Restarting the conversation: challenges at the interface between ecology and society

Abstract

The exchange of information between researchers, resource managers, decision makers, and the general public has long been recognized as a critical need in environmental science. We examine the challenges in using ecological knowledge to inform society and to change societal actions, and identify a set of options and strategies to enhance this exchange. Our objectives are to provide background information on societal knowledge and interest in science and environmental issues, to describe how different components of society obtain information and develop their interests and values, and to present a framework for evaluating and improving communication between science and society. Our analysis strongly suggests that the interface between science and society can only be improved with renewed dedication to public outreach and a wholesale reconsideration of the way that scientists communicate with society. Ecologists need to adopt new models of engagement with their audiences, frame their results in ways that are more meaningful to these audiences, and use new communication tools, capable of reaching large and diverse target groups.

Public Support for Wetland Restoration: What is the Link With Ecosystem Service Values?

“…Reflecting upon the theory of Festinger (1957), Kollmuss and Agyeman (2002) put forward the idea that people may show a resistance against non-conforming information, meaning that 'information that supports our existing values and mental frameworks is readily accepted, whereas information that contradicts or undermines our beliefs is avoided or not perceived at all ' (p. 254). This means that the benefits and losses of wetland restoration should be Bframed^in ways that resonate with the public (Groffman et al 2010). The results from this paper suggest that gaining insight into how people interact with and perceive ecosystems is important to understand what aspects of ecosystem conservation and/or restoration people put most emphasis on.…”

“…It is important to get more interested in our audience beyond treating them as 'recipients for expert knowledge' (Salmon et al 2015), as most people do not learn about science through formal education but through informal sources (Groffman et al 2010). When forming ideas and attitudes about ecological restoration, people often do not rely on logical arguments and reasoning, but on knowledge they draw from experiences, e.g.…”

“…For this reason, the goods and services provided by wetlands are often not recognized by society. In addition, although the importance of public engagement for ecological restoration has long been recognized, the communication of restoration benefits from science to the wider public has had limited success (Groffman et al 2010). To tackle this issue, an ecosystem service (ES) approach is increasingly advocated.…”

Climatologists’ patterns of conveying climate science to the agricultural community

“…The advocacy of public response and policy implementation to a particular scientific consensus can stretch the boundary role of publicly employed professionals and traditional land-grant university ideals as they attempt to carry out their extension and outreach roles in a non-partisan way (Bonnen 1998;Osmond et al 2010). Many scientists recognize the delicate issue at hand and advise caution when extending scientific consensus to society and translating known facts derived from scientific experiments and observations into societal consequences, impacts and risks (Lach et al 2003;Groffman et al 2010;Wilhere 2011;Nelson and Vucetich 2009). A crucial aspect of the science and application relationship involves understanding the roles expert scientists can play in transforming climate data into practical, useful information that bridges the gulf between them and different publics.…”

A Word to the Wise: Advice for Scientists Engaged in Collaborative Adaptive Management

“…As noted by Groffman et al (2010), there is a pressing need to conduct research that both informs management and resonates with the general public. CAM meets both these criteria.…”