Conflict in invasive species management

This is the final version of the article. Available from Ecological Society of America via the DOI in this record.As invasive species management becomes more ambitious in scope and scale, projects are increasingly challenged by disputes and conflicts among people, which can produce undesirable environmental and social outcomes. Here, we examine when and how conflicts have arisen from invasive species management, and consider why some management approaches may be more prone to conflict than others. Insufficient appreciation of sociopolitical context, non-existent or perfunctory public and community engagement, and unidirectional communications can all foster “destructive” conflict. We propose that approaches to conflict in invasive species management might be transformed by anticipating disagreements, attending more carefully to the social-ecological contexts of management, adopting more inclusive engagement mechanisms, and fostering more open, responsive communication. Conflicts may be unavoidable, but they can be anticipated and need not be destructive.SLC was supported by a scholarship from the University of Exeter

The nature of peak experience in wilderness

This study sought to identify the distinctive elements of wilderness settings that contribute to triggering peak experiences. Thirty-nine participants who had visited wilderness areas were recruited using a voluntary wilderness registration system operated by the Victorian National Parks Service, Australia. Using a postal survey, participants were asked to provide a written response to an open-ended question requesting them to describe, in their own words, a peak experience in the wilderness. A conventional approach to qualitative content analysis of the participants descriptions revealed that the aesthetic qualities of the wilderness setting and being away from the pressures, people, distractions, and concerns of the human-made world were key elements in their peak experiences. To gain an understanding of this phenomenon, the concept and theory of restorative environments was applied to the participants experiences. This analysis indicates that wilderness settings provide a mix of aesthetic pleasure and renewal that can lead to a triggering of peak experiences that provides the basis for individual spiritual expression

Invasive species management will benefit from social impact assessment

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Invasive species management aims to prevent or mitigate the impacts of introduced species but management interventions can themselves generate social impacts that must be understood and addressed. Established approaches for addressing the social implications of invasive species management can be limited in effectiveness and democratic legitimacy. More deliberative, participatory approaches are emerging that allow integration of a broader range of socio-political considerations. Nevertheless, there is a need to ensure that these are rigorous applications of social science. Social impact assessment offers a structured process of identifying, evaluating and addressing social costs and benefits. We highlight its potential value for enabling meaningful public participation in planning and as a key component of integrated assessments of management options. Policy implications. As invasive species management grows in scope and scale, social impact assessment provides a rigorous process for recognising and responding to social concerns. It could therefore produce more democratic, less conflict-prone and more effective interventions

Killing squirrels: Exploring motivations and practices of lethal wildlife management

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Sage via the DOI in this record.Wildlife management, pest control and conservation projects often involve killing nonhuman animals. In the United Kingdom, introduced grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis are killed in large numbers to protect remnant populations of European red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris. Grey squirrels are also killed outside of red squirrel areas to protect broadleaved trees from squirrel damage, and as part of routine pest control, opportunistically, and sometimes recreationally. In order to investigate the ways in which this killing is conceived and practised in the United Kingdom, we conducted semi-structured interviews with practitioners and undertook participant observation of squirrel management activities, including lethal control. Analysing these field data, we identified important variations in practitioners’ approaches to killing squirrels, and here we outline three ‘modes of killing’ – reparative/sacrificial, stewardship, and categorical – which comprise different primary motivations, moral principles, ultimate aims, and practical methods. We explore both productive alliances and possible tensions between these modes, and propose that clear, explicit consideration of how and why animals are both killed and ‘made killable’ should be a key component of any wildlife management initiative that involves lethal control.SLC was supported by a scholarship from the University of Exeter

The parakeet protectors: Understanding opposition to introduced species management

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordThe surveillance and control of introduced and invasive species has become an increasingly important component of environmental management. However, initiatives targeting 'charismatic' wildlife can be controversial. Opposition to management, and the subsequent emergence of social conflict, present significant challenges for would-be managers. Understanding the substance and development of these disputes is therefore vital for improving the legitimacy and effectiveness of wildlife management. It also provides important insights into human-wildlife relations and the 'social dimensions' of wildlife management. Here, we examine how the attempted eradication of small populations of introduced monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) from England has been challenged and delayed by opposition from interested and affected communities. We consider how and why the UK Government's eradication initiative was opposed, focusing on three key themes: disagreements about justifying management, the development of affective attachments between people and parakeets, and the influence of distrustful and antagonistic relationships between proponents and opponents of management. We draw connections between our UK case and previous management disputes, primarily in the USA, and suggest that the resistance encountered in the UK might readily have been foreseen. We conclude by considering how management of this and other introduced species could be made less conflict-prone, and potentially more effective, by reconfiguring management approaches to be more anticipatory, flexible, sensitive, and inclusive.The authors are grateful to all participants of this study for their time and contributions, to ParrotNet (COST Action ES1304) for sponsoring discussions that contributed to the development of this manuscript, to Jamie Lorimer for valuable feedback, and to Stephen Pruett-Jones and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments and suggestions. SLC was funded by a scholarship from the University of Exeter

