Abstract: Private land stewardship in the southeastern United States is crucial to attain pine savanna restoration and conservation of the threatened northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Both government and privately funded conservation efforts secure numerous ecosystem services, including groundwater recharge, scenic open spaces, and biodiversity. Yet, we have incomplete information on whether the public values these ecosystem services. From June 15th to July 19th, 2022, we administered stated preference choice experiment surveys to 770 members of the public in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina to ascertain if the public values ecosystem services provided by pine savanna and bobwhite conservation. We analyzed data using hybrid mixed logit models. Respondents positively valued recovery of threatened bobwhite and gopher tortoise populations and high levels of groundwater recharge and scenic open space. Respondents with higher moral obligations to prevent land use conversion (personal norms, awareness of consequences, and ascription of responsibility related to conservation) were more likely to support allocation of taxes to pine savanna restoration on private lands. Respondents' moral obligation to prevent land use conversion was positively correlated with their engagement in outdoor recreational activities. Our findings indicate that the public values pine savanna and bobwhite conservation efforts on private lands in the Southeast, and that outreach related to pine savanna restoration efforts should appeal to people's moral obligation to support conservation of biodiversity, habitat restoration, and the provision of ecosystem services.
Abstract: Sarcoptic mange is an emerging parasitic disease affecting North American black bears (Ursus americanus) and has been increasingly reported since the early 1990s. As mange spreads into naive bear populations, wildlife managers face challenges related to surveillance, interagency coordination, and stakeholder expectations. In 2023, we surveyed 35 state and federal wildlife agency personnel and academic partners to assess management practices for mange, barriers to effective interventions, and how agencies engage with the public and key stakeholders. Respondents represented 17 states, 7 with and 10 without reports of sarcoptic mange in black bears, with over half (51.4%) working in their current institution for more than 10 years. Respondents generally agreed on dispatching severely affected wildlife (97.1%) and monitoring mild to moderate cases. Although respondents supported stakeholder and public reporting of mange cases (71.4%), they opposed stakeholder and public intervention in mange management (e.g., treatment, handling, relocation). Fewer than half of respondents (45.7%) indicated that mange reports are entered into a formal dataset, limiting long-term surveillance and decision-making. Our study highlights the need for a unified multi-state communication framework to increase public support for agency management actions, and the importance of implementing a centralized mange data repository to enhance long-term surveillance of mange and improve response efforts.
Abstract: The growing popularity of non-traditional pets, including reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and arachnids, raises important questions about owner attachment and animal welfare. We assessed emotional attachment among U.S. non-traditional pet owners using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). An online survey of 1,218 adult pet owners was conducted between 2018 and 2021 through both targeted recruitment (rescue groups, permit holders, herpetological societies) and general population sampling. The LAPS demonstrated excellent internal consistency when applied to non-traditional pets, supporting its cross-taxon validity. Owners of multiple taxa of pets reported significantly higher attachment scores than owners of a single taxon. Linear regression models revealed higher attachment among female respondents and those who personally chose to acquire their pets. Conversely, attachment was lower among older respondents, those with higher incomes, and single taxon owners who exclusively owned non-traditional pets. Our results underscore the importance of considering owner demographics and motivations for acquiring pets when designing pet welfare interventions and targeted education for non-traditional pet owners.
Bacher, S., Ryan-Colton, E., Coiro, M., Cassey, P., Galil, B.S., Nuñez, M.A., Ansong, M., Dehnen-Schmutz, K., Fayvush, G., Fernandez, R.D., Hiremath, A.J., Ikegami, M., Martinou, A.F., McDermott, S.M., Preda, C., Vilà, M., Weyl, O.L.F., Ananthram, A.N., Angelidou, I., Athanasiou, K., Atkore, V., Barney, J.N., Blackburn, T.M., Brockerhoff, E.G., Carbutt, C., Carisio, L., Céspedes, V., Christopoulou, A., Cisneros-Heredia, D.F., Cooling, M., de Groot, M., Demetriou, J., Dickey, J.W.E., Duboscq-Carra, V.G., Early, R., Evans, T.E., Gallardo, B., Gruber, M., Hui, C., Jeschke, J.M., Joelson, N.Z., Khan, M.A., Kumschick, S., Lach, L., Lapin, K., Lioy, S., Liu, C., MacMullen, Z.J., Mazzitelli, M.A., Measey, J., Mrugała-Koese, A.A., Musseau, C.L., Nahrung, H.F., Pepori, A., Pertierra, L.R., Pienaar, E.F., Pyšek, P., Rivas Torres, G., Rojas Martinez, H.A., Rojas-Sandoval, J., Ryan-Schofield, N.L., Sánchez, R.M., Santini, A., Santoro, D., Scalera, R., Schmidt, L., Shivambu, T.C., Sohrabi, S., Tricarico, E., Trillo, A., van't Hof, P., Volery, L., & Zengeya, T.A. (2025) Global Impacts Dataset of Invasive Alien Species (GIDIAS). Scientific Data 12: 832.
