Social media conservation messaging mirrors age‐old taxonomic biases in public domain

Austral Ecology, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 48(4), С. 687 - 698

Опубликована: Янв. 26, 2023

Abstract In this global extinction crisis, we must act urgently to prevent the loss of species. The public plays a key role in ensuring future our biodiversity, by impacting funding decisions, creating behaviour change, and pushing change corporations species loss. Threatened Species Bake Off competition is social media initiative created Australian Government 2017 raise awareness nationally listed threatened study, assessed trends collating entries via Instagram Twitter its first 5 years. Representations 356 unique were baked, 261 which as Birds mammals most popular groups represented. Frogs, reptiles, fishes, invertebrates reasonably well represented; however, plants drastically underrepresented competition. This evidence taxonomic bias towards charismatic animals, problematic lack representation other that play essential roles ecosystems. Although an innovative conservation messaging approach, it reinforces same traditional techniques encouraged (i.e., megafauna). Public engagement reflects current messaging, including education focus on demonstrating engrained biases. Future competitions should address highlighting less but equally important species, especially plants.

Язык: Английский

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Reimagining infrastructure for a biodiverse future

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 120(46)

Опубликована: Ноя. 6, 2023

Civil infrastructure will be essential to face the interlinked existential threats of climate change and rising resource demands while ensuring a livable Anthropocene for all. However, conventional planning largely neglects contributions maintenance Earth’s ecological life support systems, which provide irreplaceable services supporting human well-being. The stability performance these depend on biodiversity, but practices, narrowly focused controlling natural capital, have inadvertently degraded biodiversity perpetuating social inequities. Here, we envision new paradigm wherein ecosystem are central objective civil engineering. In particular, reimagine practice such that 1) integrity species conservation explicit objectives from outset project planning; 2) practices integrate into diverse portfolios along spectrum nature-based solutions habitats; 3) functions reinforce enhance lifespan assets; 4) engineering promotes environmental justice by counteracting legacies inequity in development nature conservation. This vision calls fundamental rethinking standards, mission agencies broadening scope science. We critically examine legal professional precedents this shift, as well moral economic imperatives manifesting equitable mainstreams nature’s benefits people. Finally, set an applied research agenda highlight financial, professional, policy pathways achieving it.

Язык: Английский

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A Darwinian Survival Guide

The MIT Press eBooks, Год журнала: 2024, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Фев. 6, 2024

How humanity brought about the climate crisis by departing from its evolutionary trajectory 15,000 years ago—and how we can use principles to save ourselves worst outcomes. Despite efforts sustain civilization, faces existential threats overpopulation, globalized trade and travel, urbanization, global change. In A Darwinian Survival Guide, Daniel Brooks Salvatore Agosta offer a novel—and hopeful—perspective on meet these tremendous challenges changing discourse sustainability survival. evolution, world's only theory of survival, is means which biosphere has persisted renewed itself following past environmental perturbations, it never failed, they explain. Even in aftermath mass extinctions, enough survivors remain with potential produce new diversified biosphere. Drawing their expertise as field biologists, trace path early days humans through Late Pleistocene beginning Anthropocene all way Great Acceleration technological around 1950, demonstrating our creative capacities have allowed survive. However, constant conflict without resolution made not unsustainable, but unsurvivable. Guided four laws biotics, authors explain should interact rest each other accordance principles. They reveal middle ground between apocalypse utopia, two options: alter behavior now at great expense extend civilization or fail act rebuild those same If take latter, then immediate goal ought focus preserving many humanity's positive achievements—from high technology art—as possible shorten time needed rebuild.

Язык: Английский

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One Health Ethics and the Ethics of Zoonoses: A Silent Call for Global Action

Опубликована: Авг. 12, 2024

This paper presents a critical review of key issues related to the emergence new networks for spread zoonotic diseases amid mass extinction species. Zoonotic and infectious account approximately 70% existing affecting humans animals. The initial section argues that term "zoonoses" should not be confined single-cause events within veterinary medicine. Instead, zoonoses viewed as complex, systemic phenomena shaped by interrelated factors, including environmental, sociocultural, economic elements, influenced anthropogenic climate change. second bioethical principles potential strategies those engaged in disease prevention. third uses slaughter animals disaster settings case study illustrate need further clarification normative interspecies justice conflicts One Health ethics. concludes with an outlook on "zoonoethics." Section four develops analysis interlinked elements trigger examines antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from ethical political standpoint, concluding policy recommendations addressing AMR. five offers reflection, integrating contributions zoonoethics, human ecology, ecotheological turn. Finally, six call action inclusive, intercultural, gender-sensitive approach.

