Games as Tools to Address Conservation Conflicts Redpath, Steve M.; Keane, Aidan; Andrén, Henrik ...
Trends in ecology & evolution (Amsterdam),
06/2018, Letnik:
33, Številka:
6
Journal Article
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Conservation conflicts represent complex multilayered problems that are challenging to study. We explore the utility of theoretical, experimental, and constructivist approaches to games to help to ...understand and manage these challenges. We show how these approaches can help to develop theory, understand patterns in conflict, and highlight potentially effective management solutions. The choice of approach should be guided by the research question and by whether the focus is on testing hypotheses, predicting behaviour, or engaging stakeholders. Games provide an exciting opportunity to help to unravel the complexity in conflicts, while researchers need an awareness of the limitations and ethical constraints involved. Given the opportunities, this field will benefit from greater investment and development.
Conservationists need to measure human behavior to guide decisions and evaluate their impact. However, activities can be misreported and reporting accuracy may change following conservation ...interventions, making it hard to verify any apparent changes. Techniques for asking sensitive questions are increasingly integrated into survey designs to improve data quality, but some can be costly or hard for nonexperts to implement. We demonstrate a straightforward, low‐cost approach, the bean method in which respondents give anonymous answers by adding a colored bean to a jar to denote a yes or no response. We applied the bean method to measure wild‐meat hunting and trading over 2 years at a conservation‐project (hunting reduction) site in Gola Forest, Liberia. We extended the technique to accommodate questions about hunting and meat‐selling frequency. We compared responses given using the bean method and direct questioning for groups that did and did not participate in conservation interventions. Results from the bean method corresponded to those from direct questioning, and there was no indication of change in question sensitivity following conservation interventions. Estimates from both methods indicated that wild‐meat trading decreased in project and nonproject households (from 36% to 20%) and that hunting decreased in 1 project group (38–28%). Where inconsistent answers were given (2–6% of respondents), differences were in both directions and were most likely attributable to measurement error. The bean method was quick and straightforward to administer in a low‐literacy setting. We showed how it can be modified for answers of more than 2 categories and consider it a valuable tool that could be adapted for a wide range of conservation settings.
El Método del Frijol como Herramienta para Medir los Comportamientos Sensibles
Resumen
Los conservacionistas necesitan medir el comportamiento humano para dirigir las decisiones tomadas y evaluar su impacto. Sin embargo, las actividades pueden estar mal reportadas y la fiabilidad de los reportes puede cambiar después de implementadas las intervenciones de conservación, lo cual complica la verificación de cualquier cambio aparente. Las técnicas para realizar preguntas sensibles cada vez se integran más al diseño de los censos y así mejorar la calidad de los datos, aunque algunas pueden ser caras o complicadas de implementar para quienes no son expertos. Demostramos una estrategia directa y de bajo costo, el método del frijol, en el cual los respondientes proporcionan respuestas anónimas al añadir un frijol pintado dentro de un frasco y así indicar una respuesta de sí o no. Aplicamos el método del frijol para medir la cacería y el mercado de carne silvestre durante dos años dentro de un proyecto de conservación (reducción de la cacería) en el bosque Gola, Liberia. Extendimos la técnica para acomodar preguntas sobre la frecuencia de la caza y la venta de carne. Comparamos las respuestas dadas usando el método del frijol y aquellas dadas en el cuestionamiento directo a grupos que participaban o no en las intervenciones de conservación. Los resultados obtenidos con el método del frijol correspondieron a aquellos obtenidos con los cuestionamientos directos y no hubo indicación de cambios en la sensibilidad de las preguntas después de las intervenciones de conservación. Las estimaciones de ambos métodos indicaron que el mercado de carne silvestre disminuyó en los hogares participantes o no en el proyecto (de 36% a 20%) y que la cacería disminuyó en un grupo del proyecto (38% a 28%). En donde se dieron respuestas contradictorias (2‐6% de los respondientes), las diferencias fueron en ambas direcciones y en su mayoría probablemente eran atribuibles al error en la medición. El método del frijol fue rápido y directo para administrarlo en un ambiente de bajo alfabetismo. Mostramos cómo puede modificarse para respuestas con más de dos categorías y lo consideramos una herramienta valiosa que podría adaptarse para una gama amplia de escenarios de conservación.
