The positive experience of encountering wolves in the wild

Large carnivores often impact human livelihoods and well‐being. Previous research has mostly focused on the negative impacts of large carnivores on human well‐being but has rarely considered the positive aspects of living with large carnivores. In particular, we know very little on people's direct experiences with large carnivores like personal encounters and on people's awareness and tolerance toward their exposure to large carnivores. Here, we focus on the wolf (Canis lupus), and report on a phone survey in Germany. We examined whether encounters with wolves were positive or negative experiences and quantified people's awareness and tolerance related to their exposure to wolves. We found that the majority of people reported positive experiences when encountering wolves, regardless of whether wolves were encountered in the wild within Germany, in the wild abroad, or in captivity. The frequency of encounters did not affect the probability to report positive, neutral, or negative experiences. Moreover, people in Germany expressed a high tolerance of living in close vicinity to wolves. These findings are novel and important because they highlight the positive aspects of living in proximity with large carnivores in human‐dominated landscapes

Attitudes towards returning wolves (Canis lupus) in Germany: Exposure, information sources and trust matter

Understanding how exposure and information affect public attitudes towards returning large carnivores in Europe is critical for human-carnivore coexistence, especially for developing efficient and de-escalating communication strategies. The ongoing recolonization of wolves (Canis lupus) in Germany provides a unique opportunity to test the role of different information sources and trust on people's attitudes towards wolves. We conducted a phone survey (n = 1250) and compared country-wide attitudes towards wolves with attitudes in a specific region where wolves initially recolonized and have been present since 2000. In particular, we investigate the relationship between information sources, trust and people's attitudes while accounting for factors like knowledge, exposure and socio-cultural determinants of respondents. We found significant differences in attitudes and knowledge about wolves as well as in the use and frequency of information sources between the two population samples. Higher knowledge, information from books and films, science-based information, and higher trust in information sources related positively with positive attitudes towards wolves. Comparatively, information from press or TV news was associated with more negative attitudes. Providing science-based information to the public and building trust in information is likely to be one measure, among others, to dampen extreme attitudes and improve people's appreciation of costs and benefits of human-carnivore coexistence. Management of conflictual situations emerging from large carnivore recolonization in Europe and beyond should consider incorporating assessments of people's use of and trust in information in addition to existing tools to pave new ways for constructive human-carnivore coexistence

News selection and framing: the media as a stakeholder in human-carnivore coexistence

The media widely covers large carnivores and their impacts on human livelihood and plays an important role in their conservation. Yet, we know little about how species identity affects news selection, framing, accuracy and information flow. We investigated the online coverage of two cases of attacks or alleged attacks on humans alternatingly attributed to wolves and dogs in Greece and Germany. The period during which wolves were considered the primary suspects for the attacks was covered by up to two times more articles than when dogs were suspected. Wolves were presented as more likely suspects for the attacks than dogs, and wolf articles contained more inaccuracies measured as title-text mismatches. Press agencies played a significant role in the selection and dissemination of wolf news. We suggest that conservation scientists, journalists and policy makers work together to ensure an accurate representation in the media of human-carnivore coexistence and its challenges

EKLIPSE : engaging knowledge holders and networks for evidence-informed European policy on biodiversity and ecosystem services

The aim of EKLIPSE is to develop a mechanism to inform European-scale policy on biodiversity and related environmental challenges. This paper considers two fundamental aspects of the decision-support mechanism being developed by EKLIPSE: 1) the engagement of relevant actors from science, policy and society to jointly identify evidence for decision making; and 2) the networking of scientists and other holders of knowledge on biodiversity and other relevant evidence. The mechanism being developed has the potential not only to build communities of knowledge holders but to build informal networks among those with similar interests in evidence, be they those that seek to use evidence or those who are building evidence, or both. EKLIPSE has been successful in linking these people and in contributing to building informal networks of requesters of evidence, and experts of evidence and its synthesis. We have yet to see, however, significant engagement of formal networks of knowledge holders. Future success, however, relies on the continued involvement with and engagement of networks, a high degree of transparency within the processes and a high flexibility of structures to adapt to different requirements that arise with the broad range of requests to and activities of EKLIPSE