Язык: Английский

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One Health Ethics and the Ethics of Zoonoses: A Silent Call for Global Action

Veterinary Sciences, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 11(9), С. 394 - 394

Опубликована: Авг. 27, 2024

This paper presents a critical review of key issues related to the emergence new networks for spread zoonotic diseases amid mass extinction species. Zoonotic and infectious account approximately 70% existing affecting humans animals. The initial section argues that term "zoonoses" should not be confined single-cause events within veterinary medicine. Instead, zoonoses viewed as complex, systemic phenomena shaped by interrelated factors, including environmental, sociocultural, economic elements, influenced anthropogenic climate change. second bioethical principles potential strategies those engaged in disease prevention. third uses slaughter animals disaster settings case study illustrate need further clarification normative interspecies justice conflicts One Health ethics. concludes with an outlook on "zoonoethics". Section four develops analysis interlinked elements trigger examines antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from ethical political standpoint, concluding policy recommendations addressing AMR. five offers reflection, integrating contributions zoonoethics, human ecology, ecotheological turn. Finally, six call action inclusive, intercultural, gender-sensitive approach.

Язык: Английский

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Safeguarding Earth's biodiversity by creating a lunar biorepository

BioScience, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 74(8), С. 561 - 566

Опубликована: Июль 31, 2024

Abstract Earth's biodiversity is increasingly threatened and at risk. We propose a passive lunar biorepository for long-term storage of prioritized taxa live cryopreserved samples to safeguard support future space exploration planet terraforming. Our initial focus will be on cryopreserving animal skin with fibroblast cells. An exemplar system has been developed using fish fins from the Starry Goby, Asterropteryx semipunctata. Samples expanded into cells, recryopreserved, then tested in an Earth-based laboratory robust packaging sensitivity radiation. Two key factors this are needs reduce damage radiation maintain near –196° Celsius. Certain sites poles may meet these criteria. If possible, further testing would occur International Space Station prior Moon. To secure positive shared future, open call participate decades-long program.

Язык: Английский

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Responses of oak seedlings to increased herbivory and drought: a possible trade-off?

Annals of Botany, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 135(1-2), С. 341 - 356

Опубликована: Окт. 9, 2024

Anthropogenic disturbances are causing a co-occurring increase in biotic (ungulate herbivory) and abiotic (drought) stressors, threatening plant reproduction oak-dominated ecosystems. However, could herbivory compensate for the adverse impact of drought by reducing evapotranspiration? Thus, we investigated isolated joint effects on oak seedlings two contrasting Mediterranean species that differ leaf habit resistance. California from evergreen, more drought-resistant, Quercus agrifolia deciduous Q. lobata (n = 387) were assigned to fully crossed factorial design with as stress factors. Seedlings glasshouse three four clipping levels simulating watering levels, depending species. We measured survival, growth attributes (chlorophyll, secondary metabolites, area weight) once month (May-September) harvested above- below-ground biomass at end growing season. For both species, simulated enhanced seedling survival during severe or delayed its effects, probably due reduced transpiration resulting herbivory-induced reduction compensatory root growth. deciduous, less drought-resistant benefited lower water stress, suggesting different response across also found complex interactions between their attributes. In contrast chlorophyll content which was not affected herbivory, anthocyanins increased - although differences herbivory. Herbivory seems allow withstand summer drought, potentially alleviating key bottleneck recruitment process. Our study highlights need consider ontogenetic stages species-specific traits understanding relationships stressors persistence restoration multi-species savannas.

Язык: Английский

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Solar Geoengineering

Опубликована: Янв. 6, 2025

As Earth's climate steadily deteriorates, with extreme weather events increasing in both frequency and severity over all regions, the calls for solar geoengineering (SG) are increasing, influential organizations, including Royal Society United Nations Environmental Program calling research to be undertaken. An important reason this current interest is failure of conventional methods change mitigation (nuclear power, renewable energy, carbon dioxide removal, or energy efficiency) even stem annual rise fossil fuel emissions, greenhouse gas emissions overall. Other arguments SG that anticipated costs SG, its albedo increases atmosphere, surface waters, land, lower than methods. Even among community scientists, faces much opposition, as evidenced by a petition signed many hundreds scientists. Their not only stress known presently unknown drawbacks but also difficulty achieving trust cooperation nations politically polarized inequitable world.