Abstract: Invasive alien species are a major driver of global change, impacting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human livelihoods. To document these impacts, we present the Global Impacts Dataset of Invasive Alien Species (GIDIAS), a dataset on the positive, negative and neutral impacts of invasive alien species on nature, nature’s contributions to people, and good quality of life. This dataset arises from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ (IPBES) thematic assessment report of this topic. Data were compiled from published sources, including grey literature, reporting a direct observation of an invasive alien species’ impact. All impact records contain up to 52 fields of contextual information and attempt to link impacts to the global standard “environmental impact classification for alien taxa” (EICAT) and “socio-economic impact classification for alien taxa” (SEICAT). GIDIAS includes more than 22000 records of impacts caused by 3353 invasive alien species (plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, microorganisms) from all continents and realms (terrestrial, freshwater, marine), extracted from over 6700 sources. We intend GIDIAS to be a global resource for investigating and managing the variety of impacts of invasive alien species across taxa and regions.
Abstract: Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmare; EAB) is a woodboring beetle that is considered one of the most damaging invasive forest insects in North America, causing near complete mortality of native ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees across multiple states. Management options include both biological control using parasitoid wasps from EAB’s native range, and chemical control with systemic insecticides. Although both strategies are being used to control EAB, the public’s support for these methods is not well understood. In 2023, we surveyed 174 urban park users in northeastern Georgia, United States, to identify determinants of their support for EAB control. Most respondents were not previously aware of EAB and ash trees, although they valued the ecosystem services provided by park trees. Respondents were more supportive of biological control than chemical control, perceiving greater ecological and human well-being risks from chemical control. Respondents’ risk perceptions pertaining to control methods and EAB, and their attitudes towards ash trees influenced their support for EAB control. Birdwatchers were less likely to support chemical control and individuals who like to sit and enjoy nature were more likely to support biological control. Our results suggest that park managers’ outreach about EAB control should emphasize the aesthetic appeal and ecosystem services provided by urban ash trees and the invasion impacts of EAB. Outreach should also highlight that EAB control does not pose ecological or human well-being risks, parasitoid wasps help to secure ecosystem function through pest control and do not pose a risk to people, and EAB control will not adversely impact recreational activities within the park.
Abstract: The exotic pet trade is a wicked problem involving economic, social, political, ethical, and environmental dimensions, which cannot be resolved using conventional management strategies that are informed by restricted expertise. In 2023, we surveyed 26 government agency personnel and 57 academic researchers in the United States who focus on the risks of the exotic pet trade to ascertain how experts characterize the wicked problem of the exotic pet trade and their support for conventional versus collaborative management of the trade. Both academic and agency respondents framed the ecological risks associated with the exotic pet trade similarly, expressing greatest concern about species invasions and pathogen transmission to native species. Respondents exhibited low levels of trust in stakeholders in the exotic pet trade, considering it likely that all stakeholders (except the commercial industry) would fail to comply with pet trade regulations. Agency respondents tended to agree that current regulations have been effective in mitigating invasion risks while academic respondents disagreed that current regulations adequately mitigate the invasion and disease risks of the pet trade or overexploitation of species. Agency respondents were more likely to agree that regulations are enforceable. All respondents were supportive of additional federal regulations of the exotic pet trade. Our findings are consistent with the argument that wicked problems are perpetuated because managers and scientists default to conventional cause-effect problem statements and top-down management approaches that focus on management structure and execution. Transitioning from top-down regulatory approaches to collaborative decision making, in which agencies, scientists, and exotic pet trade stakeholders work together to resolve the wicked problem of the exotic pet trade, would build trust and allow for flexible, adaptive management of the trade.
Abstract: Reports of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are increasing worldwide, particularly in North America where a diversity of endemic and exotic tick species and pathogens occur. Native American populations have unique outdoor cultural and occupational practices that may impact their exposure to ticks, yet this risk remains understudied in the context of TBDs. To address this gap, we examined knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding ticks and TBDs among Native American communities in Humboldt County, California. We conducted semi-structured interviews with participants, who represented various tribes, at a cultural gathering. Cultural practices intertwined closely with outdoor activities (e.g., ceremonies, dances), potentially influencing local tick exposure patterns. Most research participants had been bitten by ticks and reported tick exposure by children and pets. Research participants demonstrated low knowledge about ticks and TBDs, as well as low levels of risk perceptions pertaining to TBDs. Research participants most commonly conducted tick checks after outdoor activity, wore long-sleeved clothing outdoors, and used homeopathic remedies or essential oils to prevent exposure to ticks and TBDs. Culturally appropriate outreach and education initiatives are needed to address TBD risk among Native American communities. Our study lays the groundwork for future research on the intersection of cultural practices and tick exposure, with implications for public health interventions that are tailored to the needs of indigenous populations.
