Please see www.brendonlarson.com for more details about my research. Phone: 519-888-4567 x38140 Address: Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L3G1
Scientists turn to metaphors to formulate and explain scientific concepts, but an ill-considered ... more Scientists turn to metaphors to formulate and explain scientific concepts, but an ill-considered metaphor can lead to social misunderstandings and counterproductive policies, Brendon Larson observes in this stimulating book. He explores how metaphors can entangle scientific facts with social values and warns that, particularly in the environmental realm, incautious metaphors can reinforce prevailing values that are inconsistent with desirable sustainability outcomes.
Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability draws on four case studies--two from nineteenth-century evolutionary science, and two from contemporary biodiversity science--to reveal how metaphors may shape the possibility of sustainability. Arguing that scientists must assume greater responsibility for their metaphors, and that the rest of us must become more critically aware of them, the author urges more critical reflection on the social dimensions and implications of metaphors while offering practical suggestions for choosing among alternative scientific metaphors.
Human mobility necessitates that people adapt not only to a new society but also to a new natural... more Human mobility necessitates that people adapt not only to a new society but also to a new natural environment and biodiversity. We use birds as biodiversity proxies to explore the place experiences of 26 Latin Americans adapting to Canada and the United States. Using interviews with open-ended questions, we prompted participants to identify birds that were linked to remarkable experiences in both places of origin and immigration, which we coded respectively as “roots” and “routes.” Participants reported foundational keystone species linked to their cultural heritage and conspicuous key species they associated with self-realization in the new place. Linking species, involving connections between roots and routes, triggered a process of place recalibration in association with key and keystone birds that worked as points of reference. We suggest that biodiversity offers critical social functions that need to be addressed by social integration programs promoting conviviality between humans and nature in the Anthropocene
Our language and metaphors about environmental issues reflect and affect how we perceive and mana... more Our language and metaphors about environmental issues reflect and affect how we perceive and manage them. Discourse on invasive species is dominated by aggressive language of aliens and invasion, which contributes to the use of warlike metaphors to promote combative control. This language has been criticised for undermining scientific objectivity, misleading discourse, and restricting how invasive species are perceived and managed. Calls have been made for alternative metaphors that open up new management possibilities and reconnect with a deeper conservation ethic. Here, we turn to Indigenous perspectives because they are increasingly recognised as offering important and novel voices in invasive species discourse. We examine how Australian Aboriginal elders and land managers (rangers) speak about 'environmental weeds' (the term used to describe invasive plants in Australia) and weed management. Based on qualitative research with five Aboriginal groups in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, our findings indicate that Aboriginal elders speak about weeds through passive, neutral language and prefer metaphors for weed management that focus on health, care and creation. We outline the influence that this language has for how rangers practice weed work and discuss its implications for the mainstream paradigm.
Invasive non-native species are often more prevalent in cities than in rural areas because of num... more Invasive non-native species are often more prevalent in cities than in rural areas because of numerous environmental disturbances and higher propagule pressure. Attempts to manage invasive species in cities are often controversial because of the diversity of stakeholder views. Until now, however, environmental managers in cities have managed invasive species using approaches and paradigms developed for a rural context, despite the radically different socio-environmental conditions that prevail in cities. We examine the case of Cape Town, South Africa, a rapidly growing metropolitan centre within a global biodiversity hotspot and a developing country, to underline the considerable challenges and complexities of managing invasive species in cities. We argue that traditional management approaches need to be supplemented by consideration of stakeholder views and the social consequences of management actions. We present a framework for selecting appropriate goals for the management of invasive species, ranging from eradication to acceptance.
Some species face extinction if they are unable to keep pace with climate change. Yet proposals t... more Some species face extinction if they are unable to keep pace with climate change. Yet proposals to assist threatened species' poleward or uphill migration ('assisted migration') have caused significant controversy among conservationists, not least because assisted migration seems to threaten some values, even as it protects others. To date, however, analysis of ethical and value questions about assisted migration has largely remained abstract, removed from the ultimately pragmatic decision about whether or not to move a particular species. This paper uses the case study of the whitebark pine, a keystone species of sub-alpine habitats in western North America, to consider how particular cases of assisted migration may be ethically approached. After taking into account the value of species, wildness, place, ecosystems, culture and sentient animals, we conclude that, on balance, there appear to be good reasons to move the whitebark pine.