摘要
保护主义者常常需要测量人类行为来指导决策及评估其影响。然而, 对人类行为的报告可能存在问题, 且报告的准确性可能会随着保护措施变化而变化, 以致难以确定明显的变化。设计调查时已越来越多地纳入了询问敏感问题的技巧, 以提高数据质量, 但对于非专业人士来说, 有些技巧可能成本过高或难以实现。本研究展示了一种简单、低成本的方法——bean方法, 在使用该方法时, 受访者只需向罐子中放入一个彩色的豆子 (bean) 来匿名地回答“是”或“否”。我们在利比里亚戈拉森林利用该方法调查了一个保护项目 (减少狩猎) 中人们对野味狩猎和交易的态度。我们通过扩展相应的方法, 将其应用于狩猎和野味交易频率的提问中, 并在曾经参与和没有参与保护干预的群体中, 比较了使用 bean 方法和直接询问获得的回答。使用 bean 方法的结果与直接询问的结果相互一致, 且在进行保护干预后, 问题敏感性没有明显变化。两种方法的估计结果均表明, 有无参与保护项目的家庭的野味交易都有所下降 (从 36% 减少到 20%), 另外, 保护项目的一个参与组还减少了狩猎 (从 38% 减少到 28%) 。当受访者给出不一致的答案时 (占受访者 2–6%), 差异存在于两个方向, 这最有可能是来自测量误差。 bean 方法在受访者的低文化水平背景下有助于快速而直接的实施调查。我们还展示了当答案超过两种类型时如何调整该方法。最后, 我们认为 bean 方法作为一项保护工具很有价值, 可以广泛适用于不同背景下的保护。【翻译: 胡怡思;审校: 聂永刚】
Mining is a vital part of the global, and many national, economies. Mining also has the potential to drive extensive land cover change, including deforestation, with impacts reaching far from the ...mine itself. Understanding the amount of deforestation associated with mining is important for conservationists, governments, mining companies, and consumers, yet accurate quantification is rare. We applied statistical matching, a quasi-experimental methodology, along with Bayesian hierarchical generalized linear models to assess the impact on deforestation of new mining developments in Zambia from 2000 to present. Zambia is a globally significant producer of minerals and mining contributes ~ 10% of its gross domestic product and ~ 77% of its exports. Despite extensive deforestation in mining impacted land, we found no evidence that any of the 22 mines we analysed increased deforestation compared with matched control sites. The extent forest lost was therefore no different than would likely have happened without the mines being present due to other drivers of deforestation in Zambia. This suggests previous assessments based on correlative methodologies may overestimate the deforestation impact of mining. However, mining can have a range of impacts on society, biodiversity, and the local environment that are not captured by our analysis.
Nacelle‐mounted, forward‐facing light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology can deliver benefits to rotor speed regulation and loading reductions of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) when ...assisting with blade pitch control in above‐rated wind speed conditions. Large‐scale wind turbines may be subject to significant variations in structural loads due to differences in the wind profile across the rotor‐swept area. These loading fluctuations can be mitigated by individual pitch control (IPC). This paper presents a novel LIDAR‐assisted feedforward IPC approach that uses each blade's rotor azimuth position to allocate an individual pitch command from a multi‐beam LIDAR. In this study, the source code of OpenFAST wind turbine modelling software was modified to enable LIDAR simulation and LIDAR‐assisted control. The LIDAR simulation modifications were accepted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and are now present within OpenFAST releases from v3.5 onwards. Simulations of a 15 MW FOWT were performed across the above‐rated wind spectrum. Under a turbulent wind field with an average wind speed of 17 ms−1, the LIDAR‐assisted feedforward IPC delivered up to 54% reductions in the root mean squared errors and standard deviations of key FOWT parameters. Feedforward IPC delivered enhancements of up to 12% over feedforward collective pitch control, relative to the baseline feedback controller. The reductions to the standard deviation and range of the rotor speed may enable structural optimization of the tower, while the reductions in the variations of the loadings present an opportunity for reduced fatigue damage on turbine components and, consequently, a reduction in maintenance expenditure.
