NINA Brage (Norsk institutt for naturforskning)
Not a member yet
4778 research outputs found
Sort by
Assessing the extraordinary measures used to counteract invasion of pink salmon into the North Atlantic
Full text linkPink salmon is an invasive fish species to the North Atlantic Ocean and Barents Sea regions, spreading from intentional releases in north-west Russia. We assess the removal methods used in 94 Norwegian rivers in 2023. In total, 250 000 adult pink salmon were caught when returning from the ocean feeding migration and removed before they were able to spawn. Successful removals show that it is possible to construct bank-to-bank traps to prevent pink salmon from entering even relatively large rivers – despite thousands and even tens of thousands of pink salmon approaching single rivers within a few weeks. Pink salmon by far outnumbered native salmonids, with 11 times more than Atlantic salmon, 35 times more than sea trout, and 13 times more than Arctic char entering the rivers based on trap catches. Traps were used in 50 rivers: resistance board weirs in six rivers, picket weirs in 16 rivers, and wire mesh traps in 28 rivers. Resistance board weirs and picket weirs were easier to keep clean and operate and ensured better fish welfare than wire mesh traps. Timing of river entry of pink salmon and native salmonids overlapped. Native salmonids were sorted out and released alive upstream of the traps. Immediate mortality of native salmonids caught in all three type traps was low (0.1–0.5% of captured fish). Northern Norway is the gateway for spread of pink salmon into the North Atlantic, and future distribution of pink salmon depends on the success of measures in this area. Experiences gained can be used to further develop a comprehensive strategy for removal of pink salmon to improve construction and operation of effective traps with complete coverage in rivers both in Norway and internationally. Improved trap design is also valuable when using large weirs in rivers for other monitoring and management purposes
Utility of occupancy and N-mixture models for modelling biodiversity dynamics with ecological monitoring programs in Norway
Full text linkSandercock, B.K., Chipperfield, J.D, Cretois, B., Fossøy, F., Kleiven, E.F., Layton-Matthews, K., Nater, C.R., Töpper, J.P., Yoccoz, N.G. & Ellingsen, K.E. 2025. Utility of occupancy and N-mixture models for modelling biodiversity dynamics with ecological monitoring programs in Norway. NINA Report 2515. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research.
Ecological monitoring of natural resources is increasing important in a rapidly changing world where biodiversity losses are driven by negative impacts of habitat degradation, climate change, overharvest, and pollution. Recent years have witnessed remarkable advances in new technologies to assist with monitoring changes in the distributions and abundance of plant and animal populations. New sampling techniques include environmental DNA, passive sampling with acoustic recorders and camera traps, and improved options for integration of ecological data from structured field surveys and citizen science programs. Parallel advances in quantitative ecology have included new statistical models for addressing issues of imperfect detection, misidentification, and environmental variability that are ubiquitous in field sampling. Workflows based on artificial intelligence facilitate species identification and processing large volumes of ecological data. The combination of new sampling methods and advanced quantitative tools has provided innovations for optimizing ecological monitoring programs that yield estimates of demographic parameters and population trends with greater accuracy and precision. New methods and statistics provide substantial cost-savings with more efficient sampling designs, but also more robust inferences about population and community dynamics which assist implementation of conservation and management programs.