First paragraph:
At the September 2014 United Nations Climate Summit, governments rallied aroun... more First paragraph:
At the September 2014 United Nations Climate Summit, governments rallied around an international agreement—the New York Declaration on Forests—that underscored restoration of degraded ecosystems as an auspicious solution to climate change. Ethiopia committed to restore more than one-sixth of its land. Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, and Colombia pledged to restore huge areas within their borders. In total, parties committed to restore a staggering 350 million hectares by 2030.
Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (online first), doi: 10.1007/s13412-015-0246-8
We often use juggling as an everyday metaphor for balancing multiple interests, which pertains to... more We often use juggling as an everyday metaphor for balancing multiple interests, which pertains to thinking about sustainability, yet to date its potential for environmental pedagogy has not been evaluated. Here, I provide some lessons learned while teaching students to juggle as part of a senior environmental studies course at the University of Waterloo over a four-year period (2009-2012, n = 289 students). I begin by briefly reviewing four benefits of teaching environmental studies students how to juggle: 1) it embodies systems thinking, 2) it grounds environmental metaphors, 3) it helps to transcend paradigms, and 4) it promotes well-being. I then provide preliminary support for these claims from a survey of my students in the final year that I taught the course. With these lessons and some caveats in mind, I conclude that learning to juggle is a wonderful embodied metaphor for nurturing students’ reflections about sustainability, so I encourage other environmental studies educators to consider it within their courses.
In contemporary environmental conservation, species are judged in terms of their origin (‘nativen... more In contemporary environmental conservation, species are judged in terms of their origin (‘nativeness’), as well as their behaviour and impacts (‘invasiveness’). In many instances, however, the term ‘non-native’ has been used as a proxy for harmfulness, implying the need for control. Some scientists have attempted to discourage this practice, on the grounds that it is inappropriate and counterproductive to judge species on their origin alone. However, to date, no empirical data exist on the degree to which nativeness in itself (that is, a species’ origin) shapes people’s attitudes towards management interventions in practice. This study addresses this void, demonstrating empirically that both the public and invasive species professionals largely ignore a species’ origin when evaluating the need for conservation action. Through a questionnaire-based survey of the general public and invasive species experts in both Scotland and Canada, the study revealed that perceived abundance and damage to nature and the economy, rather than non-nativeness, informed attitudes towards species management, empirically substantiating the claim that a species’ perceived abundance and impact, and not its origin, is what really matters to most people.Natural resource management should thus focus explicitly on impact-related criteria, rather than on a species’ origin.
The concept of novel ecosystems (CNE) has been proposed as a way to recognize the extent and valu... more The concept of novel ecosystems (CNE) has been proposed as a way to recognize the extent and value of ecosystems that have been irreversibly transformed by human activity. In this sense, the CNE is realistic about ongoing changes that humans are causing and pragmatic about how to manage them now and in the future. It also provides a dramatic contrast with prevailing conceptions, particularly related to invasive species. Although the CNE has recently been subject to critique, existing critiques do not appear to seriously engage with the extent of anthropogenic change to the world’s ecosystems. Here, I seek to provide a deeper, philosophical and constructive critique, specifically arguing that the usefulness of the CNE is limited in the following three ways: i) it is too static; ii) it is too vague; and iii) it is too dualistic. Although the CNE provides some conceptual advance (‘new wine’), some of its conceptualization and packaging weakly support this advance (‘old wineskins’), so I consider some ways to further develop it, in part to encourage more widespread recognition and appreciation of novel ecosystems.
The role of humans in facilitating the rapid spread of plants at a scale that is considered invas... more The role of humans in facilitating the rapid spread of plants at a scale that is considered invasive is one manifestation of the Anthropocene, now framed as a geological period in which humans are the dominant force in landscape transformation. Invasive plant management faces intensified challenges, and can no longer be viewed in terms of ‘eradication’ or ‘restoration of original landscapes’. In this perspectives article we focus on the practice and experience of people engaged in invasive plant management, using examples from Australia and Canada. We show how managers i) face several pragmatic trade-offs; ii) must reconcile diverse views, even within stakeholder groups; iii) must balance competing temporal scales; iv) encounter tensions with policy; and v) face critical and under-acknowledged labour challenges. These themes show the variety of ways invasive plant managers make complex decisions about when, where and how to intervene. Their widespread pragmatic acceptance of small, situated gains (as well as losses) combines with impressive long-term commitments to the task. We suggest that the actual practice of weed management challenges those academic perspectives that still aspire to attaining pristine nature.