The Influence of Manga on the Graphic Novel

This material has been published in The Cambridge History of the Graphic Novel edited by Jan Baetens, Hugo Frey, Stephen E. Tabachnick. This version is free to view and download for personal use only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Cambridge University PressProviding a range of cogent examples, this chapter describes the influences of the Manga genre of comics strip on the Graphic Novel genre, over the last 35 years, considering the functions of domestication, foreignisation and transmedia on readers, markets and forms

Evaluation of Buffer Zone Effectiveness in Forest Biosphere Reserve Management - Global Insights and an Indonesian Case Study

Ziel dieser Doktorarbeit ist es, die Wissenslücke in Bezug auf Pufferzonenmanagement zu schließen. Als Forschungsziel wird definiert: Evaluierung von Pufferzoneneffektivität und Identifizierung von Faktoren, die effektives Pufferzonenmanagement in Wald-Biosphärenreservaten beeinflussen. Um die Komplexität der Einflussfaktoren wiederzugeben, wurde ein integrativer Forschungsansatz gewählt. Methoden der Sozialwissenschaft (quantitativer und qualitativer Ansatz) wurden mit Methoden der Naturwissenschaft (Fernerkundung) kombiniert. Um global einen Überblick über Pufferzonenmanagement in Biosphärenreservaten zu bekommen (Forschungsfrage 1) wurden Methoden aus dem Bereich der quantitativen Empirischen Sozialforschung angewandt. Innerhalb des Forschungsprojektes, in das die Doktorarbeit eingebunden ist, wurde weltweit eine Telefonbefragung zu Biosphärenreservatsmanagement durchgeführt. Zwischen Juli und Dezember 2006 wurden 225 Verantwortliche in Biosphärenreservaten aus 79 Ländern befragt. Die Statistische Auswertung wurde mit Hilfe des Computerprogramms SPSS 17.0 durchgeführt. Um spezifische Einflussfaktoren des Pufferzonenmanagements im Lore Lindu Biosphärenreservat zu untersuchen (Forschungsfrage 2), wurden Methoden aus der qualitativen Empirischen Sozialforschung angewandt. Von März bis Mai 2008 wurde eine Fallstudie im Lore Lindu Biosphärenreservat in Indonesien durchgeführt. Als Auswahlverfahren der Interviewpartner diente die Schneeballmethode. 47 halb-strukturierte Interviews und sieben Gruppendiskussionen wurden auf lokaler, regionaler und nationaler Ebene in Bezug auf das Biosphärenreservatsmanagement durchgeführt. Diese Interviews und Gruppendiskussionen lieferten relevante Informationen in Bezug auf den institutionellen Rahmen sowie deren Interaktion mit dem Biosphären-reservatsmanagement, wie z.B. Regelung von Zuständigkeiten in Bezug auf Pufferzonenmanagement. Die Interviews wurden in der Landessprache (Bahasa Indonesia) durchgeführt. Die Gespräche wurden aufgezeichnet, transkribiert und anschließend ins Englische übersetzt. Auswertung und Kategorienbildung wurde mit Hilfe des Computerprogramms ATLAS.ti durchgeführt um Theoreme ableiten zu können. Zur Bewertung der Pufferzone zum Schutz der ökologischen Integrität der Kernzone wurden die Entwaldungsraten der Kern- und Pufferzone miteinander verglichen (Forschungsfrage 1). LANDSAT Szenen von 1972, 1983, 1999, 2002, und 2007 wurden klassifiziert und mit Hilfe eines Geographischen Informationssystems wurde die Entwaldung in der jeweiligen Zone vor und nach Einsetzung des Managements berechnet. Eine Kombination aus den drei vorgestellten Forschungsansätzen diente dazu, Empfehlungen zur Verbesserung des Pufferzonenmanagements abzuleiten (Forschungsfrage 3). In dieser Doktorarbeit konnte die Wichtigkeit der Pufferzone für erfolgreiches Biosphärenreservatsmanagement gezeigt werden. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen ferner, dass Pufferzoneneffektivität vor allem von der Umsetzung des Konzeptes auf nationaler Ebene sowie der Koordination der Stakeholder auf lokaler Ebene abhängen. Diese Erkenntnis gilt auch für Schutzgebiete allgemein, da zunehmend mehr Schutzgebiete Pufferzonen ausweisen. Aus methodologischer Sicht geht aus dieser Doktorarbeit hervor, dass ein multidisziplinärer Forschungsansatz unabdingbar ist um Pufferzonen- und Schutzgebietseffektivität zu bestimmen. Allgemein muss künftig vor allem den Biosphärenreservaten, die vor Einführung der Sevilla Strategie 1995 ausgewiesen wurden, besondere Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt werden. In diesen Biosphären-reservaten ist die Umsetzung des drei-Zonen-Systems noch nicht oder ungenügend umgesetzt. Die Analyse der Fallstudie zeigte, dass die Umsetzung der vier Ziele der Sevilla Strategie auch 15 Jahre nach Inkrafttreten noch immer mangelhaft ist. Somit verdeutlicht diese Doktorarbeit, dass nicht nur die Quantität, sondern auch die Qualität der Schutzgebiete ein wichtiger Indikator für die Erreichung der globalen Ziele zum Schutz der Artenvielfalt ist. Die Ausweisung von Pufferzonen ist in diesem Zusammenhang ein wichtiger