The goal of our report was to review recent advances in statistical models and software tools for occupancy models for occurrence data and N-mixture models for count data. The models are useful for estimating distributions and abundance of uncommon or rare species, and especially in situations where individuals are difficult to detect in the field because the life-stages are cryptic or behavior is secretive. We reviewed 12 different groups of statistical models for ecological monitoring programs: naïve occurrence, static, dynamic, single visit, multi-state, N-mixture, multiscale, species interactions, community, spatial, misidentification, and integrated models. Selecting a suitable model is often a trade-off between costs of increased sampling effort to meet greater demands for data collection versus benefits of reducing bias in the estimated or derived parameters. Naïve occurrence, static and single visit models require less sampling effort but are more likely to yield biased estimates of occupancy or abundance. Dynamic models relax the closure assumption and estimate site colonization and extinction. Multi-state and N-mixture models are based on state or count data which can contain more information on population status. Multi-scale models have nested levels which are useful for multiple methods or eDNA sampling. Interaction and community models estimate species interactions and biodiversity metrics for communities. Spatial and misidentification models relax the assumptions of spatial independence and certainty of species identity to account for correlations and possible errors. Integrated models combine data sources such as systematic data from structured monitoring and opportunistic data from citizen science programs. The statistical models provide a valuable foundation for producing biodiversity maps for different ecosystems. Biodiversity maps are urgently needed to reduce negative effects of habitat loss from land use conversion and to improve plans for habitat restoration and protected area networks in Norway.
Our report provides a summary review of new resources available for ecological monitoring. We provide detailed descriptions of the different statistical models and illustrate applications with selected case studies from research scientists at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA). We provide recommendations for ecological monitoring that are applicable to current and potential applications of the statistical models to ecological monitoring programs in Norway. We have also compiled an overview of the new software tools and learning resources that can be used to fit the different models to ecological data for improved inferences. Uptake of new methods and statistical models by scientists working with ecological monitoring in Norway and abroad will be essential for finding new solutions to address the crisis of biodiversity loss
Effectiveness of perches in promoting birdmediated seed dispersal for natural forest regeneration: a systematic review
No full textBackground Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) is an increasingly popular cost-effective approach to restore forests for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. One ANR strategy is the use of perches to attract avian seed dispersers to degraded landscapes for increased seed supply and seedling establishment. This systematic review sought to determine the effectiveness of artificial, semi-natural, and natural perches in promoting natural forest regeneration, specifically in driving four outcomes: seed richness, seed density, seedling richness, and seedling density. Methods In September 2023, we searched for studies in eight bibliographic sources, which include an organizational library and a web-based search engine, using a refined search string in English. After deduplication, we conducted double screening at title and abstract, then at full text level to check for eligibility (e.g., compared perches versus control). The final list of studies underwent critical appraisal based on risk of bias and method validity, then data extraction. We used Hedges’ g as our effect size and fitted each outcome in a three-level meta-regression model. We also tested the effect of matrix type, bioregion, and precipitation variation as modifiers, and conducted sensitivity analysis based on risk of bias and method validity. Review findings After screening, we accepted a total of 396 studies in 79 articles for the review. The majority of these studies examined seed (49%) and seedling density (28%) outcomes over richness, using mostly natural perches (68%) and, to a lesser frequency, artificial and semi-natural perches. Most studies that included distance to forest edge as a factor reported no effects (n = 68). We then analysed 333 studies in a meta-analysis. Results showed that natural perches had overall positive effects in increasing seed and seedling density and richness, while artificial and semi-natural perches were effective only for seed outcomes. We found high heterogeneity in our models, with perch effectiveness affected by matrix type, bioregion, precipitation variation, method specificity, as well as study quality. In general, perches showed robust positive effects in shrublands and grasslands in tropical, subtropical, and mediterranean biomes. Conclusions The use of perches can be an effective ANR strategy to increase seed rain and seedling establishment in a variety of degraded landscapes. We recommend that natural perches be preserved in the matrix, but in areas lacking these natural features, to explore the use of artificial or semi-natural perches to increase seed rain and follow it up with additional treatments, such as soil amelioration and weeding, to improve seedling establishment. Due to insufficient data, we could not analyse the effect of distance to forest edge as a moderator in our meta-regression models. This gap can be addressed by examining perches placed at increasing distances from the edge and having better data sharing practices. We also emphasize a need for improving the quality of reporting, such as variances and detailed methodologies, in order for research to be useful for systematic reviews and meta-analysis.publishedVersio
Underwater effects of offshore wind farms on marine life – a literature review
Full text linkForsgren, E., Majaneva, M., Mul, E.J. & Singsaas, F.T. 2025. Underwater effects of offshore wind farms on marine life – a literature review. NINA Report 2541. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
Ambitious goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions demand for increased renewable energy. In this context, offshore wind is a promising source of renewable energy production which is developing fast. However, this expansion may come at a cost in terms of impact on the environment. To achieve a sustainable offshore wind sector, it is crucial to assess the ecological risks for marine ecosystems and to minimise negative effects. We conducted a literature search, and we here give an introduction to the field and also take a closer look at the evidence of underwater effects on selected marine organisms, namely plankton, fish, marine mammals, as well as the ecosystem. In short, both negative and positive impacts have been documented, but there still remain large knowledge gaps, especially concerning impacts of floating wind farms.Forsgren, E., Majaneva, M., Mul, E.J. & Singsaas, F.T. 2025. Underwater effects of offshore wind farms on marine life – a literature review. NINA Rapport 2541. Norsk institutt for naturforskning.