In the context of climate change, the forest sector must consider the extent to which sustainable... more In the context of climate change, the forest sector must consider the extent to which sustainable forest management enables or constrains climate change adaptation and mitigation; it may be that existing values and principles, policies and decision-making processes, and institutions are no longer appropriate. Forest certification has emerged as an important arena for setting international and regional standards for forest management, but it is unclear to what extent it supports or helps develop adaptive capacity for climate change in the forest sector. This paper, therefore, combines a review of the literature on forests and climate adaptation with a systematic assessment of the Forest Stewardship Council Criteria and Indicators (in detail) and other forest and carbon certification schemes (in brief) to shed light on the role of certification standards in mediating forest and climate adaptation strategies.
PLOS ONE 9(8): e105495. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105495
Despite continued critique of the idea of clear boundaries between scientific and lay knowledge, ... more Despite continued critique of the idea of clear boundaries between scientific and lay knowledge, the ‘deficit-model’ of public understanding of ecological issues still seems prevalent in discourses of biodiversity management. Prominent invasion biologists, for example, still argue that citizens need to be educated so that they accept scientists’ views on the management of non-native invasive species.
We conducted a questionnaire-based survey with members of the public and professionals in invasive species management (n=732) in Canada and the UK to investigate commonalities and differences in their perceptions of species and, more importantly, how these perceptions were connected to attitudes towards species management. Both native and non-native mammal and tree species were included.
Professionals tended to have more extreme views than the public, especially in relation to nativeness and abundance of a species. In both groups, species that were perceived to be more abundant, non-native, unattractive or harmful to nature and the economy were more likely to be regarded as in need of management. While perceptions of species and attitudes towards management thus often differed between public and professionals, these perceptions were linked to attitudes in very similar ways across the two groups.
This suggests that ways of reasoning about invasive species employed by professionals and the public might be more compatible with each other than commonly thought. We recommend that prior to an invasive species control programme, managers engage in open discussion with local people about each other’s beliefs and attitudes. This could ultimately reduce conflict over invasive species control.
Invasive species may be viewed as “passengers” that spread in response to environmental changes r... more Invasive species may be viewed as “passengers” that spread in response to environmental changes rather than “drivers” of ecological impacts. To date, however, there has been no examination of how these alternative models affect public risk perception, sense of responsibility, and willingness to take action. We report on an experimental study of how these models affected respondents’ (N=456) willingness to take action to address two invasive species: tamarisk and garlic mustard. We found that the traditional driver model, compared to the passenger model, increased perception of risk to humans and the environment, both of which contributed to willingness to take action. The driver model, however, also decreased personal causal responsibility, though only when human responsibility for introduction was not mentioned. Our findings suggest that these alternative models create trade-offs for communication that necessitate contextual framing that attends to audience sense of risk and responsibility.
Biologists increasingly utilize marketing strategies to promote their results, obtain funding and... more Biologists increasingly utilize marketing strategies to promote their results, obtain funding and influence decision makers, but this development can compromise public perceptions of their objectivity as well as effective communication of reliable scientific knowledge. Responsible and effective communication is particularly important in this era of biotechnological innovation and global environmental change when knowledge is often uncertain, rapidly evolving, and can have huge consequences for society. While scientists and science journalists carefully evaluate scientific results, they more freely choose rhetorical elements, and in particular their metaphors, despite the value-laden judgments that often accompany these choices. We thus argue that metaphors should be carefully chosen and evaluated alongside empirical evidence, because they shape data interpretation and how science influences society. We propose guidelines for responsible use of metaphors in science writing and communication.
