War and wildlife: linking armed conflict to conservation

Gaynor, Kaitlyn M.; Fiorella, Kathryn J.; Gregory, G.; Kurz, David J.; Seto, Katherine; Withey, Lauren; Brashares, Justin S.

doi:10.1002/fee.1433

Cited by 133 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…), practicing conflict‐sensitive identification and engagement of stakeholders should be of a higher priority than merely including stakeholders (Gaynor et al. ; Martin et al. ).…”

Section: Matching Motivations With Methods In Conservation Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Equity trade‐offs in conservation decision making

Law

Bennett

Ives

et al. 2017

Conservation Biology

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Conservation decisions increasingly involve multiple environmental and social objectives, which result in complex decision contexts with high potential for trade-offs. Improving social equity is one such objective that is often considered an enabler of successful outcomes and a virtuous ideal in itself. Despite its idealized importance in conservation policy, social equity is often highly simplified or ill-defined and is applied uncritically. What constitutes equitable outcomes and processes is highly normative and subject to ethical deliberation. Different ethical frameworks may lead to different conceptions of equity through alternative perspectives of what is good or right. This can lead to different and potentially conflicting equity objectives in practice. We promote a more transparent, nuanced, and pluralistic conceptualization of equity in conservation decision making that particularly recognizes where multidimensional equity objectives may conflict. To help identify and mitigate ethical conflicts and avoid cases of good intentions producing bad outcomes, we encourage a more analytical incorporation of equity into conservation decision making particularly during mechanistic integration of equity objectives. We recommend that in conservation planning motivations and objectives for equity be made explicit within the problem context, methods used to incorporate equity objectives be applied with respect to stated objectives, and, should objectives dictate, evaluation of equity outcomes and adaptation of strategies be employed during policy implementation.

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“…), practicing conflict‐sensitive identification and engagement of stakeholders should be of a higher priority than merely including stakeholders (Gaynor et al. ; Martin et al. ).…”

Section: Matching Motivations With Methods In Conservation Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Equity trade‐offs in conservation decision making

Law

Bennett

Ives

et al. 2017

Conservation Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Only a handful of studies have tracked biodiversity impacts across more than one stage of warfare, for example, and lack of baseline data prevents analysis of conflict‐related trends for many areas . Socioeconomic and institutional pathways have been widely recognized as important but poorly understood drivers of biodiversity trends during and after conflicts . There has also been little consideration of the potential interactions between biodiversity conservation and humanitarian relief efforts in conflict zones, such as the ability of food and agricultural aid to reduce hunting pressure, or how cooking technologies and traditions impact deforestation rates around refugee camps …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further limitations to the study of conflict and biodiversity lie in the sheer complexity of warfare, and how its effects on natural and human systems are closely intertwined . It goes without saying that humanitarian concerns take precedence over environmental issues during wars.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Arthur Westing documented the lingering impacts of Agent Orange and other defoliants used during the Vietnam War, and argued for a broader ecological understanding of international security issues . In the decades since Westing's work, a growing body of literature has described the effects of war on various natural resources, including forests, fisheries, soils, lakes and rivers, and wildlife . For biodiversity conservation, the relevance of armed conflicts is confirmed by their prevalence in “biodiversity hotspots,” regions that hold more than half the world's plant and animal species in only 2.3% of its land area .…”

Section: Introduction and Theoretical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biodiversity conservation and armed conflict: a warfare ecology perspective

Hanson

2018

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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The activities involved in preparing for, executing, and recovering from armed conflict are globally pervasive and consequential, with significant impacts on natural systems. Effects on biodiversity are predominantly negative, produced by direct and indirect battlefield impacts, as well as the general breakdown of social, economic, and governance systems during wartime. Certain conservation opportunities do occur, however, particularly on lands set aside for training exercises, buffer zones, and peace parks. Here, the relationship between armed conflict and biodiversity is reviewed using the temporal framework of warfare ecology, which defines warfare as an ongoing process of three overlapping stages: preparations, war (armed conflict), and postwar activities. Several themes emerge from recent studies, including a heightened awareness of biodiversity conservation on military lands, the potential for scientific and conservation engagement to mitigate negative biodiversity impacts in war zones, and the importance of the postwar period for incorporating biodiversity priorities into reconstruction and recovery efforts. Research limitations and knowledge gaps are also discussed.

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“…War often has detrimental effects on wildlife and conservation due to military actions and the difficulties of conducting and advocating conservation work in conflict areas (Gaynor et al. ).…”

Section: Lessons Learnedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons from Białowieża Forest on the history of protection and the world's first reintroduction of a large carnivore

Samojlik

Selva

Daszkiewicz

et al. 2018

Conservation Biology

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Understanding how the relationships between large carnivores and humans have evolved and have been managed through centuries can provide relevant insights for wildlife conservation. The management history of many large carnivores has followed a similar pattern, from game reserved for nobility, to persecuted pests, to conservation targets. We reconstructed the history of brown bear (Ursus arctos) management in Białowieża Forest (Poland and Belarus) based on a detailed survey of historical literature and Russian archives. From the end of the Middle Ages to the end of 18th century, the brown bear was considered "animalia superiora" (i.e., game exclusively reserved for nobility and protected by law). Bears, also a source of public entertainment, were not regarded as a threat. Effective measures to prevent damages to traditional forest beekeeping were already in practice. In the beginning of 19th century, new game-management approaches allowed most forest officials to hunt bears, which became the primary target of hunters due to their valuable pelt. This, together with an effective anticarnivore policy enhanced by bounties, led to bear extirpation in 1879. Different approaches to scientific game management appeared (planned extermination of predators and hunting levels that would maintain stable populations), as did the first initiatives to protect bears from cruel treatment in captivity. Bear reintroduction in Białowieża Forest began in 1937 and represented the world's first reintroduction of a large carnivore motivated by conservation goals. The outbreak of World War II spoiled what might have been a successful project; reproduction in the wild was documented for 8 years and bear presence for 13. Soft release of cubs born in captivity inside the forest but freely roaming with minimal human contact proved successful. Release of captive human-habituated bears, feeding of these bears, and a lack of involvement of local communities were weaknesses of the project. Large carnivores are key components of ecosystem-function restoration, and site-specific histories provide important lessons in how to preserve them for the future.

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War and wildlife: linking armed conflict to conservation

Cited by 133 publications

References 41 publications

Equity trade‐offs in conservation decision making

Equity trade‐offs in conservation decision making

Biodiversity conservation and armed conflict: a warfare ecology perspective

Lessons from Białowieża Forest on the history of protection and the world's first reintroduction of a large carnivore

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