This research presents a new model based on Twitter posts and VADER algorithms to analyze social ... more This research presents a new model based on Twitter posts and VADER algorithms to analyze social media discourse during and following a bushfire event. The case study is the Gold Coast community that experienced the first bushfire event of Australia’s severe Black Summer in 2019/2020. This study aims to understand which communities and stakeholders generate and exchange information on disasters caused by natural hazards. In doing so, a new methodology to analyze social media in disaster management is presented. This model enables stakeholders to understand key message themes and community sentiment during and following the disaster, as well as the individuals and groups that shape the messaging. Three main findings emerged. Firstly, the results show that messaging volume is a proxy for the importance of the bushfires, with a clear increase during the bushfire event and a sharp decline after the event. Secondly, from a content perspective, there was a consistent negative message sent...
IntroductionConservation research plays an integral role in the effort to conserve biodiversity g... more IntroductionConservation research plays an integral role in the effort to conserve biodiversity globally. However, research gaps can limit conservation research’s potential contribution to addressing global biodiversity problems such as habitat fragmentation. While a synthesis of the research literature does not attain effective conservation action by itself, it can inform future research and corridor conservation planning and practices.MethodsWe used a systematic search of peer-reviewed research articles in Scopus, Web of Science, and grey literature in the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group library published before December 2020. Our review assessed research on the identification and use of corridors, a primary instrument used to address the threats of habitat fragmentation, for large carnivores to identify patterns, priorities, and gaps in the literature. We focused on large carnivores because they are frequently used for connectivity planning owing to their higher sensit...
Understanding geographical biases in ecological research is important for conservation, planning,... more Understanding geographical biases in ecological research is important for conservation, planning, prioritisation and management. However, conservation efforts may be limited by data availability and poor understanding of the nature of potential spatial bias. We conduct the first continent-wide analysis of spatial bias associated with Australian terrestrial reptile ecological research. To evaluate potential research deficiencies, we used Maxent modelling to predict the distributions of 646 reptile studies published from 1972 to 2017. Based on existing distributions of 1631 individual reptile study locations, reptile species richness, proximity to universities, human footprint and location of protected areas, we found the strongest predictor of reptile research locations was proximity to universities (40.8%). This was followed by species richness (22.9%) and human footprint (20.1%), while protected areas were the weakest predictor (16.2%). These results highlight that research effort ...
Habitat destruction is a key threatening process for amphibians. Modified or anthropogenic waterb... more Habitat destruction is a key threatening process for amphibians. Modified or anthropogenic waterbodies can be used to compensate for habitat loss, with several amphibian species utilising created or modified waterbodies. We measured usage of anthropogenic/modified waterbodies by adult and tadpole frog species, including threatened species, in coastal wallum habitat in eastern Australia. Nine road trenches/ditches, 8 artificial ‘lakes’, 6 golf course waterbodies and 13 natural waterbodies were surveyed for frog adults and tadpoles during the summer/spring period 2011–2012. Additionally, we examined the relationship between frog assemblages and environmental factors (water chemistry, aquatic predators, vegetation types), focusing on Litoria olongburensis and Litoria fallax. Frog species richness differed between waterbody types, with two of three threatened frog species present in both natural and anthropogenic/modified waterbodies. The frog assemblage was influenced by pH, turbidity,...
Abstract Habitat loss remains one of the primary threats to global forest communities but remaini... more Abstract Habitat loss remains one of the primary threats to global forest communities but remaining forest habitats are also subjected to ongoing fragmentation by linear clearings such as seismic lines for petroleum exploration. Seismic lines alter local habitat use, but unlike roads, which are well studied, less is known about the effects of seismic lines on mammal abundance and community composition. The objective of this study was to determine whether fragmentation by seismic linear clearings affected mammal abundance or community composition at fine and landscape scales. Winter snow track surveys were conducted over three winters, within 14 landscapes, dispersed throughout a boreal forest area (4000 km2), to measure relative abundances of 17 co-existing mammals. Mammal communities within seismic line habitat were dissimilar from communities in nearby forest habitat and were characterized by relatively higher abundances of some larger herbivores (moose/elk) and some mammalian predators (cougar, lynx, weasel). Within broader landscapes (12.3 km2), relative abundances of some large mammals were also associated with seismic line fragmentation. One large predator (gray wolf) trended toward higher relative abundance in the landscapes most fragmented by seismic lines, while one large herbivore group (moose/elk) decreased in abundance in these landscapes. Overall, our results reveal that forest fragmentation by narrow linear clearings (e.g. seismic lines) had a measurable effect on wildlife relative abundances, particularly for a few large mammals. They also highlight the importance of differentiating between fine-scale and landscape-scale effects. In this area, strong preference and avoidance behaviors toward seismic line habitat, were generally not associated with a consistent response at the landscape scale, potentially due to the dissimilar responses by different species to seismic line habitats, which may have altered interactions between co-existing species, such as predator and prey species. These findings have important implications for the management of mammal communities located within forests fragmented by seismic lines.