Scientists turn to metaphors to formulate and explain scientific concepts, but an ill-considered ... more Scientists turn to metaphors to formulate and explain scientific concepts, but an ill-considered metaphor can lead to social misunderstandings and counterproductive policies, Brendon Larson observes in this stimulating book. He explores how metaphors can entangle scientific facts with social values and warns that, particularly in the environmental realm, incautious metaphors can reinforce prevailing values that are inconsistent with desirable sustainability outcomes.
Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability draws on four case studies--two from nineteenth-century evolutionary science, and two from contemporary biodiversity science--to reveal how metaphors may shape the possibility of sustainability. Arguing that scientists must assume greater responsibility for their metaphors, and that the rest of us must become more critically aware of them, the author urges more critical reflection on the social dimensions and implications of metaphors while offering practical suggestions for choosing among alternative scientific metaphors.
Human mobility necessitates that people adapt not only to a new society but also to a new natural... more Human mobility necessitates that people adapt not only to a new society but also to a new natural environment and biodiversity. We use birds as biodiversity proxies to explore the place experiences of 26 Latin Americans adapting to Canada and the United States. Using interviews with open-ended questions, we prompted participants to identify birds that were linked to remarkable experiences in both places of origin and immigration, which we coded respectively as “roots” and “routes.” Participants reported foundational keystone species linked to their cultural heritage and conspicuous key species they associated with self-realization in the new place. Linking species, involving connections between roots and routes, triggered a process of place recalibration in association with key and keystone birds that worked as points of reference. We suggest that biodiversity offers critical social functions that need to be addressed by social integration programs promoting conviviality between humans and nature in the Anthropocene
Our language and metaphors about environmental issues reflect and affect how we perceive and mana... more Our language and metaphors about environmental issues reflect and affect how we perceive and manage them. Discourse on invasive species is dominated by aggressive language of aliens and invasion, which contributes to the use of warlike metaphors to promote combative control. This language has been criticised for undermining scientific objectivity, misleading discourse, and restricting how invasive species are perceived and managed. Calls have been made for alternative metaphors that open up new management possibilities and reconnect with a deeper conservation ethic. Here, we turn to Indigenous perspectives because they are increasingly recognised as offering important and novel voices in invasive species discourse. We examine how Australian Aboriginal elders and land managers (rangers) speak about 'environmental weeds' (the term used to describe invasive plants in Australia) and weed management. Based on qualitative research with five Aboriginal groups in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, our findings indicate that Aboriginal elders speak about weeds through passive, neutral language and prefer metaphors for weed management that focus on health, care and creation. We outline the influence that this language has for how rangers practice weed work and discuss its implications for the mainstream paradigm.
Invasive non-native species are often more prevalent in cities than in rural areas because of num... more Invasive non-native species are often more prevalent in cities than in rural areas because of numerous environmental disturbances and higher propagule pressure. Attempts to manage invasive species in cities are often controversial because of the diversity of stakeholder views. Until now, however, environmental managers in cities have managed invasive species using approaches and paradigms developed for a rural context, despite the radically different socio-environmental conditions that prevail in cities. We examine the case of Cape Town, South Africa, a rapidly growing metropolitan centre within a global biodiversity hotspot and a developing country, to underline the considerable challenges and complexities of managing invasive species in cities. We argue that traditional management approaches need to be supplemented by consideration of stakeholder views and the social consequences of management actions. We present a framework for selecting appropriate goals for the management of invasive species, ranging from eradication to acceptance.
Some species face extinction if they are unable to keep pace with climate change. Yet proposals t... more Some species face extinction if they are unable to keep pace with climate change. Yet proposals to assist threatened species' poleward or uphill migration ('assisted migration') have caused significant controversy among conservationists, not least because assisted migration seems to threaten some values, even as it protects others. To date, however, analysis of ethical and value questions about assisted migration has largely remained abstract, removed from the ultimately pragmatic decision about whether or not to move a particular species. This paper uses the case study of the whitebark pine, a keystone species of sub-alpine habitats in western North America, to consider how particular cases of assisted migration may be ethically approached. After taking into account the value of species, wildness, place, ecosystems, culture and sentient animals, we conclude that, on balance, there appear to be good reasons to move the whitebark pine.