Ambisiøse mål for å redusere klimagassutslipp krever økt fornybar energi. I denne sammenhengen er havvind ansett som en lovende kilde til fornybar energiproduksjon og en sektor som utvikler seg raskt. Imidlertid kan denne ekspansjonen ha en kostnad når det gjelder virkninger på miljøet. For å oppnå en bærekraftig havvindsektor er det avgjørende å vurdere de økologiske risikoene for det marine økosystemet og å minimere negative effekter. Vi har gjennomført et litteratursøk, og gir her en kort introduksjon til tematikken og ser nærmere på påviste undervannseffekter for utvalgte marine organismer: plankton, fisk, marine pattedyr, samt økosystemet. Oppsummert er det dokumentert både negative og positive effekter, men det er fortsatt store kunnskapshull spesielt når det gjelder effekter av flytende havvindparker.The Research Council of Norwa
Forslag til tiltak mot fremmede fiskearter i Telemarkskanalen
Full text linkBremset, G., Dalsnes, B., Fjeldstad, H.-P., Kraabøl, M. & Lia, L. 2025. Forslag til tiltak mot fremmede fiskearter i Telemarkskanalen. Rapport fra nasjonal ekspertgruppe for fiskesperrer nr. 2.
Miljødirektoratet etablerte i 2017 en ekspertgruppe med tverrfaglig kompetanse innenfor fiskebiologi og vassdragsteknikk. Det første oppdraget til ekspertgruppa var å utrede nødvendige utbedringstiltak for fiskesperra som var etablert i Driva. Etter avsluttet arbeid i Driva fikk ekspertgruppa høsten 2018 i oppdrag å se nærmere på tiltak for å hindre ytterligere spredning av gjedde i Telemarksvassdraget. Bakgrunnen for oppdraget er at gjedde i senere tid har spredt seg til øvre deler av Eidselva, og i 2018 ble påvist oppstrøms en elektrisk fiskesperre som ble etablert ved Kjeldal sluse. Miljømyndighetene ønsker å unngå at gjedde spres ytterligere slik at arten etablerer seg i Vestvannene oppstrøms Eidselva. I Vestvannene er det en truet bestand av storaure som har spesielt høy bevaringsbiologisk og kulturell verdi. Etter at gjedde er påvist oppstrøms Kjeldal sluse, er det bare Hogga sluse som hindrer gjedde fra å vandre opp til Vestvannene. Tidligere erfaringer med introduksjon av gjedde til vannforekomster er at aurebestander blir kraftig negativt påvirket. Det er grunn til å anta en lignende utvikling dersom gjedde skulle etablere seg i Vestvannene.
