Martínez-Jauregui, Maria, Touza, Julia M. orcid.org/0000-0001-8170-1789, White, Piran Crawfurd Limond orcid.org/0000-0002-7496-5775 et al. (1 more author) (2020) Choice of biodiversity indicators may affect societal support for conservation programs. Ecological Indicators. 107203. ISSN 1470-160X
Abstract
Preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity brings multiple health, societal and economic benefits, including life-supporting services. Biodiversity indicators are important in framing the benefits of conservation and management programs and monitoring progress toward their outcomes. Biodiversity indicators therefore provide useful tools for policymakers in helping to communicate the benefits of conservation to society but also in garnering public support for conservation. This research aimed to help improve our understanding of the role of biodiversity indicators in the way that they influence preferences towards conservation programs. A discrete choice experiment was used to estimate relative societal preferences towards multilevel dimensions of biodiversity in relation to the conservation of pine forests in the Spanish Iberian Peninsula. Results show that (i) the level of biodiversity indicator (within species, between species and within ecosystems) matters, (ii) indicators related to the biodiversity within ecosystems are valued the most, and (iii) the use of several biodiversity indicators together is generally better at delivering benefits to society, but the value of these is reduced where there is redundancy between them. Overall, the most preferred indicators were the area of land covered by the conservation project, the status of keystone ecosystem components, and the number of native species. Some indicators such as invasive alien species and genetic diversity are least preferred and may be less helpful to how conservation efforts are perceived by the citizens. By careful consideration of which biodiversity indicators to use, policymakers and conservation managers can maximize societal acceptability of public investments in conservation efforts.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Environment and Geography (York) The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Social Policy and Social Work (York) > York Environmental Sustainability Institute |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 07 Dec 2020 16:50 |
Last Modified: | 16 Oct 2024 17:10 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107203 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107203 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:168778 |
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