First paragraph:
At the September 2014 United Nations Climate Summit, governments rallied aroun... more First paragraph:
At the September 2014 United Nations Climate Summit, governments rallied around an international agreement—the New York Declaration on Forests—that underscored restoration of degraded ecosystems as an auspicious solution to climate change. Ethiopia committed to restore more than one-sixth of its land. Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, and Colombia pledged to restore huge areas within their borders. In total, parties committed to restore a staggering 350 million hectares by 2030.
Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (online first), doi: 10.1007/s13412-015-0246-8
We often use juggling as an everyday metaphor for balancing multiple interests, which pertains to... more We often use juggling as an everyday metaphor for balancing multiple interests, which pertains to thinking about sustainability, yet to date its potential for environmental pedagogy has not been evaluated. Here, I provide some lessons learned while teaching students to juggle as part of a senior environmental studies course at the University of Waterloo over a four-year period (2009-2012, n = 289 students). I begin by briefly reviewing four benefits of teaching environmental studies students how to juggle: 1) it embodies systems thinking, 2) it grounds environmental metaphors, 3) it helps to transcend paradigms, and 4) it promotes well-being. I then provide preliminary support for these claims from a survey of my students in the final year that I taught the course. With these lessons and some caveats in mind, I conclude that learning to juggle is a wonderful embodied metaphor for nurturing students’ reflections about sustainability, so I encourage other environmental studies educators to consider it within their courses.
In contemporary environmental conservation, species are judged in terms of their origin (‘nativen... more In contemporary environmental conservation, species are judged in terms of their origin (‘nativeness’), as well as their behaviour and impacts (‘invasiveness’). In many instances, however, the term ‘non-native’ has been used as a proxy for harmfulness, implying the need for control. Some scientists have attempted to discourage this practice, on the grounds that it is inappropriate and counterproductive to judge species on their origin alone. However, to date, no empirical data exist on the degree to which nativeness in itself (that is, a species’ origin) shapes people’s attitudes towards management interventions in practice. This study addresses this void, demonstrating empirically that both the public and invasive species professionals largely ignore a species’ origin when evaluating the need for conservation action. Through a questionnaire-based survey of the general public and invasive species experts in both Scotland and Canada, the study revealed that perceived abundance and damage to nature and the economy, rather than non-nativeness, informed attitudes towards species management, empirically substantiating the claim that a species’ perceived abundance and impact, and not its origin, is what really matters to most people.Natural resource management should thus focus explicitly on impact-related criteria, rather than on a species’ origin.
The concept of novel ecosystems (CNE) has been proposed as a way to recognize the extent and valu... more The concept of novel ecosystems (CNE) has been proposed as a way to recognize the extent and value of ecosystems that have been irreversibly transformed by human activity. In this sense, the CNE is realistic about ongoing changes that humans are causing and pragmatic about how to manage them now and in the future. It also provides a dramatic contrast with prevailing conceptions, particularly related to invasive species. Although the CNE has recently been subject to critique, existing critiques do not appear to seriously engage with the extent of anthropogenic change to the world’s ecosystems. Here, I seek to provide a deeper, philosophical and constructive critique, specifically arguing that the usefulness of the CNE is limited in the following three ways: i) it is too static; ii) it is too vague; and iii) it is too dualistic. Although the CNE provides some conceptual advance (‘new wine’), some of its conceptualization and packaging weakly support this advance (‘old wineskins’), so I consider some ways to further develop it, in part to encourage more widespread recognition and appreciation of novel ecosystems.
The role of humans in facilitating the rapid spread of plants at a scale that is considered invas... more The role of humans in facilitating the rapid spread of plants at a scale that is considered invasive is one manifestation of the Anthropocene, now framed as a geological period in which humans are the dominant force in landscape transformation. Invasive plant management faces intensified challenges, and can no longer be viewed in terms of ‘eradication’ or ‘restoration of original landscapes’. In this perspectives article we focus on the practice and experience of people engaged in invasive plant management, using examples from Australia and Canada. We show how managers i) face several pragmatic trade-offs; ii) must reconcile diverse views, even within stakeholder groups; iii) must balance competing temporal scales; iv) encounter tensions with policy; and v) face critical and under-acknowledged labour challenges. These themes show the variety of ways invasive plant managers make complex decisions about when, where and how to intervene. Their widespread pragmatic acceptance of small, situated gains (as well as losses) combines with impressive long-term commitments to the task. We suggest that the actual practice of weed management challenges those academic perspectives that still aspire to attaining pristine nature.
