Bridging Knowledge Creation and Conservation Practice through Participatory Action Research on Private Lands

Taylor, M. C.; Davison, Aidan; Harwood, Andrew

doi:10.5334/cstp.428

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…It enables researchers to gather data at scales previously unattainable, while participants bene t from enhanced environmental awareness and a sense of stewardship. Co-created knowledge can also be used to inform and thereby improve landholders' management of their land (Toomey and Domroese 2013; Taylor et al 2023b). More than just a data collection tool, citizen science fosters collaborations that can inform sustainable land-management practices and empower local communities to take active roles in conservation efforts, ultimately contributing to more robust environmental outcomes (Dickinson et…”

Section: The Social Ecological Systems Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildlife conservation on private land: a social-ecological systems study

Taylor,

Brook,

Johnson

et al. 2024

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As human activity accelerates the global crisis facing wildlife populations, private land conservation provides an example of wildlife management challenges in social-ecological systems. This study reports on the research phase of ‘WildTracker’ - a co-created citizen science project, involving 160 landholders across three Tasmanian regions. This was a transdisciplinary collaboration between an environmental organisation, university researchers, and local landholders. Focusing on mammal and bird species, the project integrated diverse data types and technologies: social surveys, quantitative ecology, motion sensor cameras, acoustic recorders, and advanced machine-learning analytics. An iterative analytical methodology encompassed Pearson and point-biserial correlation for interrelationships, Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) for clustering, and Random Forest machine learning for variable importance and prediction. Taken together, these analyses revealed complex relationships between wildlife populations and a suite of ecological, socio-economic, and land management variables. Both site-scale habitat characteristics and landscape-scale vegetation patterns were useful predictors of mammal and bird activity, but these relationships were different for mammals and birds. Four focal mammal species showed variation in their response to ecological and land management drivers. Unexpectedly, threatened species, such as the eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverinus), favoured locations where habitat was substantially modified by human activities. The research provides actionable insights for landowners, and highlights the importance of ‘messy’, ecologically heterogeneous, mixed agricultural landscapes for wildlife conservation. The identification of thresholds in habitat fragmentation reinforced the importance of collaboration across private landscapes. Participatory research models such as WildTracker can complement efforts to address the wicked problem of wildlife conservation in the Anthropocene.

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Section: The Social Ecological Systems Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildlife conservation on private land: a social-ecological systems study

Taylor,

Brook,

Johnson

et al. 2024

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…The scoping and problem framing stages of the research are covered in detail in previously published papers (Taylor et al 2023a , 2023b ). A social-ecological systems conceptual model (Fig.…”

Section: Co-design Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Note that fire and climate drivers were not incorporated into data aggregation or analysis. The co-design workshop process is described in detail in Taylor et al ( 2023b ) …”

Section: Co-design Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Citizen science enables researchers to gather data at scales previously unattainable, while participants benefit from enhanced environmental awareness and a sense of stewardship. Co-created knowledge can also be used to inform and thereby improve landholders’ management of their land (Toomey and Domroese 2013 ; Taylor et al 2023b ). More than just a data collection tool, citizen science fosters collaborations that can inform sustainable land-management practices and empower local communities to take active roles in conservation efforts, ultimately contributing to more robust environmental outcomes (Dickinson et al 2010 ; Conrad and Hilchey 2011 ; Tulloch et al 2013 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wildlife Conservation on Private Land: A Social-Ecological Systems Study

Taylor,

Brook,

Johnson

et al. 2024

Environmental Management

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As human activity accelerates the global crisis facing wildlife populations, private land conservation provides an example of wildlife management challenges in social-ecological systems. This study reports on the research phase of ‘WildTracker’ - a co-created citizen science project, involving 160 landholders across three Tasmanian regions. This was a transdisciplinary collaboration between an environmental organisation, university researchers, and local landholders. Focusing on mammal and bird species, the project integrated diverse data types and technologies: social surveys, quantitative ecology, motion sensor cameras, acoustic recorders, and advanced machine-learning analytics. An iterative analytical methodology encompassed Pearson and point-biserial correlation for interrelationships, Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) for clustering, and Random Forest machine learning for variable importance and prediction. Taken together, these analyses revealed complex relationships between wildlife populations and a suite of ecological, socio-economic, and land management variables. Both site-scale habitat characteristics and landscape-scale vegetation patterns were useful predictors of mammal and bird activity, but these relationships were different for mammals and birds. Four focal mammal species showed variation in their response to ecological and land management drivers. Unexpectedly, threatened species, such as the eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus), favoured locations where habitat was substantially modified by human activities. The research provides actionable insights for landowners, and highlights the importance of ‘messy,’ ecologically heterogeneous, mixed agricultural landscapes for wildlife conservation. The identification of thresholds in habitat fragmentation reinforced the importance of collaboration across private landscapes. Participatory research models such as WildTracker can complement efforts to address the wicked problem of wildlife conservation in the Anthropocene.

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“…In this paper we report on a transdisciplinary wildlife research initiative called WildTracker. This collaborative project involved private landholders, researchers, and conservation practitioners in an iterative process of research question framing, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, and implementation of ndings (Taylor et al, 2023). We present insights about wildlife management derived from qualitative and quantitative research data, comprising interviews of landholders in three diverse study regions and quantitative observational data on wildlife populations and habitat condition gathered by interviewees and other WildTracker participants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local ecological learning: creating place-based knowledge through collaborative wildlife research on private lands

Taylor

Davison

Harwood

2023

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Wildlife on private land is under threat from anthropogenic drivers including climate change, invasive species, and habitat loss. Effective management of private lands for wildlife conservation requires locally relevant knowledge about wildlife populations, habitat condition, threatening ecological processes, and social drivers of and barriers to conservation. Collaborative socio-ecological research can inform wildlife management by integrating the local ecological and social knowledge of private landholders with the scientific and applied knowledge of researchers and practitioners. In privately owned landscapes, landholders are an often-overlooked source of local ecological knowledge, which develops and changes through continuous interaction and engagement with their environment and community. Here we report on a transdisciplinary socio-ecological research collaboration called WildTracker involving 160 landholders in Tasmania, Australia. This wildlife-focused citizen science project generated and integrated local ecological and social knowledge in the research process. The project gathered quantitative and qualitative data on wildlife ecology, land management practices, and landholder learning via wildlife cameras, sound recorders, workshops, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. Through this on-going collaboration, landholders, researchers, and conservation practitioners established relationships based on mutual learning, gathering, and sharing knowledge and insights about wildlife conservation. Our project highlights how local ecological knowledge develops and changes continuously through processes of enquiry and interaction with other knowledge holders including researchers and conservation practitioners. Collaborative enquiry involving landholders and researchers can produce rich cultural and ecological insights derived from the direct experience and observation of landholders, complementing quantitative assessments of wildlife populations and habitat condition.

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Bridging Knowledge Creation and Conservation Practice through Participatory Action Research on Private Lands

Cited by 4 publications

References 42 publications

Wildlife conservation on private land: a social-ecological systems study

Wildlife conservation on private land: a social-ecological systems study

Wildlife Conservation on Private Land: A Social-Ecological Systems Study

Local ecological learning: creating place-based knowledge through collaborative wildlife research on private lands

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