For å få bedre innsikt i problemstillingene ble det gjennomført en befaring i januar 2019 langs elvestrekningen mellom Hogga og Ulefoss. Under befaringen ble det viet spesiell oppmerksomhet til området ved den elektriske fiskesperra ved Kjeldal. Videre ble det gjort en befaring i sidevassdraget Skoeelva, der gjedde er påvist nedstrøms dammen som er siste barriere før videre spredning til Tyrivatnet. Nomevatnet som har en introdusert bestand av suter ble også befart. På bakgrunn av befaring og informasjon innhentet etter befaringen, vurderer ekspertgruppa at det foreligger en reell og overhengende risiko for videre spredning av gjedde og suter. Erfaringer tilsier at det er påregnelig at spredning før eller siden vil skje gjennom én eller flere av de mulige spredningsveier som er identifisert. Det foreligger ikke tilstrekkelig kunnskap til å vurdere hvilke spredningsveier som er mest sannsynlige for framtidig spredning, siden det ikke foreligger sikker kunnskap om når og hvordan gjedde og suter ble introdusert til de ulike delene av vassdraget.
Det er trolig ikke tilstrekkelig å iverksette ett enkelt tiltak som kan forhindre framtidig spredning til Vestvannene. Ekspertgruppa anbefaler derfor at det iverksettes flere tiltak for å hindre spredning av gjedde og suter til Vestvannene. Det viktigste tiltaket er å gjennomføre utryddingstiltak i hele vassdragsavsnittet mellom Hogga og Ulefoss. Som et strakstiltak bør det så snart som praktisk mulig gjennomføres kjemisk behandling mellom Hogga og Lunde. Ekspertgruppa vurderer at det er liten sannsynlighet for at fremmede fiskearter med egen hjelp skal klare å passere en rekke kunstige vandringshindre mellom Norsjø og Vestvannene. Etter gjennomførte utryddingstiltak anbefaler ekspertgruppa at det gjennomføres kontinuerlig overvåking med bruk av miljø-DNA på flere lokaliteter i vassdragsavsnittet oppstrøms Ulefoss. Videre anbefaler ekspertgruppa at det utarbeides en beredskapsplan med oversikt over aktuelle tiltak dersom gjedde eller suter i framtida blir påvist i ulike vassdragsavsnitt, samt at det iverksettes omfattende informasjonstiltak i samarbeid med reiseliv og turistbedrifter. Ekspertgruppa anbefaler at den elektriske fiskesperra settes ut av drift, men holdes i beredskap som en sikkerhet ved eventuell påvisning av gjedde eller suter oppstrøms Lunde sluse.Miljødirektorate
Hjortevilt og mindre viltarters bruk av viltovergangen over E6 i Lersbakken i Trondheim 2020-2023
Full text linkRød-Eriksen, L., Israelsen, M. F., Meås, R., & Rolandsen, C. M. 2025. Hjortevilt og mindre viltarters bruk av viltovergangen over E6 i Lersbakken i Trondheim 2020-2023. NINA Rapport 2279. Norsk institutt for naturforskning.
Ny infrastruktur kan fungere som barrierer for dyr og redusere viltarters bruk av landskapet. Faunapassasjer er et tiltak som kan bidra til å redusere barriereeffekten samtidig med at det bidrar til å forhindre viltpåkjørsler. Videre kan viltoverganger fungere som økologiske korridorer, som binder leveområder sammen, og opprettholder dyrs vandremuligheter mellom leveområder.
I perioden 2015-2019 ble Europaveg 6 (E6) fra Tillerbyen i Trondheim til Melhus utvidet til firefelts motorvei. Dette vegprosjektet inkluderte bygging av en viltovergang over E6 i Lersbakken i Trondheim kommune. Etter ferdigstillelsen av den nye E6-traseen ønsket kommunen å kartlegge hjorteviltets bruk av viltovergangen, spesielt rettet mot å dokumentere viltovergangens funksjon for å binde leveområdene på øst- og vestsiden av E6 sammen. På oppdrag fra Trondheim kommune satte Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) opp åtte viltkamera senhøsten 2020. Disse har dekket hele viltovergangen, og dokumentert passeringer av alle viltarter frem til våren 2023.
