Paper 4: Shifting public values and what they mean for increasing democracy in wildlife management decisions
Citation: Van Eeden, Lily M., Chris R. Dickman, Euan G. Ritchie, and Thomas M. Newsome. 2017. Shifting public values and what they mean for increasing democracy in wildlife management decisions. Biodiversity and Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-017-1378-9.
This paper discusses how societal views toward nature are evolving from human dominance to a sort of mutualism in which animals are treated equally to humans. As a result, the public is becoming more involved in wildlife management decisions, and scientists and wildlife managers can no longer ignore public values. The report also includes numerous examples from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, where public attitudes have influenced and changed, the management of particular animal species in these areas. The authors see mass media and other forms of communication that provide people with knowledge and a platform for activism as a major component of this effect. However, the authors also underline the importance of evaluating the ethics and values that influence our decisions and, as a result, our management actions. Activism can have a negative impact on wildlife conservation and management in some situations. As a result, the study highlights the importance of adequate science communication related to wildlife conservation and management in order to recognize public values and allow a better-informed public to participate in decision-making. When it comes to wildlife management, it’s critical that science and informed public values continue to guide decisions.
Paper 5: The Internet of Nature: How taking nature online can shape urban ecosystems
Citation:Galle N.J., Pilla F., and Nitoslawski S.A. 2019. The Internet of Nature: How taking nature online can shape urban ecosystems. Anthropocene Review.6 (3): 279-287.
This study explores a natural-environment innovation in the context of developing technology. Because cities are becoming more digital, there is a growing need to digitally transform the city’s natural capital. When cities are examined closely, they reveal a complex, adaptive ecosystem made up of species interacting with their surroundings, producing networks and flows of energy and waste. With all the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots containing urban areas, it is evident that wildlife is fast reacting and adapting to urban contexts. However, since not all organisms adapt to urbanization in the same way, there is a risk of natural biodiversity and ecological integrity being lost. The Internet of Nature is a technology inspired by the Internet of Things that can aid with effective environmental protection and management in and around cities. The data collected by this digital infrastructure can be utilized to better understand, analyse, model, and predict city socio-ecological systems. It’s a way of using digital technology to portray urban ecosystems, which can then be utilized to inform management and planning decisions. It can be used for monitoring and managing urban nature, for ecosystem functioning and resilience, and for linking social and ecological systems. The goal of this technology is to strengthen human-nature relationships in our urban surroundings, which are continually evolving and changing. IoN can successfully drive future action towards more sustainable, liveable, and resilient environments for humans to live within and coexist with the natural world by responding to the continuously changing needs of urban ecosystems. Though, within this project, the questions about how information is acquired in and by IoN remain unanswered.
Crafted Blueprints 