In the context of climate change, the forest sector must consider the extent to which sustainable... more In the context of climate change, the forest sector must consider the extent to which sustainable forest management enables or constrains climate change adaptation and mitigation; it may be that existing values and principles, policies and decision-making processes, and institutions are no longer appropriate. Forest certification has emerged as an important arena for setting international and regional standards for forest management, but it is unclear to what extent it supports or helps develop adaptive capacity for climate change in the forest sector. This paper, therefore, combines a review of the literature on forests and climate adaptation with a systematic assessment of the Forest Stewardship Council Criteria and Indicators (in detail) and other forest and carbon certification schemes (in brief) to shed light on the role of certification standards in mediating forest and climate adaptation strategies.
PLOS ONE 9(8): e105495. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105495
Despite continued critique of the idea of clear boundaries between scientific and lay knowledge, ... more Despite continued critique of the idea of clear boundaries between scientific and lay knowledge, the ‘deficit-model’ of public understanding of ecological issues still seems prevalent in discourses of biodiversity management. Prominent invasion biologists, for example, still argue that citizens need to be educated so that they accept scientists’ views on the management of non-native invasive species.
We conducted a questionnaire-based survey with members of the public and professionals in invasive species management (n=732) in Canada and the UK to investigate commonalities and differences in their perceptions of species and, more importantly, how these perceptions were connected to attitudes towards species management. Both native and non-native mammal and tree species were included.
Professionals tended to have more extreme views than the public, especially in relation to nativeness and abundance of a species. In both groups, species that were perceived to be more abundant, non-native, unattractive or harmful to nature and the economy were more likely to be regarded as in need of management. While perceptions of species and attitudes towards management thus often differed between public and professionals, these perceptions were linked to attitudes in very similar ways across the two groups.
This suggests that ways of reasoning about invasive species employed by professionals and the public might be more compatible with each other than commonly thought. We recommend that prior to an invasive species control programme, managers engage in open discussion with local people about each other’s beliefs and attitudes. This could ultimately reduce conflict over invasive species control.
Invasive species may be viewed as “passengers” that spread in response to environmental changes r... more Invasive species may be viewed as “passengers” that spread in response to environmental changes rather than “drivers” of ecological impacts. To date, however, there has been no examination of how these alternative models affect public risk perception, sense of responsibility, and willingness to take action. We report on an experimental study of how these models affected respondents’ (N=456) willingness to take action to address two invasive species: tamarisk and garlic mustard. We found that the traditional driver model, compared to the passenger model, increased perception of risk to humans and the environment, both of which contributed to willingness to take action. The driver model, however, also decreased personal causal responsibility, though only when human responsibility for introduction was not mentioned. Our findings suggest that these alternative models create trade-offs for communication that necessitate contextual framing that attends to audience sense of risk and responsibility.
Biologists increasingly utilize marketing strategies to promote their results, obtain funding and... more Biologists increasingly utilize marketing strategies to promote their results, obtain funding and influence decision makers, but this development can compromise public perceptions of their objectivity as well as effective communication of reliable scientific knowledge. Responsible and effective communication is particularly important in this era of biotechnological innovation and global environmental change when knowledge is often uncertain, rapidly evolving, and can have huge consequences for society. While scientists and science journalists carefully evaluate scientific results, they more freely choose rhetorical elements, and in particular their metaphors, despite the value-laden judgments that often accompany these choices. We thus argue that metaphors should be carefully chosen and evaluated alongside empirical evidence, because they shape data interpretation and how science influences society. We propose guidelines for responsible use of metaphors in science writing and communication.