Det ble i overvåkingsperioden (november 2020 til mai 2023) gjort totalt 3526 observasjoner av dyr, hvor rådyr (Capreolus capreolus) og rødrev (Vulpes vulpes) utgjorde til sammen 84 % av observasjonene. Elg (Alces alces) og hjort (Cervus elaphus) forekom i relativt liten grad (8 %). Denne fordelingen mellom hjortevilt var som forventet ut fra tidligere undersøkelser. Antall elg-observasjoner var høyest på sommer og høst (juni til september). Rådyr forekom oftest i mai til september, hvor vandreretningen var likt fordelt mellom øst mot vest og vest mot øst. Det er relativt store forskjeller i landskapet på vestsiden (landbruk og industri) og østsiden (større, men fragmenterte, skogsområder) av viltpassasjen, og trolig er skogsområdene for små til at større tettheter av elg og hjort kan oppholde seg her over tid. Rådyr trives trolig godt i slike korridorer med tilgang til både skog og jordbruksarealer.
Resultatene viser at viltovergangen benyttes av flere viltarter, inkludert hjortevilt, og i så måte bidrar til å binde sammen leveområdene øst- og vest for den nye E6-traseen. Vi kan ikke ut fra våre data konkludere med hvilke effekter viltovergangen vil ha på lokale bestander av hjortevilt over tid, men gjengroing langs overgangen vil trolig bidra til økt bruk gjennom økt tilgang på mat og skjul. For å kunne gi ytterligere innsikt i dette, sammen med effekten av eventuell endring i arealsammensetning på begge sider av overgangen, anbefales det at overvåkingen gjenopptas om noen år. Det anbefales da også å vurdere viltets bruk av viltovergangen opp mot tilgjengelige data om bestandsutviklingen av viltartene.Rød-Eriksen, L., Israelsen, M. F., Meås, R., & Rolandsen, C. M. 2025. The use of a wildlife overpass over European route E6 in Lersbakken in Trondheim by cervids and small mammals 2020-2023. NINA Report 2279. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research.
New infrastructure may act as a barrier for wildlife and reduce habitat accessibility. Wildlife crossing structures may mitigate this barrier effect while simultaneously reducing the number of animal-vehicle accidents. Furthermore, wildlife crossing structures may act as ecological corridors improving connectivity and sustaining the ability for wildlife to migrate between habitats.
During 2015-2019, the new European route 6 (E6) from Tillerbyen in Trondheim to Melhus was extended to a 4-lane highway. This road construction project included the construction of a wildlife overpass over the E6 at Lersbakken in Trondheim municipality. After the construction of the new E6 was completed, there was great interest in monitoring wildlife usage of the overpass, particularly aimed at documenting the functionality of the overpass in connecting the habitats on the eastern and western side of the highway. On assignment from Trondheim municipality, the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) monitored the overpass from late autumn 2020, using eight wildlife cameras covering the width of the overpass.
During the monitoring period (November 2020 to May 2023), we observed a total of 3526 animals utilizing the overpass, whereof 84 % of the observations were of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Moose (Alces alces) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) were more rarely observed (8 %). The distribution of observations between cervids was as expected based on previous studies in the area. The number of moose observations was higher during summer and autumn (June to September). The frequency of roe deer observations was highest from May to September, with an equal number of observations of the roe deer moving from east to west as from west to east of the highway. There are relatively large differences between the landscape on the west side (agriculture and industry) and east side (larger but fragmented forests) of the overpass, and the forested areas are likely too small to sustain higher densities of moose and red deer over time. Roe deer are most likely thriving in corridors with access to both smaller forests and agricultural areas.