und notwendiger Schritt in die richtige Richtung der Reduzierung des Artenverlustes. Integration der Menschen, die in und um Schutzgebiete leben, muss dabei künftig mehr Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt werden. Pufferzonen, die ebendies zum Ziel haben, sollten daher eine zentrale Rolle spielen, nicht nur in Biosphärenreservaten, sondern auch in Schutzgebieten allgemein.This thesis aims at bridging the gap of deficient understanding of effective buffer zone management. The overall research goal of the thesis is to evaluate buffer zone effectiveness and to identify factors influencing effective buffer zone management in forest biosphere reserves. To address the multi-facetted issue of buffer zone effectiveness an integrative research design was applied. To answer the raised research questions a combination of social science (quantitative and qualitative approaches) and natural science (remote sensing) was chosen. To gain global insights into buffer zone management (research question 1) the quantitative approach of social science research was chosen. As part of a global telephone survey of BR management conducted by the research project in which the thesis was embedded, BR managers were asked to evaluate different management aspects. Between July and December 2006, managers from 225 BRs in 79 countries were interviewed, which corresponds to an overall response rate of 42 %. Answers were statistically analyzed using SPSS 17.0. To obtain detailed information of factors influencing buffer zone management (research question 2) the qualitative social science research approach was applied. A case study was conducted in the Lore Lindu Biosphere Reserve, Sulawesi, Indonesia between March and May 2008. Following the snowball sampling approach 47 semi-structured interviews and seven group discussions were carried out representing the local, sub-national, and national level associated with the BR management. These interviews and discussions provide important insights into the institutional dimensions and their interaction within the context of BR management including e.g. implementation of rules and the distribution of responsibilities for buffer zone management. Interviews were conducted in the national language Bahasa Indonesia, fully recorded, and subsequently transcribed and translated into English. Analysis was carried out with ATLAS.ti to specify categories and to formulate theorems. To evaluate buffer zone effectiveness in terms of reducing deforestation in the core area of Lore Lindu Biosphere Reserve (research question 1), satellite image analysis was performed using a GIS. A time series of LANDSAT scenes from 1972, 1983, 1999, 2002, and 2007 was used to classify homogeneous areas of forest cover to ultimately detect deforestation. Deforestation rate was computed for the periods before and after management establishment in 1998. The combination of all three research methods provided important insights into buffer zone management of BRs. Thus, based on these findings, recommendations to improve buffer zone management (research question 3) could be drawn. Overall, the evaluation of buffer zones depicts their importance for BR management effectiveness. Analysis revealed buffer zone effectiveness as important success factor, while it explicitly depends on both the implementation of the BR concept at the national level and coordination of stakeholders on the local level. As more and more PAs create buffer zones to integrate the local people, they may face similar problems. The case study from Lore Lindu exhibited important preconditions for successful buffer zone management. From a methodological perspective the thesis calls for the need of integrated research approaches across disciplines to adequately assess both buffer zone and PA effectiveness. Generally, it is recommended to pay special attention to pre-Seville BRs in the future, since most of these BRs still lack the three zone scheme. Analysis of the case study area revealed particular weaknesses in implementing central elements for effective BR management, such as the four goals of the Seville Strategy, even 15 years after inauguration. Thus, the thesis shows that not only the quantity of PAs but also the quality of its management and thus effectiveness is an important indicator for global conservation targets. Finally, it can be summarized that the idea of establishing buffer zones within BRs and PAs in general, is the right way forward to enhance PA effectiveness and to achieve global reduction of biodiversity loss. Integrating the people living within and adjacent to PAs, must be given more attention in the future. Establishment of buffer zones, where this integration and cooperation is a necessity, should be the central conservation measure, not only within BRs but also within PAs in general