Abstract
Agricultural intensification and expanding protected areas are proposed sustainable development approaches. But, their consequences for mental health are poorly understood. This study aims ...to predict how forest conservation and contract farming may alter resource access and depression risk in rural Uganda. Residents (
N
= 695) in 11 communities in Masindi District were asked about their expectations under land management scenarios using scenario-based interviews, household characteristics and depression symptoms. Over 80% of respondents presented with a ‘business-as-usual forest access’ scenario expected reduced access to forest income and food over the next decade; this number climbed above 90% among ‘restricted forest access’ scenario respondents. Over 99% of those presented with two land access scenarios (‘business-as-usual land access’ and ‘sugarcane expansion land access’) expected wealthy households to gain land but poorer families to lose it, threatening to increase poverty and food insecurity among small-scale farmers. Bayesian structural equation modelling suggested that depression severity was positively associated with food insecurity (0.20, 95% CI = 0.12–0.28) and economic poverty (0.11, 95% CI 0.02–0.19). Decision-makers should evaluate the mental health impacts of conservation and agricultural approaches that restrict access to livelihood resources. Future research could explore opportunities to support mental health through sustainable use of nature.
Abstract
In his 2018 Stockholm prize winner lecture, Goldstein highlighted the need for problem-oriented policing (POP) to be not only effective but also fair. Contributing to the development of POP, ...this study examines how a wider perspective on problem-solving generally, and scoping in particular, can be adopted to address some of the growing challenges in 21st century policing. We demonstrate that the concept of ‘problem’ was too narrowly defined and that, as a result, many problem-solving models found in criminology are ill-structured to minimize the negative side-effects of interventions and deliver broader benefits. Problem-solving concepts and models are compared across disciplines and recommendations are made to improve POP, drawing on examples in architecture, conservation science, industrial ecology and ethics.
Managing natural resources often depends on influencing people's behaviour, however effectively targeting interventions to discourage environmentally harmful behaviours is challenging because those ...involved may be unwilling to identify themselves. Non-sensitive indicators of sensitive behaviours are therefore needed. Previous studies have investigated people's attitudes, assuming attitudes reflect behaviour. There has also been interest in using people's estimates of the proportion of their peers involved in sensitive behaviours to identify those involved, since people tend to assume that others behave like themselves. However, there has been little attempt to test the potential of such indicators. We use the randomized response technique (RRT), designed for investigating sensitive behaviours, to estimate the proportion of farmers in north-eastern South Africa killing carnivores, and use a modified logistic regression model to explore relationships between our best estimates of true behaviour (from RRT) and our proposed non-sensitive indicators (including farmers' attitudes, and estimates of peer-behaviour). Farmers' attitudes towards carnivores, question sensitivity and estimates of peers' behaviour, predict the likelihood of farmers killing carnivores. Attitude and estimates of peer-behaviour are useful indicators of involvement in illicit behaviours and may be used to identify groups of people to engage in interventions aimed at changing behaviour.
The effective management of natural systems often requires resource users to change their behaviour. This has led to many applied ecologists using research tools developed by social scientists. This ...comes with challenges as ecologists often lack relevant disciplinary training. Using an example from the current issue of Journal of Applied Ecology that investigated how conservation interventions influenced conservation outcomes, we discuss the challenges of conducting interdisciplinary science. We illustrate our points using examples from research investigating the role of law enforcement and outreach activities in limiting illegal poaching and the application of the theory of planned behaviour to conservation. Synthesis and applications. Interdisciplinary research requires equal rigour to be applied to ecological and social aspects. Researchers with a natural science background need to access expertise and training in the principles of social science research design and methodology, in order to permit a more balanced interdisciplinary understanding of social–ecological systems.
The World Bank is the single largest source of development finance, with wide‐reaching influence. The Bank's safeguards aim to minimize the negative impacts of the projects it funds. These policies ...have recently been updated in a new Environmental and Social Framework. For conservation, the key changes include a mechanism for the use of biodiversity offsets and borrowers’ own frameworks to manage impacts. Concerns have been raised that these changes may weaken protections as there is substantial flexibility about when offsets or borrowers’ frameworks can be used, and uncertainty around the efficacy of offsets. The project‐by‐project nature of these mechanisms and the lack of clear criteria may also hinder future efforts to hold the Bank to account. Concerns about these changes were raised by conservation organizations during the consultation process, but the framework's formulation does not fully reflect recommendations made. Although elements of the new policy have the potential to benefit conservation, the flexibility presents a risk to biodiversity. It is vital for conservation organizations to engage effectively to ensure that any negative impacts arising do not go unchallenged.
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