Conservation of biodiversity, including birds, continues to challenge natural area managers. Stat... more Conservation of biodiversity, including birds, continues to challenge natural area managers. Stated preference methods (e.g. choice experiments - CE) are increasingly used to provide data for natural ecosystem valuations. Here we use a CE to calculate birders' willingness to pay for different levels of bio-ecological attributes (threatened species, endemic species and diversity) of birding sites, with hypothetical entry fees. The CE was delivered at popular birding and avitourism sites in Australia and the United Kingdom. Latent class modelling results revealed heterogeneous preferences among birders, with correspondingly variable willingness to pay. Four clear groups were apparent from the sample; 'quantity driven birders', 'special bird seekers', 'confused respondents' and 'price is no object birders'. Quantity driven birders are attracted to sites that deliver high levels of diversity and endemic species. Special bird seekers value threatened species and high levels of endemics most. Confused respondents' preferences were difficult to determine, but were most sensitive to the hypothetical entry fees, unlike the price is no object birders who were not at all sensitive to cost. Our findings demonstrate that birders are amenable to paying for their preferred birding experience. These payments could provide an alternative source of funding in some avitourism sites, on both public and private land. These alternative revenue streams should be explored and given full consideration in increasingly competitive conservation financing environments. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Traditional strategies to stem declines in biodiversity include the establishment of public prote... more Traditional strategies to stem declines in biodiversity include the establishment of public protected area networks. However, private lands are an increasingly important component of contemporary reserve networks. Despite the increasing recognition of the value of private lands for conservation little is known about these areas. Consequently, this study aimed to re-evaluate the changes in private reserves in Brazil since 2005. Brazil’s private reserve system is represented by 1182 reserves, recognized under federal law and created to protect nature in perpetuity. These reserves protect 7502 km2 of land and are distributed across seven terrestrial biomes. This is an overall increase of 35% in the number of reserves (n = 753) and 3265 km2 of protected land (<0.05% of Brazilian terrestrial extent) since 2005. Forty-eight percent of the reserves (n = 572) are each smaller than 0.5 km2. While 749 (67%) of all private reserves (n = 1,182) are located in the Atlantic Forest biome, 38% of the overall area protected under the private reserve system is in the Pantanal biome, which has only 10 reserves. For landowners, the establishment of these reserves is a costly and bureaucratic process. Few economic incentives to establish reserves are available and comprise mostly tax breaks and funding from NGOs to assist with the establishment and management activities. The private reserve network provides valuable contributions to watershed and species conservation in Brazil, despite their limited size and challenges to create and manage these areas. Greater funding opportunities to landowners can be a catalyst for the establishment of reserves beyond the Atlantic Forest biome.
This research presents a new model based on Twitter posts and VADER algorithms to analyze social ... more This research presents a new model based on Twitter posts and VADER algorithms to analyze social media discourse during and following a bushfire event. The case study is the Gold Coast community that experienced the first bushfire event of Australia’s severe Black Summer in 2019/2020. This study aims to understand which communities and stakeholders generate and exchange information on disasters caused by natural hazards. In doing so, a new methodology to analyze social media in disaster management is presented. This model enables stakeholders to understand key message themes and community sentiment during and following the disaster, as well as the individuals and groups that shape the messaging. Three main findings emerged. Firstly, the results show that messaging volume is a proxy for the importance of the bushfires, with a clear increase during the bushfire event and a sharp decline after the event. Secondly, from a content perspective, there was a consistent negative message sent...
IntroductionConservation research plays an integral role in the effort to conserve biodiversity g... more IntroductionConservation research plays an integral role in the effort to conserve biodiversity globally. However, research gaps can limit conservation research’s potential contribution to addressing global biodiversity problems such as habitat fragmentation. While a synthesis of the research literature does not attain effective conservation action by itself, it can inform future research and corridor conservation planning and practices.MethodsWe used a systematic search of peer-reviewed research articles in Scopus, Web of Science, and grey literature in the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group library published before December 2020. Our review assessed research on the identification and use of corridors, a primary instrument used to address the threats of habitat fragmentation, for large carnivores to identify patterns, priorities, and gaps in the literature. We focused on large carnivores because they are frequently used for connectivity planning owing to their higher sensit...
Understanding geographical biases in ecological research is important for conservation, planning,... more Understanding geographical biases in ecological research is important for conservation, planning, prioritisation and management. However, conservation efforts may be limited by data availability and poor understanding of the nature of potential spatial bias. We conduct the first continent-wide analysis of spatial bias associated with Australian terrestrial reptile ecological research. To evaluate potential research deficiencies, we used Maxent modelling to predict the distributions of 646 reptile studies published from 1972 to 2017. Based on existing distributions of 1631 individual reptile study locations, reptile species richness, proximity to universities, human footprint and location of protected areas, we found the strongest predictor of reptile research locations was proximity to universities (40.8%). This was followed by species richness (22.9%) and human footprint (20.1%), while protected areas were the weakest predictor (16.2%). These results highlight that research effort ...
