Setting priorities in biodiversity conservation: An exercise with students, recent graduates, and environmental managers in Brazil

1Citations
Citations of this article
58Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.
Get full text

Abstract

Facing a global biodiversity conservation crisis, urgent decisions are needed but prioritization is challenging. We analyzed how students, recent graduates of Biology, Law, and Engineering, and environmental managers in Brazil ranked ten conservation actions. Reduction in habitat loss and in overexploitation, and in situ protection were consensual top priorities. Freshmen students have similar priorities, which change as their courses advance. Biologists, engineers, and lawyers agree about only two priorities, but not in a consensual order. Biologists gave little importance to financial resources; managers much higher, and lower to action plans. Flagship species and ex situ protection were least priorities for all. Prioritization was influenced by educational level and experience and some priorities are counterintuitive. Our study reinforces the need to assess inter-groups differences, so conservationists could anticipate tendencies of single group decisions. Gaps in the conservation-oriented education of potential decision-makers must be filled, so their decisions could be more effective.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Souza, E. C. A., & Bernard, E. (2019). Setting priorities in biodiversity conservation: An exercise with students, recent graduates, and environmental managers in Brazil. Ambio, 48(8), 879–889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-018-1116-x

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free