
Garry D. Carnegie
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Cultural Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Monetary Valuation ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Documentary Sources ◽  
Negative Impacts

PurposeThe monetary valuation of cultural heritage of a selection of 16 major public, not-for-profit Australian cultural institutions is examined over a period of almost three decades (1992–2019) to understand how they have responded to the paradoxical tensions of heritage valuation for financial reporting purposes.Design/methodology/approachAccounting for cultural heritage is an intrinsically paradoxical practice; it involves a conflict of two opposite ways of attributing value: the traditional accounting and the heritage professionals (or curatorial) approaches. In analysing the annual reports and other documentary sources through qualitative content analysis, the study explores how different actors responded to the conceptual and technical contradictions posed by the monetary valuation of “heritage assets”, the accounting phraseology of accounting standards.FindingsFour phases emerge from the analysis undertaken of the empirical material, each characterised by a distinctive nature of the paradox, the institutional responses discerned and the outcomes. Although a persisting heterogeneity in the practice of accounting for cultural heritage is evident, responses by cultural institutions are shown to have minimised, so far, the negative impacts of monetary valuation in terms of commercialisation of deaccessioning decisions and distorted accountability.Originality/valueIn applying the theoretical lens of paradox theory in the context of the financial reporting of heritage, as assets, the study enhances an understanding of the challenges and responses by major public cultural institutions in a country that has led this development globally, providing insights to accounting standard setters arising from the accounting practices observed.

scholarly journals Globalization and Biodiversity Conservation Problems: Polycentric REDD+ Solutions

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mwangi Githiru ◽  
Josephine Njambuya
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Great Chance ◽  
Free Rider Problem ◽  
The Face ◽  
Negative Impacts

Protected areas are considered the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, but face multiple problems in delivering this core objective. The growing trend of framing biodiversity and protected area values in terms of ecosystem services and human well-being may not always lead to biodiversity conservation. Although globalization is often spoken about in terms of its adverse effects to the environment and biodiversity, it also heralds unprecedented and previously inaccessible opportunities linked to ecosystem services. Biodiversity and related ecosystem services are amongst the common goods hardest hit by globalization. Yet, interconnectedness between people, institutions, and governments offers a great chance for globalization to play a role in ameliorating some of the negative impacts. Employing a polycentric governance approach to overcome the free-rider problem of unsustainable use of common goods, we argue here that REDD+, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) climate change mitigation scheme, could be harnessed to boost biodiversity conservation in the face of increasing globalization, both within classic and novel protected areas. We believe this offers a timely example of how an increasingly globalized world connects hitherto isolated peoples, with the ability to channel feelings and forces for biodiversity conservation. Through the global voluntary carbon market, REDD+ can enable and empower, on the one hand, rural communities in developing countries contribute to mitigation of a global problem, and on the other, individuals or societies in the West to help save species they may never see, yet feel emotionally connected to.

scholarly journals Review of Online Food Delivery Platforms and their Impacts on Sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlene Li ◽  
Miranda Mirosa ◽  
Phil Bremer
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
High Carbon ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Broader Impacts ◽  
Consumer Access ◽  
Traffic Systems ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Economic Standpoint

During the global 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, the advantages of online food delivery (FD) were obvious, as it facilitated consumer access to prepared meals and enabled food providers to keep operating. However, online FD is not without its critics, with reports of consumer and restaurant boycotts. It is, therefore, time to take stock and consider the broader impacts of online FD, and what they mean for the stakeholders involved. Using the three pillars of sustainability as a lens through which to consider the impacts, this review presents the most up-to-date research in this field, revealing a raft of positive and negative impacts. From an economic standpoint, while online FD provides job and sale opportunities, it has been criticized for the high commission it charges restaurants and questionable working conditions for delivery people. From a social perspective, online FD affects the relationship between consumers and their food, as well as influencing public health outcomes and traffic systems. Environmental impacts include the significant generation of waste and its high carbon footprints. Moving forward, stakeholders must consider how best to mitigate the negative and promote the positive impacts of online FD to ensure that it is sustainable in every sense.

scholarly journals Sharing a vision for biodiversity conservation and agriculture

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Shared Goals

AbstractConservation biology and agriculture share a common landscape and a future that demands novel research and practice. Inevitably, limited resources create conflict in the absence of a shared vision forward. Therefore, given the similarities in proximate and even ultimate goals, we must envision a joint path toward renewable and resilient agroecosystems. In this commentary, I highlight the root of past conflicts and share a vision of progress forward that encompasses mutually beneficial outcomes. I include six areas of anticipatory research and inquiry at the intersection of conservation biology and agriculture to better identify shared goals and facilitate more frequent communication among disciplines.

