Geography of conservation spending,biodiversity, and culture |
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Authors: | T.R. McClanahan P.S. Rankin |
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Affiliation: | 1. Wildlife Conservation Society, Marine Programs, Bronx, NY, U.S.A.;2. ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, and The Life Course Centre, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia |
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Abstract: | We used linear and multivariate models to examine the associations between geography, biodiversity, per capita economic output, national spending on conservation, governance, and cultural traits in 55 countries. Cultural traits and social metrics of modernization correlated positively with national spending on conservation. The global distribution of this spending culture was poorly aligned with the distribution of biodiversity. Specifically, biodiversity was greater in the tropics where cultures tended to spend relatively less on conservation and tended to have higher collectivism, formalized and hierarchical leadership, and weaker governance. Consequently, nations lacking social traits frequently associated with modernization, environmentalism, and conservation spending have the largest component of Earth's biodiversity. This has significant implications for setting policies and priorities for resource management given that biological diversity is rapidly disappearing and cultural traits change slowly. Therefore, we suggest natural resource management adapt to and use characteristics of existing social organization rather than wait for or promote social values associated with conservation spending. Supporting biocultural traditions, engaging leaders to increase conservation commitments, cross‐national efforts that complement attributes of cultures, and avoiding interference with nature may work best to conserve nature in collective and hierarchical societies. Spending in modernized nations may be a symbolic response to a symptom of economic development and environmental degradation, and here conservation actions need to ensure that biodiversity is not being lost. |
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Keywords: | cultural dimensions economics human development governance social– ecological social traits tropical– temperate caracterí sticas sociales desarrollo humano dimensiones culturales economí a gobierno socio‐ecoló gico tropical‐templado |
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