Nonhuman citizens on trial: The ecological politics of a beaver reintroduction

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this recordWildlife reintroductions can unsettle social and ecological norms, and are often controversial. In this paper, we examine the recent (re)introduction of Eurasian beavers to England, to analyse responses to an unauthorised release of a formerly resident species. Although the statutory response to the introduction was to attempt to reassert ecological and political order by recapturing the beavers, this action was strongly opposed by a diverse collective, united and made powerful by a common goal: to protect England’s ‘new’ nonhuman residents. We show how this clash of state resolve and public dissent produced an uneasy compromise in the form of a formal, licensed ‘beaver reintroduction trial’, in which the new beaver residents have been allowed to remain, but under surveillance. We propose that although the trial is unorthodox and risky, there is an opportunity for it to be treated as a ‘wild experiment’ through which a more open-ended, experimental approach to co-inhabiting with wildlife might be attempted.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: SLC was supported by a scholarship from the University of Exeter

Diverse perspectives of cat owners indicate barriers to and opportunities for managing cat predation of wildlife

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData availability: All quantitative data and additional information associated with this study have been deposited at www.zenodo.org and can be found at doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3755683Policy proposals to address predation of wildlife by domestic cats (Felis catus) include reducing cat populations, regulating ownership, educating owners, and restricting cats’ outdoor access. Such proposals rarely account for cat owners’ perspectives, however, and are frequently met with strong, principled opposition. We conducted a Q‐methodological study to investigate the views of domestic cat owners in the UK on the roaming and hunting behaviors of their pets. We identified five distinctive cat‐owner perspectives: (1) Concerned Protectors focus on cat safety, (2) Freedom Defenders prioritize cat independence and oppose restrictions on behavior, (3) Tolerant Guardians believe outdoor access is important for cats but dislike their hunting, (4) Conscientious Caretakers feel some responsibility for managing their cats’ hunting, and (5) Laissez‐faire Landlords were largely unaware of the issues surrounding roaming and hunting behavior. Most participants valued outdoor access for cats and opposed confinement to prevent hunting; cat confinement policies are therefore unlikely to find support among owners in the UK. To address this conservation challenge, we argue that generic policies will be less effective than multidimensional strategies offering owners practical husbandry approaches that are compatible with their diverse circumstances, capabilities, and senses of responsibility

Owner-ascribed personality profiles distinguish domestic cats that capture and bring home wild animal prey

This is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordData Availability: The data used in this study are available at the Zenodo data repository https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7268985In many ecological contexts, predation of wildlife by domestic cats Felis catus, combined with their abundance, is a threat to biodiversity conservation. The predatory behaviour of domestic cats shows remarkable between-individual variation. Many free-roaming cats living as companion animals capture, kill and/or bring home few or no prey, while others are prolific killers and likely contribute disproportionately to any impacts upon wild animal populations. Recent work has identified five owner-ascribed personality factors for cats (“The Feline Five”). We tested whether variation in scores for these five factors, quantifying owners’ characterisation of their cats, was associated with capturing and bringing home wild prey, and was related to variation among cats in numbers of recorded prey. We recruited owners of domestic cats kept as companion animals in southwest England. Owners completed a questionnaire assessing their cats’ behavioural traits, and recorded prey items brought home by their pets. Cats that hunted and brought home wild prey scored high for ‘extraversion’ or low for ‘neuroticism’, when compared to cats that did not bring home wild prey. However, variation in the numbers of prey items captured and brought home by hunting cats was not affected by scores for any of the factors. Owner characterisation of their cats’ personalities holds potential to refine approaches for managing hunting by cats, including approaches that do not compromise cat welfare while effectively reducing predation. For example, extraverted cats might be stimulated and encouraged in physical activity through object play in the home environment, with the aim of decreasing hunting motivation. Cat owners might also be more inclined to adopt strategies that they believe better suit their perceptions of their cat's personality.SongBird SurvivalUniversity of Exeter College of Life and Environmental SciencesBritish Ecological Societ