The merging of taxonomy and conservation biology: a synthesis of Australian butterfly systematics (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea) for the 21st century

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2707 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL F. BRABY
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Logistic Function ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Systematic Research

Taxonomy is a major scientific discipline that underpins the preservation of biological diversity, but the discipline of taxonomy itself has, until recently, remained somewhat disconnected from conservation biology. Checklists summarise available taxonomic and systematic knowledge and in part provide a framework to optimise efforts and scarce resources for biodiversity conservation. Butterflies have been identified as a key bioindicator group of invertebrates for monitoring, assessing environmental change and for biodiversity conservation. A revised checklist of the butterflies (Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae and Papilionoidea: Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Riodinidae, Lycaenidae) of Australia is presented, incorporating recent changes to both the higher and lower systematic levels of classification based on review of the literature, mandatory changes of specific epithets to achieve gender agreement, together with recommended common names. A total of 1,134 available species group names are listed, of which 423 are junior synonyms. Currently, 596 valid lower taxa (i.e. species and subspecies) are recognised in the fauna. Of the valid species, 430 are recorded from Australia, of which 404 occur on the mainland and Tasmania and 26 are restricted to remote oceanic islands. Gender changes affect 40 species/subspecies group names, of which 27 are valid taxa and 13 are junior synonyms. Comments are made on the size and composition of the fauna, taxonomic impediment, species concepts and utility of subspecies. Modelling the rate of species accumulation based on taxonomic research effort over the past 100 years using a generalized logistic function suggests that about 91% of the Australian butterfly fauna has been catalogued so far. A detailed review of known problems concerning the taxonomy among the lower systematic levels (i.e. genera, species and subspecies) is presented as candidates for future systematic research. Although Australian butterflies are relatively well-known taxonomically, it is estimated that there are approximately 40 species yet to be formally recorded/recognised and more than 60 problems at the lower systematic levels in which the nomenclature, taxonomic status of species/subspecies or monophyly of genera need to be resolved.

scholarly journals Challenges in global biodiversity conservation and solutions that cross sociology, politics, economics and ecology

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 897-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Hoban ◽  
Cristiano Vernesi
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
European Association ◽  
Natural Interfaces ◽  
Global Policy ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Psychology And Law ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Global Biodiversity

The study and practice of conservation biology is inherently interdisciplinary, addresses short and long time-scales and occurs within complex human–natural interfaces. Zoos and aquaria, in partnership with researchers, other non-government organizations, government, industry and educators, are combining knowledge of species and ecosystems with economics, psychology and law to create solutions for conserving biodiversity. From 22 to 25 May, the Conservation Forum of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria was a venue for discussing conservation research, education and interventions, from the scale of villages to global policy.

Interdisciplinary training in environmental conservation: definitions, progress and future directions

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
HELEN NEWING
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Interdisciplinary Training ◽  
Science Content ◽  
Basic Training ◽  
Vocational Skills

SUMMARYThe development of interdisciplinary approaches to environmental conservation is obviously related to interdisciplinary training in undergraduate and postgraduate conservation-oriented degree programmes. This paper therefore examines interdisciplinary training in environmental conservation, with a focus on conservation biology. The specific objectives are: (1) to analyse debates about the nature of ‘interdisciplinarity’ in conservation biology; (2) to examine the status of interdisciplinary training in current academic programmes in conservation biology; and (3) to make recommendations in terms of interdisciplinary or other non-natural science content that should be prioritized for inclusion in the curriculum. The term ‘interdisciplinarity’ has been used in relation to conservation training to refer to (1) any social science content; (2) vocational skills training; (3) integrative or practice-based exercises, sometimes with no indication of disciplinary content; (4) the (variously defined) ‘human dimensions’ of conservation, and (5) interaction between different academic disciplines (usually crossing the natural science–social science divide). In terms of training, the natural sciences have remained predominant in almost all reported academic programmes, but there now appears to be more coverage of non-natural science issues than previously. However the lack of consistency in the use of terms makes it difficult to assess progress. Further debate about curriculum development in conservation would be aided greatly by recognizing the distinction between the different aspects of non-natural science training, and treating each of them in its own right. Most degree programmes in environment-related disciplines specialize to varying degrees either in the natural sciences or the social sciences, and a comprehensive programme covering both of these in depth is likely to be problematic. However, some understanding of different disciplinary perspectives is increasingly important in a career in environmental conservation, and it is argued that, as a minimum, a primarily natural science-based undergraduate programme in environmental conservation should include: (1) an introduction to social science perspectives on the environment; (2) basic training in social science methods, research design and science theory; (3) vocational skills training, to the extent that it can be built into existing curricular components; and (4) integrative problem-solving tasks that can be used in relation to any or all of the above. A similar list could be constructed for social science-based environmental degree programmes, incorporating some basic training in natural science perspectives. Postgraduate training programmes are more varied in what they aim to achieve in terms of disciplinary breadth; they can develop students’ existing specialist expertise, offer supplementary training to allow students to increase the disciplinary breadth of their expertise, or focus on the issue of interdisciplinarity itself.

scholarly journals EDITORIAL : A research priority for biodiversity conservation

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-83
Author(s):  
Chris Margules
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Smithsonian Institution ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
National Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Research Priority ◽  
The Us ◽  
Moral High Ground ◽  
National Forum ◽  
Academy Of Sciences

Conservation biology emerged as a scientific discipline in the mid-1980s with the explicit practical goal of conserving species and habitats. The term ‘biodiversity’ was coined soon after, apparently at some time during the organization of the September 1986 National Forum on Biodiversity held by the US National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution. The science of conservation biology was quickly taken up. Journals proliferated and textbooks soon followed. Laboratories within university biology and ecology departments specialized in conservation biology. Along with a great many other young biologists and ecologists, I climbed the moral high ground and set about research to help change the future by discovering how to protect biodiversity.

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