ATT GESTALTA CHTHULUCENEN

Denne artikel undersøger, hvordan kvinders omsorgsroller i den nicaraguanske fiskerby Padre Ramos udvides til også at omfatte skildpadder. Ifølge Donna Haraway er chthulucen den æra, hvor mennesker styrker deres slægtskab med alle andre livsformer for at kunne leve og dø bedre sammen på jorden. Padre Ramos besøges hvert år af skildpadder, der lægger deres æg. Da arten er truet af udryddelse, besluttede landsbyen, at skildpadderne skulle være deres flagskibsart, og overgik derfor fra jagt på til pleje af skildpadderne. Selv om landsbyboerne således er det vigtigste led i at redde skildpadderne, lever de konstant med truslen om at blive udvist af naturreservatet og uddø som samfund. Gennem 10 dage følger forfatteren kvinderne med et kamera, alt imens de besætter et stykke jord i landsbyen for at bygge en legeplads med skildpadder som tematisk omdrejningspunkt. Gennem denne handling viser kvinderne sig som Harawayske „små væsener“, der komposterer myndighedernes rådne praksis, går ind i konflikter, genbruger gamle bildæk, træstammer og paller og skaber et monument over landsbyens nye slægtskab med skildpadderne. Søgeord: chthulucenen, civil ulydighed, kvinder, flagship species, rhizovokalitet, Padre Ramos

Snake’s-head Fritillary Fritillaria meleagris (Liliaceae) in Britain: its distribution, habitats and status

Snake’s-head Fritillary Fritillaria meleagris L. is a scarce plant of unimproved meadows where it was formerly considered to be a native British species. A review of 593 British sites showed that 80% of British populations were located in other habitats where it had been planted or had established from introductions nearby. Of the 118 populations located in unimproved meadows 53 occurred in floodplain grassland in central and southeast England where it has long been considered to be native. However, recent evidence suggests that it is more likely to be a modern introduction (neophyte). It seems inconceivable that such an attractive plant would have been overlooked in the wild by herbalists in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Furthermore, the rapid growth of introduced populations in meadows in Sweden and England has shown that Fritillary populations in Britain could have reached their present size in the 300 years since they were first recorded in the wild. Historical accounts prove that it was being grown for ornament in large gardens in the sixteenth century, from where it presumably escaped along rivers to colonise meadows downstream. Regardless of its status, however, it remains a much-loved and valued component of the British flora and a flagship species for the conservation of floodplain grasslands.

No broad decline of breeding monarch butterflies in North America: implications for conservation efforts

Many insects are in clear decline, with monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) drawing particular attention as a flagship species. Falling numbers of overwintering monarchs are well documented, but there has been debate regarding population trends of summer breeding populations. Here, we compile a series of long-term monarch monitoring datasets, some which are analyzed here for the first time, that reveal highly variable responses across the migratory geographic range, but no broad net decline in numbers of breeding monarchs. We also did not find evidence that sampling biased towards natural sites was masking declines at disturbed sites. Overall, our results suggest a robust resiliency in summer populations that thus far has allowed recovery from losses during the winter. Thus, monarchs may not require as much breeding habitat restoration as once thought, and focus should be on conserving the fall and spring migration.

Measuring the conservation attitudes of local communities towards the African elephant Loxodonta africana, a flagship species in the Mara ecosystem

Gaining insights into local people’s views, values and preferences for different conservation management options are increasingly gaining importance among conservationists and decision-makers. This can be achieved through the assessment and understanding of conservation attitudes and perceptions of rural communities including demographic characteristics predicting the attitudes to design and implement conservation policies in a more socially acceptable manner. In this study, we developed and validated user-friendly indices to measure attitudes towards the African elephant, a flagship species and its conservation in Trans Mara District. An iterative item reliability analysis was executed on household data from a random sample of 367 respondents using Cronbach’s Alpha in SPSS. Results yielded two indices; (i) Elephant Attitude Index (EAI); and (ii) Maasai Mara National Reserve Attitude Index (MAI). The EAI had a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.73 while the MAI had a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.77. Data analysis revealed that (i) location of residence; (ii) age of respondent; (iii) number of income sources; (iv) gender of the respondent; and (v) benefit reception were the main determinants of EAI and MAI in TM. Our attitude indices can assist conservation practitioners and decision-makers to prioritise resources, on the assumption that high-scoring individuals are more likely to participate in conservation initiatives. We encourage making available different sources of income for residents and working towards improving the involvement of younger people and women in conservation activities in TM.

Flagship Species: Do They Help or Hurt Conservation?

Many of the plants and animals we love, and even more we do not know about, are in serious danger. Species extinctions are occurring at alarming rates. But how do we prevent extinction from happening? One strategy is to first make people aware of what is going on. If people know which plants and animals are in danger, they will be more likely to support measures that protect those species. We can do this by drawing attention to problems facing species that people are familiar with, like African lions, Siberian tigers, and humpback whales. Sadly, this strategy ignores many weird and wonderful creatures most people may know nothing about! More importantly, it prevents us from protecting other important species and the environments in which they live. It is time to re-think our approach so that we can protect as many species and habitats as possible!

Context in Landscape Planning: Improving Conservation Outcomes by Identifying Social Values for a Flagship Species

Sustainable conservation planning depends on understanding local context including the way social values impact a landscape. Flamingos are used here as a flagship species to focus the social values of a broad range of people living in and working in the Camargue in France. A survey questionnaire (n = 87) was used to identify the range of ways in which people value the landscape and their perception of effectiveness of flamingo management strategies. Survey analysis was conducted through a multi-method approach, triangulating standard descriptive statistics, qualitative data analysis, and multivariate analysis applying numerical taxonomy. Applying numerical taxonomy allowed us to identify and define six social assemblages. Each assemblage had geographical characteristics with distinct values and perceptions in relation to management. The primary residence and geographic identity of the participants was defining, showing clear value differences from participants living in different parts of the delta. The participants most frequently agreed that flamingos contributed to the aesthetic, economic, biodiversity, and recreational values of the landscape. We show how identifying points of consensus and points in contest is necessary for navigating differences in values for conservation planning. This research shows the importance of the local social context in sustainably managing landscape change.