The need for transdisciplinary social-ecological biodiversity research : more a lack of knowledge rather than a lack of action

Despite various policy and management responses, biodiversity continues to decline worldwide. We must redouble our efforts to halt biodiversity loss. The current lack of policy action can be partly linked to an insufficient knowledge base regarding the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Biodiversity research needs to incorporate both social and ecological factors to gain a deeper understanding of the interrelations between society and nature that affect biodiversity. A transdisciplinary research approach is crucial to fulfilling these requirements. It aims to produce new insights by integrating scientific and nonscientific knowledge. Several measures need to be taken to strengthen transdisciplinary social-ecological biodiversity research: Within the science community: firstly, scientists themselves must promote transdisciplinarity; secondly, the reward system for scientists must be brought into line with transdisciplinary research processes; and thirdly, academic training needs to advocate transdisciplinarity. As for research policies, research funding priorities need to be linked to large scale biodiversity policy frameworks, and funding for transdisciplinary social-ecological research on biodiversity must be increased significantly.Aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse zeigen, dass die Ursachen für den fortschreitenden Verlust der biologischen Vielfalt vor allem in fehlendem oder unsicherem Wissen über die komplexen Verbindungen zwischen Natur und Gesellschaft liegen. Wissenschaftler empfehlen daher, die Biodiversitätsforschung stärker als bisher transdisziplinär auszurichten.Trotz einer Vielzahl nationaler und internationaler Initiativen und Programme, wie etwa die Ratifizierung nationaler Biodiversitätsstrategien, die Ausarbeitung von Aktionsplänen im Rahmen der Vertragsstaatenkonferenzen des Übereinkommens über die biologische Vielfalt (CBD) oder die Einrichtung von Schutzgebieten, schreitet der Biodiversitätsverlust weltweit fort. Um den Verlust der biologischen Vielfalt zu stoppen, müsste der bisherige Aufwand verdoppelt werden. Dabei ist es wichtig, eine breitere Wissensbasis zu schaffen, denn es fehlt vor allem an Handlungswissen. Hier ist ein transdisziplinärer Forschungsansatz entscheidend, wenn es darum geht, wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse und praktische Erfahrungen zu integrieren und damit neues Wissen zum Schutz der Biodiversität zu generieren. Mit diesem transdisziplinären Forschungsmodus ist es zudem möglich, Nutzungsdynamiken von Biodiversität in den Blick zu nehmen, wie beispielsweise Konflikte, die entstehen, wenn verschiedene Interessengruppen unterschiedliche Nutzungsansprüche an Ökosystemleistungen haben. Hierfür müssen neue Bündnisse zwischen den Disziplinen (Natur- und Sozialwissenschaften) geschaffen sowie wissenschaftliches mit nicht-wissenschaftlichem Wissen verbunden werden. Die Einbeziehung von lokalem Wissen über Biodiversität sowie die Integration von gesellschaftlichen Partnern in den Forschungsprozess ist dabei unerlässlich. Innerhalb der Forschungsgemeinschaft, aber auch in der Forschungspolitik müssen daher Maßnahmen ergriffen werden, um die transdisziplinäre sozial-ökologische Biodiversitätsforschung zu stärken und zu etablieren

