Published on 23 July 2024
Dr. Humphrey Crick – Natural England
Dr. Fraenze Kibowski – Natural England
Dr. James Hoggett – Natural England
Giselle Sterry – NBN Trust
Traditional conservation planning has often focused primarily on ecological data, and on distancing conserved areas from human populations. This approach has overlooked the positive human-nature interactions and the critical role that human societies play in shaping environmental outcomes. By understanding and incorporating the social dimensions, we can better design conservation strategies that are not only environmentally effective but also socially equitable and sustainable. This research project is an attempt to bridge the gap between humans and nature, to create a more inclusive and holistic approach to conservation.
Specifically, this PhD research aims:
This project includes three main approaches. The first approach is to provide valuable insights into how the spatial distribution of conservation priorities shifts depending on how the presence of people and their socioeconomic status is treated within the context of SCP.
The second approach involves identifying key social factors which foster positive human-nature interactions, using the People and Nature survey data. We will then examine the importance that needs to be assigned to these factors in conservation prioritisation. This is to understand the social dimensions that promote positive human-nature interactions and to shed light on the balance between ecological and social dimensions within SCP.
The third approach involves investigating how citizen science data contributes to biodiversity conservation. Citizen science is a valuable data source for SCP as the species distribution models it uses arise in large part from citizen-collected species records. This part of our research includes exploring the iNaturalistUK observation records to understand the spatial, temporal, and taxonomic patterns of these records, and a cross-sectional survey to investigate the characteristics and distribution of iNaturalistUK users. This will enable us to identify how human data shape the biodiversity records and spot data biases. This understanding is essential for ensuring the reliability and representativeness of citizen science data that are integrated into conservation planning efforts within the context of SCP.
This project will provide a foundation to empower conservation practitioners to design strategies that are not only ecologically sound but also socially equitable. It lays the groundwork for fostering stronger collaborations between stakeholders, policymakers, and local communities in conservation planning. Ultimately, this holistic approach can lead to more effective, sustainable, and accepted conservation measures that benefit both biodiversity and human well-being.
Banner image: Anastasia Nelen. Unsplash