2 research outputs found

    The implications of global oil exploration for the conservation of terrestrial wildlife

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    Global dependence upon fossil fuels persists in the 21st century. With known deposits of oil diminishing, technological advancements and alternative financing have facilitated explorations into a number of sensitive habitats around the world. Such pursuits challenge global priorities relating to the ideals of energy production versus those of biodiversity protection. Presently, the implications of oil extraction on terrestrial wildlife, for instance, are unclear, undermining the ability to meet this challenge. We synthesized the literature to quantify the range of documented impacts of oil extraction on terrestrial wildlife and to identify prevailing knowledge gaps. Our review returned 31 studies documenting various effects of oil extraction, across the exploration, development, production, and abandonment phases, on terrestrial wildlife. These studies were most often based in North and South America, tended to focus on the development phase of oil extraction projects, and often focused on the impacts on mammals. We found that terrestrial wildlife were generally negatively impacted by oil extraction through road development, seismic surveys, hydraulic fracturing, installation of oil wells, contamination, and other extraction disturbances. We also considered the implications of this review on oil extraction in Murchison Falls National Park and the broader Murchison Falls Conservation Area, a highly biodiverse region in Uganda. Herein, we detected an important knowledge gap relating to the ways in which various oil extraction activities may increase the potential for human-wildlife conflict. Reviews of this type are essential for quantifying the effects of oil extraction on terrestrial wildlife and can inform future decision-making on natural resource extraction in ecologically-sensitive habitats globally

    Integrating social justice into higher education conservation science

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    Because biodiversity loss has largely been attributed to human actions, people, particularly those in the Global South, are regularly depicted as threats to conservation. This context has facilitated rapid growth in green militarization, with fierce crackdowns against real or perceived environmental offenders. We designed an undergraduate course to assess student perspectives on biodiversity conservation and social justice and positioned those students to contribute to a human heritage-centered conservation (HHCC) initiative situated in Uganda. We evaluated changes in perspectives using pre- and postcourse surveys and reflection instruments. Although the students started the course prioritizing biodiversity conservation, even when it was costly to human well-being, by the end of the course, they were recognizing and remarking on the central importance of social justice within conservation. We present a framework for further integration of HHCC approaches into higher education courses so as to conserve the integrity of coupled human and natural systems globally
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