Язык: Английский

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The Anthropocene and the biodiversity crisis: an eco-evolutionary perspective

Comptes Rendus Biologies, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 348(G1), С. 1 - 20

Опубликована: Янв. 9, 2025

A major facet of the Anthropocene is global change, such as climate caused by human activities, which drastically affect biodiversity with all-scale declines and homogenization biotas. This crisis does not only ecological dynamics biodiversity, but also its evolutionary dynamics, including genetic diversity, an aspect that generally neglected. My tenet therefore to consider from eco-evolutionary perspective, i.e. explicitly accounting for possibility rapid evolution feedback on processes environment. I represent impact various avatars change in a temporal pre-industrial time near future, allowing visualize their set desired values should be trespassed given (e.g., +2 °C 50 years now). After presenting stressors change) this representation used heuristically show relevance perspective: (i) analyze how will respond stressors, example seeking out more suitable conditions or adapting new conditions; (ii) serve predictive exercises envision future (decades centuries) under stressor impact; (iii) propose nature-based solutions crisis. Significant obstacles stand way development approach, particular general lack interest intraspecific perhaps understanding that, we, humans, are modest part biodiversity. Supplementary Materials: material article supplied separate file: crbiol-172-suppl.pdf Un majeur de l'Anthropocène est le changement global, par exemple climatique, qui causé les activités humaines et conduit à un déclin drastique la biodiversité une homogénéisation des écosystèmes. Cette crise n'affecte pas seulement dynamique écologique biodiversité, mais également sa évolutive, y compris diversité génétique, généralement négligé. Il donc nécessaire considérer d'un point vue éco-évolutif, c'est-à-dire en tenant compte explicitement possibilité d'une évolution rapide rétroaction sur processus écologiques l'environnement. Je représente l'impact différents du dans perspective temporelle, l'époque préindustrielle au futur proche, ce permet visualiser leur fixer valeurs souhaitables ne dépasser pour période donnée (par exemple, ans). Après avoir présenté divers facteurs stress climatique) cette représentation utilisée montrer pertinence éco-évolutive : analyser comment répondra aux environnementaux, recherchant plus appropriées ou s'adaptant nouvelles ; servir exercices prédictifs afin d'envisager dynamiques futures (décennies siècles) sous ces proposer fondées nature. reste importants voie développement telle approche, particulier manque d'intérêt général intraspécifique, peut-être compréhension fait que nous, humains, sommes qu'une modeste partie biodiversité. Compléments Des compléments sont fournis cet fichier séparé

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Don't Stand So Close: Social Crowding Negatively Impacts Reproduction in an Endangered, Territorial Hawaiian Bird

Animal Conservation, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Фев. 5, 2025

ABSTRACT Conservation breeding programs (CBPs) can play a vital role in preventing extinction. Housing considerations are particularly important CBPs because suboptimal enclosures negate efforts to promote animal well‐being, survival, reproduction, and the retention of natural behaviors. Moreover, quality quantity also influence social environment experienced by animals, an determinant reproduction. Extinct wild, territorial ‘Alalā (Hawaiian crow, Corvus hawaiiensis ) is subject intensive conservation at two purpose‐built facilities Hawai'i. To examine space this CBP, we evaluated reproductive outcomes for pairs held different‐sized (i.e., housed one vs. chambers within stand‐alone aviary building), corresponding differences context, including amount enclosure architecture available pair, which label “social crowding.” We tested hypothesis that crowding adversely impacts nest quality, clutches laid, egg fertilization, hatching success. found negatively impacted decreased probability clutch production, suggesting stress, derived from being arrangement does not align with nature ‘Alalā, may compromise behavior and/or physiology. did find statistical evidence affected fertilization or success, thus appear manifest during earlier stages. Broadly, our findings underscore importance design context avian raise concerns about reduced output due housing birds smaller denser arrangements. Furthermore, guide decisions strategic aviaries identify solutions mitigate consequences on

Язык: Английский

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