Assisted colonization is a contentious climate change adaptation strategy, but we have limited un... more Assisted colonization is a contentious climate change adaptation strategy, but we have limited understanding of the bases of disagreement amongst scientists and far less has been done to
understand the views of other stakeholders. To establish an initial empirical understanding of the terms of the debate, we conducted a Q method study of the views of scientists and resource managers,
a key constituency because of their role in decision-making and implementation. We asked 24 forest managers in Ontario, Canada and 26 top-publishing ecologists and conservation biologists to evaluate their level of agreement with 33 statements about assisted colonization from the published literature and other relevant sources. The analysis revealed four main, contrasting perspectives, which we label Ecological Interventionist, Nativist Technocrat, Interventionist Technocrat, and Reluctant Interventionist; all but the Nativist Technocrats were open to assisted colonization. Disagreements between the four perspectives were defined by value-based and policy-strategic considerations at least as much as they were by varied understandings of technical issues. Assisted colonization as a climate adaptation strategy exists within the context of multiple competing and incompatible problem definitions even amongst these technical stakeholders. Based upon our findings and the relevant literature, we conclude that disputes surrounding assisted colonization will likely not be settled by additional scientific research. Rather, underlying non-technical considerations need to be brought to the fore and addressed.
Some species face extinction if they are unable to keep pace with climate change. However, propos... more Some species face extinction if they are unable to keep pace with climate change. However, proposals to assist threatened species' poleward or uphill migration (‘assisted migration’) have caused significant controversy among conservationists, not least because assisted migration seems to threaten some values, even as it protects others. To date, however, analysis of ethical and value questions about assisted migration has largely remained abstract, removed from the ultimately pragmatic decision about whether or not to move a particular species. This paper uses a case study of the whitebark pine, a keystone species of sub-alpine habitats in western North America, to consider how particular cases of assisted migration may be approached ethically. After taking into account the value of species, wildness, place, ecosystems, culture, and sentient animals, we conclude that, on balance, there appears to be good reasons to move the whitebark pine.
This paper comprises Part II of a review of flower visitation and pollination by Diptera (myiophi... more This paper comprises Part II of a review of flower visitation and pollination by Diptera (myiophily or myophily). While Part I examined taxonomic diversity of anthophilous flies, here we consider the rewards and attractants used by flowers to procure visits by flies, and their importance in the lives of flies. Food rewards such as pollen and nectar are the primary reasons for flower visits, but there is also a diversity of non-nutritive rewards such as brood sites, shelter, and places of congregation. Floral attractants are the visual and chemical cues used by Diptera to locate flowers and the rewards that they offer, and we show how they act to increase the probability of floral visitation. Lastly, we discuss the various ways in which flowers manipulate the behaviour of flies, deceiving them to visit flowers that do not provide the advertised reward, and how some flies illegitimately remove floral rewards without causing pollination. Our review demonstrates that myiophily is a syndrome corresponding to elements of anatomical, behavioural and physiological adaptations of flower-visiting Diptera. The bewildering diversity of anthophilous Diptera and of the floral attractants and rewards to which they respond allows for only broad generalizations on myiophily and points to the need for more investigation. Ecological relationships between flies and flowers are critical to the survival of each group in many habitats. We require greater understanding of the significance of flies in pollination, especially in the face of recent pollinator declines.
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Books by Brendon Larson
Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability draws on four case studies--two from nineteenth-century evolutionary science, and two from contemporary biodiversity science--to reveal how metaphors may shape the possibility of sustainability. Arguing that scientists must assume greater responsibility for their metaphors, and that the rest of us must become more critically aware of them, the author urges more critical reflection on the social dimensions and implications of metaphors while offering practical suggestions for choosing among alternative scientific metaphors.
Papers by Brendon Larson
interviews with open-ended questions, we prompted participants to identify birds that were linked to remarkable experiences in both places of origin and immigration, which we coded respectively as “roots” and “routes.” Participants reported foundational keystone species linked to their cultural heritage and conspicuous key species they associated with self-realization in the new place. Linking species, involving connections between roots and routes, triggered a process of place
recalibration in association with key and keystone birds that worked as points of reference. We suggest that biodiversity offers critical social functions that need to be addressed by social integration programs promoting conviviality between humans and nature in the Anthropocene
At the September 2014 United Nations Climate Summit, governments rallied around an international agreement—the New York Declaration on Forests—that underscored restoration of degraded ecosystems as an auspicious solution to climate change. Ethiopia committed to restore more than one-sixth of its land. Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, and Colombia pledged to restore huge areas within their borders. In total, parties committed to restore a staggering 350 million hectares by 2030.