How Effective is the Buffer Zone? Linking Institutional Processes with Satellite Images from a Case Study in the Lore Lindu Forest Biosphere Reserve, Indonesia

Biosphere reserves seek to reconcile nature conservation with local development goals, for example by delineating buffer zones of sustainable resource use around core areas with primary conservation objectives. Here we evaluate buffer zone effectiveness in reducing deforestation within the Lore Lindu Biosphere Reserve in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Socio-economic and remote-sensing data were combined in an integrated approach. We applied a systematic qualitative social research design and carried out in-depth interviews with local, sub-national, and national authorities. Data collected through the interviews were used to interpret satellite images: (1) spatially, that is, forest cover change in the buffer zone versus the core area and, (2) over time, that is, forest cover change as a response to changing management regimes and socio-economic processes in the region. For this purpose a time series of LANDSAT scenes from 1972 to 2007 was used to classify homogeneous areas of forest cover to detect deforestation. According to the satellite image analysis, the buffer zone in Lore Lindu was ineffective at reducing forest cover clearing in the core area between 1972 and 2007. Since management establishment in 1998, the deforestation rate within the core area even increased fourfold. The gathered data suggest that there are three main institutional drivers to account for this ineffectiveness: (1) Low awareness of boundary demarcation among the villagers due to the lack of participation during management and boundary establishment, (2) The fall of the national president Suharto in 1998, which subsequently triggered deforestation activities in the core area, as the park was perceived to be the local branch of the national, suppressive regime, and (3) The lack of implementation of the biosphere reserve concept at the national level, which leads to unclear responsibilities in the buffer zone as the legal backing for any cooperation in the buffer zone is lacking. Although it appears that the forest status in Lore Lindu is still good compared to other regions in Indonesia, attention must be given to the protection of the core area. We thus conclude that the biosphere reserve concept needs to be strengthened in Indonesia. Its implementation at the national level, including adoption of clearly defined regulations, would substantially contribute to reducing negative impacts on biosphere reserve management through, for example, carefully designed awareness raising programs

Social-Ecological Dynamics of Ecosystem Services: Livelihoods and the Functional Relation between Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand—Evidence from Socotra Archipelago, Yemen and the Sahel Region, West Africa

In aiming to halt global biodiversity loss, it is essential to address underlying societal processes. The concept of ecosystem services claims to bridge between biodiversity and society. At the same time there is a considerable research gap regarding how ecosystem services are provided, and how societal activities and dynamics influence the provision of ecosystem services. Interactions and dependencies between ecosystem services supply and demand come to the fore but context-specific dynamics have largely been neglected. This article is a critical reflection on the current research of ecosystem services supply and demand. We argue that there is a functional relation between the supply and demand for ecosystem services, with the two influencing each other. Scientific interest should focus on both the temporal and spatial dynamics of ecosystem services supply and demand. Presenting two studies from Socotra Archipelago, Yemen and the Sahel regions in Senegal and Mali, West Africa, we illustrate that the society behind the demand for ecosystem services is highly interrelated with ecosystem services supply. We thus advocate the adoption of a social-ecological perspective for current research on ecosystem services supply and demand in order to address these context-specific temporal and spatial dynamics

Biodiversität im Anthropozän

Bisherige Maßnahmen zum Schutz der Biodiversität zeigen nicht genug Wirkung und greifen zu kurz. Das Anthropozän macht deutlich, dass künftig nicht mehr eindeutig zwischen natürlichen und vom Menschen geprägten Ökosystemen unterschieden werden kann. Neue Konzepte zur Bewertung von Biodiversität sind daher nötig, um die Veränderungen und Komplexität des Biodiversitätswandels in einer sozial-ökologischen Perspektive aufzugreifen