Our results show that the wildlife overpass is utilized by several wildlife species, including cervids, and thus contributes to connecting habitats east and west of the new E6. We cannot, based on our data, conclude on the long-term effects of the wildlife overpass on local populations of cervids. Revegetation along the overpass will, however, likely contribute to increased utilization through an increase in foraging opportunities and the availability of cover. To increase our knowledge on this, and also potential long-term changes in habitats on both sides of the overpass, we recommend that the monitoring is resumed in a few years. Concurrently, we suggest assessing wildlife usage of the overpass in relation to the development of associated population densities.Trondheim kommune, Miljøenhete
No net loss accounting: Aligning biodiversity offsets with ecosystem accounts
Full text linkBiodiversity offsetting and ecosystem accounting are two rapidly developing fields that share a common goal: quantifying changes in ecosystems. Nevertheless, the intersection of these fields is often overlooked, despite the significant synergies they offer. This perspective paper explores this intersection from both sides, highlighting the benefits of ecosystem accounting for offsetting practice and the steps needed to make ecosystem accounts offsetting-ready. The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting—Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) is the most widespread and sophisticated framework for ecosystem accounting. This framework was designed to consistently quantify biodiversity changes at several spatial scales, including fine scales typically relevant for biodiversity offsetting. Furthermore, the components of this ecosystem accounting framework are also tightly related to the key concepts of biodiversity offsetting. To illustrate this, we provide a dictionary cross-linking the terminologies of the two fields. Despite the fundamental similarities, most ecosystem accounts developed today are not (directly) suitable for fine-scale use. We discuss the reasons for this, and the practical challenges of improving the suitability of ecosystem accounts for offsetting use. Solution: Aligning ecosystem accounts and biodiversity offsetting offers a huge opportunity for both fields, enhancing the standardisation of offsetting practices, and making them extensible to high level no net loss biodiversity targets. This can be achieved by using offsetting-relevant scalable biodiversity metrics as condition variables, and by implementing condition indices that yield meaningful offsetting currencies. We argue that future ecosystem accounting case studies should recognise offsetting and the quantification of net loss/gain as relevant use cases. And we also call for dedicated offsetting pilots that apply ecosystem accounts in concrete no net loss contexts, highlighting the transformative potential of harnessing these synergies for biodiversity policy. biodiversity policy, degradation, ecological compensation, ecosystem condition, environmentalimpact assessment, Global Biodiversity Framework, restoration, SEEA EANo net loss accounting: Aligning biodiversity offsets with ecosystem accountspublishedVersio
Kartlegging av naturverdier ved Hestejordene, Groruddalen i Oslo. Naturtypekartlegging etter DN-håndbok 13 og Miljødirektoratets instruks
Full text linkBendiksen, E. & Jansson, U. 2025. Kartlegging av naturverdier ved Hestejordene, Groruddalen i Oslo. Naturtypekartlegging etter DN-håndbok 13 og Miljødirektoratets instruks. NINA Rapport 2459. Norsk institutt for naturforskning.
Rapporten presenterer en kartlegging av naturverdier i området Hestejordene i Groruddalen i forbindelse med at det skal lages en ny forvaltningsplan for området. Det er foretatt en oppdatering av tidligere naturtypekartlegging, der kartleggingen er utført etter både DN-håndbok 13, revisjon 2014, og Miljødirektoratets instruks. Engene er mer eller mindre atskilt av mellomliggende ravineskoger.
Det er registrert 14 naturtypelokaliteter inkludert 3 store gamle trær. Fem av lokalitetene er naturbeitemarkarealer. Her ble det ryddet og gjeninnført beite for ku og hest like etter årtusenskiftet etter en over 40-årsperiode som jordene lå brakk som følge av jordbrukets opphør i Groruddalen. Arealene unngikk å bli bebygd som de aller fleste tilsvarende tidligere landbruksarealer i området, siden de har vært brukt som treningsarealer for Krigsskolen.
Området har stor økologisk variasjon og stort artsmangfold, og flere beitemarksarter av sopp indikerer at det har skjedd en vellykket restaurering av engarealene.