Habitat destruction is a key threatening process for amphibians. Modified or anthropogenic waterb... more Habitat destruction is a key threatening process for amphibians. Modified or anthropogenic waterbodies can be used to compensate for habitat loss, with several amphibian species utilising created or modified waterbodies. We measured usage of anthropogenic/modified waterbodies by adult and tadpole frog species, including threatened species, in coastal wallum habitat in eastern Australia. Nine road trenches/ditches, 8 artificial ‘lakes’, 6 golf course waterbodies and 13 natural waterbodies were surveyed for frog adults and tadpoles during the summer/spring period 2011–2012. Additionally, we examined the relationship between frog assemblages and environmental factors (water chemistry, aquatic predators, vegetation types), focusing on Litoria olongburensis and Litoria fallax. Frog species richness differed between waterbody types, with two of three threatened frog species present in both natural and anthropogenic/modified waterbodies. The frog assemblage was influenced by pH, turbidity,...
Abstract Habitat loss remains one of the primary threats to global forest communities but remaini... more Abstract Habitat loss remains one of the primary threats to global forest communities but remaining forest habitats are also subjected to ongoing fragmentation by linear clearings such as seismic lines for petroleum exploration. Seismic lines alter local habitat use, but unlike roads, which are well studied, less is known about the effects of seismic lines on mammal abundance and community composition. The objective of this study was to determine whether fragmentation by seismic linear clearings affected mammal abundance or community composition at fine and landscape scales. Winter snow track surveys were conducted over three winters, within 14 landscapes, dispersed throughout a boreal forest area (4000 km2), to measure relative abundances of 17 co-existing mammals. Mammal communities within seismic line habitat were dissimilar from communities in nearby forest habitat and were characterized by relatively higher abundances of some larger herbivores (moose/elk) and some mammalian predators (cougar, lynx, weasel). Within broader landscapes (12.3 km2), relative abundances of some large mammals were also associated with seismic line fragmentation. One large predator (gray wolf) trended toward higher relative abundance in the landscapes most fragmented by seismic lines, while one large herbivore group (moose/elk) decreased in abundance in these landscapes. Overall, our results reveal that forest fragmentation by narrow linear clearings (e.g. seismic lines) had a measurable effect on wildlife relative abundances, particularly for a few large mammals. They also highlight the importance of differentiating between fine-scale and landscape-scale effects. In this area, strong preference and avoidance behaviors toward seismic line habitat, were generally not associated with a consistent response at the landscape scale, potentially due to the dissimilar responses by different species to seismic line habitats, which may have altered interactions between co-existing species, such as predator and prey species. These findings have important implications for the management of mammal communities located within forests fragmented by seismic lines.
Conservation of biodiversity, including birds, continues to challenge natural area managers. Stat... more Conservation of biodiversity, including birds, continues to challenge natural area managers. Stated preference methods (e.g. choice experiments - CE) are increasingly used to provide data for natural ecosystem valuations. Here we use a CE to calculate birders&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; willingness to pay for different levels of bio-ecological attributes (threatened species, endemic species and diversity) of birding sites, with hypothetical entry fees. The CE was delivered at popular birding and avitourism sites in Australia and the United Kingdom. Latent class modelling results revealed heterogeneous preferences among birders, with correspondingly variable willingness to pay. Four clear groups were apparent from the sample; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;quantity driven birders&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;, &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;special bird seekers&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;, &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;confused respondents&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;price is no object birders&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;. Quantity driven birders are attracted to sites that deliver high levels of diversity and endemic species. Special bird seekers value threatened species and high levels of endemics most. Confused respondents&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; preferences were difficult to determine, but were most sensitive to the hypothetical entry fees, unlike the price is no object birders who were not at all sensitive to cost. Our findings demonstrate that birders are amenable to paying for their preferred birding experience. These payments could provide an alternative source of funding in some avitourism sites, on both public and private land. These alternative revenue streams should be explored and given full consideration in increasingly competitive conservation financing environments. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Traditional strategies to stem declines in biodiversity include the establishment of public prote... more Traditional strategies to stem declines in biodiversity include the establishment of public protected area networks. However, private lands are an increasingly important component of contemporary reserve networks. Despite the increasing recognition of the value of private lands for conservation little is known about these areas. Consequently, this study aimed to re-evaluate the changes in private reserves in Brazil since 2005. Brazil’s private reserve system is represented by 1182 reserves, recognized under federal law and created to protect nature in perpetuity. These reserves protect 7502 km2 of land and are distributed across seven terrestrial biomes. This is an overall increase of 35% in the number of reserves (n = 753) and 3265 km2 of protected land (<0.05% of Brazilian terrestrial extent) since 2005. Forty-eight percent of the reserves (n = 572) are each smaller than 0.5 km2. While 749 (67%) of all private reserves (n = 1,182) are located in the Atlantic Forest biome, 38% of the overall area protected under the private reserve system is in the Pantanal biome, which has only 10 reserves. For landowners, the establishment of these reserves is a costly and bureaucratic process. Few economic incentives to establish reserves are available and comprise mostly tax breaks and funding from NGOs to assist with the establishment and management activities. The private reserve network provides valuable contributions to watershed and species conservation in Brazil, despite their limited size and challenges to create and manage these areas. Greater funding opportunities to landowners can be a catalyst for the establishment of reserves beyond the Atlantic Forest biome.
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