We conducted a questionnaire-based survey with members of the public and professionals in invasive species management (n=732) in Canada and the UK to investigate commonalities and differences in their perceptions of species and, more importantly, how these perceptions were connected to attitudes towards species management. Both native and non-native mammal and tree species were included.
Professionals tended to have more extreme views than the public, especially in relation to nativeness and abundance of a species. In both groups, species that were perceived to be more abundant, non-native, unattractive or harmful to nature and the economy were more likely to be regarded as in need of management. While perceptions of species and attitudes towards management thus often differed between public and professionals, these perceptions were linked to attitudes in very similar ways across the two groups.
This suggests that ways of reasoning about invasive species employed by professionals and the public might be more compatible with each other than commonly thought. We recommend that prior to an invasive species control programme, managers engage in open discussion with local people about each other’s beliefs and attitudes. This could ultimately reduce conflict over invasive species control.
Metaphors for Environmental Sustainability draws on four case studies--two from nineteenth-century evolutionary science, and two from contemporary biodiversity science--to reveal how metaphors may shape the possibility of sustainability. Arguing that scientists must assume greater responsibility for their metaphors, and that the rest of us must become more critically aware of them, the author urges more critical reflection on the social dimensions and implications of metaphors while offering practical suggestions for choosing among alternative scientific metaphors.
interviews with open-ended questions, we prompted participants to identify birds that were linked to remarkable experiences in both places of origin and immigration, which we coded respectively as “roots” and “routes.” Participants reported foundational keystone species linked to their cultural heritage and conspicuous key species they associated with self-realization in the new place. Linking species, involving connections between roots and routes, triggered a process of place
recalibration in association with key and keystone birds that worked as points of reference. We suggest that biodiversity offers critical social functions that need to be addressed by social integration programs promoting conviviality between humans and nature in the Anthropocene
At the September 2014 United Nations Climate Summit, governments rallied around an international agreement—the New York Declaration on Forests—that underscored restoration of degraded ecosystems as an auspicious solution to climate change. Ethiopia committed to restore more than one-sixth of its land. Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, and Colombia pledged to restore huge areas within their borders. In total, parties committed to restore a staggering 350 million hectares by 2030.
We conducted a questionnaire-based survey with members of the public and professionals in invasive species management (n=732) in Canada and the UK to investigate commonalities and differences in their perceptions of species and, more importantly, how these perceptions were connected to attitudes towards species management. Both native and non-native mammal and tree species were included.
Professionals tended to have more extreme views than the public, especially in relation to nativeness and abundance of a species. In both groups, species that were perceived to be more abundant, non-native, unattractive or harmful to nature and the economy were more likely to be regarded as in need of management. While perceptions of species and attitudes towards management thus often differed between public and professionals, these perceptions were linked to attitudes in very similar ways across the two groups.
This suggests that ways of reasoning about invasive species employed by professionals and the public might be more compatible with each other than commonly thought. We recommend that prior to an invasive species control programme, managers engage in open discussion with local people about each other’s beliefs and attitudes. This could ultimately reduce conflict over invasive species control.
understand the views of other stakeholders. To establish an initial empirical understanding of the terms of the debate, we conducted a Q method study of the views of scientists and resource managers,
a key constituency because of their role in decision-making and implementation. We asked 24 forest managers in Ontario, Canada and 26 top-publishing ecologists and conservation biologists to evaluate their level of agreement with 33 statements about assisted colonization from the published literature and other relevant sources. The analysis revealed four main, contrasting perspectives, which we label Ecological Interventionist, Nativist Technocrat, Interventionist Technocrat, and Reluctant Interventionist; all but the Nativist Technocrats were open to assisted colonization. Disagreements between the four perspectives were defined by value-based and policy-strategic considerations at least as much as they were by varied understandings of technical issues. Assisted colonization as a climate adaptation strategy exists within the context of multiple competing and incompatible problem definitions even amongst these technical stakeholders. Based upon our findings and the relevant literature, we conclude that disputes surrounding assisted colonization will likely not be settled by additional scientific research. Rather, underlying non-technical considerations need to be brought to the fore and addressed.