Rapporten gir råd om skjøtsel og forvaltning for å utvikle naturverdiene ved Hestejordene.Oslo kommune, Bymiljøetate
Impacts of forest clear-cutting on recreational activity: Evidence from crowdsourced mobility data
Full text linkIntensive forest management practices including stand-replacing clear-cuts continue to dominate silviculture globally, yet their impacts on recreational ecosystem services are largely unknown. While landscape preference studies suggest intact forests are favoured over forest clear-cuts for aesthetics, it’s unclear if this influences recreational behaviour. Analysing a sample of 2.7 M recreational activities (0.4 M pedestrian, 2.1 M cycling and 0.1 M skiing) over Norway during 2017 along forest trails that were within 1 km of a subsequent clear-cut in 2018, we quantified the impact on activity changes observed in 2019 using a before-after-control-impact (BACI) study design. Across the 10,781 clear-cuts included in our analysis, we found a negative effect on pedestrian activity (− 3.7 ± 4 %; ± 95 % CI), a neutral effect on cycling activity (0.5 ± 3.5 %) and a positive, but highly variable effect on skiing activity (13.4 ± 15.4 %). Therefore, our results suggest that the research on people’s stated preference for intact and natural forests is corroborated by behavioural avoidance of clear-cut forests during pedestrian activity, but not necessarily cycling or skiing. After taking all activities into account and extrapolating to the total population of recreationists in Norway, we found that clear-cuts displace 1.5 M ± 0.8 M activities annually, with more pronounced impacts near urban areas. We conducted a cross-sectional regression analysis and found effect sizes which corroborate our BACI results, indicating that clear-cuts not only displace, but reduce total recreational activity. Although the reduced activity due to clearcuts is small (0.15 %) relative to the circa 1 billion recreational activities reported in Norway annually, it may be consequential for forestry policy recommendations depending on how one values recreational ecosystem services. In the context of ecosystem service accounting, we argue that the value from recreation services lost due to clear-cutting exceeds the value of timber provisioning services gained, particularly in peri-urban forests. Forest management Landscape preferences Ecosystem services Ecosystem accountingpublishedVersio
Weaving values, knowledge and context to care for human–nature relationships in protected areas
Full text linkTransformative change necessitates a profound shift in how people relate to, understand, value and envision landscapes to find effective pathways for conservation science and practice. In response, we examined the relationships among broad values—biospheric, altruistic and egoistic—that work in conjunction with ecological knowledge acquisition and social–ecological contextual factors to explain specific values assigned to landscapes, visions for human–nature relationships and pro-environmental behaviour. We conducted in-person surveys with residents of the Sierra de Guadarrama in central Spain, which is embedded in an extensive network of protected areas. It includes a national park and two biosphere reserves, and it is close to the capital city of Madrid. Our data were analysed using a path model to test a series of hypothesised relationships. Our models revealed that self-transcendence (i.e. biospheric and altruistic) values as well as the combined effects of local and scientific ecological knowledge were positively associated with (i) specific values prioritising ecological aspects and care for nature, but also with multiple relational values with the landscape and some instrumental values focused on the provision of goods; (ii) visions highlighting a prominent role of nature over humans for the surrounding landscape (eco-centric); (iii) and pro-environmental willingness and behaviour. Indirect positive associations included social–ecological factors such as the intensity of experiences with and learning about nature, lower levels of urbanity and the combined effects of age and income. Our results revealed that these are the kinds of values that, in general, newcomers would be more likely to foster. We conclude that inclusive plural valuations aimed at improving nature conservation interventions should consider the roots of how people hold and assign values to landscapes, envision their relationship with nature and vary in their intentions to perform pro-environmental behaviours for leveraging transformative change around protected areas. An integrative and holistic social–ecological systems perspective will improve human–nature relationships in conservation research and practice. We therefore call for more explicit consideration of the combined associations of social–ecological context, broad values and knowledge systems to expand and articulate the multilevel value of interest groups in protected area management contextspublishedVersio