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Paul Johnson
Department of Zoology University of Oxford Tubney House, Abingdon Road Oxford OX135QL U.K.

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Contributed paper
Published: 08 December 2020 in Conservation Biology
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Conflict with humans is one of the major threats facing the world's remaining large carnivore populations, and understanding human attitudes is key to improving coexistence. We use a socio‐ecological model to understand local attitudes towards coexisting with lions. We investigate the importance of a range of tangible and intangible factors on attitudes, including the costs and benefits of wildlife presence, emotion, culture, religion, vulnerability, risk perception, notions of responsibility and personal value orientations. This is for the purpose of effectively tailoring conservation efforts, but also for ethical policymaking. We found that intangible factors (such as fear and ecocentric values) are as important, if not more important, than tangible factors (such as livestock losses) for understanding attitudes. This was based on the effect sizes of these variables. The degree to which participants’ fear of lions interfered with their daily activities was the most influential variable. The degree to which benefits accrue to households from the nearby protected area was also highly influential, along with numbers of livestock lost, number of dependants, ecocentric value‐orientation, and participation in conflict mitigation programmes. Contrary to what is often assumed, metrics of livestock loss did not dominate attitudes to coexistence with lions. Furthermore, we show that socio‐economic variables may appear important when studied in isolation, but their effect may disappear when controlling for variables related to beliefs, perceptions and past experiences. This raises questions about the widespread reliance on socio‐economic variables in the field of human‐wildlife conflict and coexistence. To facilitate coexistence with large carnivores, we recommend measures that reduce fear (both through education and through protective measures that reduce the need to be fearful), reduction of livestock losses and ensuring local communities experience relevant benefits from conservation. Ecocentric values also emerged as influential, highlighting the need to develop conservation initiatives which are tailored with local values. Article impact statement: Intangible factors are more important than tangible factors in shaping tolerance for lions, and this is crucial for successful policies This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

ACS Style

Kim S. Jacobsen; Amy J. Dickman; David W. Macdonald; Susana Mourato; Paul Johnson; Lovemore Sibanda; Andrew J Loveridge. The importance of tangible and intangible factors in human–carnivore coexistence. Conservation Biology 2020, 35, 1233 -1244.

AMA Style

Kim S. Jacobsen, Amy J. Dickman, David W. Macdonald, Susana Mourato, Paul Johnson, Lovemore Sibanda, Andrew J Loveridge. The importance of tangible and intangible factors in human–carnivore coexistence. Conservation Biology. 2020; 35 (4):1233-1244.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kim S. Jacobsen; Amy J. Dickman; David W. Macdonald; Susana Mourato; Paul Johnson; Lovemore Sibanda; Andrew J Loveridge. 2020. "The importance of tangible and intangible factors in human–carnivore coexistence." Conservation Biology 35, no. 4: 1233-1244.

Letter
Published: 09 August 2020 in Conservation Biology
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Article Impact Statement : Media coverage of trophy hunting highlights the potential for misinformation to enter public and political debates on conservation issues. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

ACS Style

Adam G. Hart; Rosie Cooney; Amy Dickman; Darragh Hare; Charles Jonga; Paul K. Johnson; Maxi Pia Louis; Rodgers Lubilo; Dilys Roe; Catherine Semcer; Keith Somerville. Threats posed to conservation by media misinformation. Conservation Biology 2020, 34, 1333 -1334.

AMA Style

Adam G. Hart, Rosie Cooney, Amy Dickman, Darragh Hare, Charles Jonga, Paul K. Johnson, Maxi Pia Louis, Rodgers Lubilo, Dilys Roe, Catherine Semcer, Keith Somerville. Threats posed to conservation by media misinformation. Conservation Biology. 2020; 34 (6):1333-1334.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adam G. Hart; Rosie Cooney; Amy Dickman; Darragh Hare; Charles Jonga; Paul K. Johnson; Maxi Pia Louis; Rodgers Lubilo; Dilys Roe; Catherine Semcer; Keith Somerville. 2020. "Threats posed to conservation by media misinformation." Conservation Biology 34, no. 6: 1333-1334.

Erratum
Published: 08 April 2020 in Animals
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The authors wish to make the following erratum to their paper

ACS Style

Sandra E. Baker; Stephanie A. Maw; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. Erratum: Baker, S.E.; Maw, S.A.; Johnson, P.J.; Macdonald, D.W. Not in My Backyard: Public Perceptions of Wildlife and ‘Pest Control’ in and around UK Homes, and Local Authority ‘Pest Control’. Animals 2020, 10, 222. Animals 2020, 10, 644 .

AMA Style

Sandra E. Baker, Stephanie A. Maw, Paul J. Johnson, David W. Macdonald. Erratum: Baker, S.E.; Maw, S.A.; Johnson, P.J.; Macdonald, D.W. Not in My Backyard: Public Perceptions of Wildlife and ‘Pest Control’ in and around UK Homes, and Local Authority ‘Pest Control’. Animals 2020, 10, 222. Animals. 2020; 10 (4):644.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sandra E. Baker; Stephanie A. Maw; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. 2020. "Erratum: Baker, S.E.; Maw, S.A.; Johnson, P.J.; Macdonald, D.W. Not in My Backyard: Public Perceptions of Wildlife and ‘Pest Control’ in and around UK Homes, and Local Authority ‘Pest Control’. Animals 2020, 10, 222." Animals 10, no. 4: 644.

Preprint content
Published: 01 April 2020
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Margaritifera hembeli is a federally threatened freshwater mussel species restricted to three central Louisiana drainages. Currently, management efforts are being formulated without an understanding of population-level genetic patterns, which could result in sub-optimal conservation outcomes. In particular, information about riverscape genetic patterns is needed to design effective propagation and reintroduction plans. We apply a genomic approach (RADseq) to assess genetic diversity and structure among four wild populations sampled from across the species range. We also assess the genetic diversity of a captively reared cohort produced from a single female. We recovered population differentiation between individuals sampled to the north and south of the Red River. All sites had similarly low levels of heterogeneity and other measures of genetic diversity. The captive cohort displayed higher levels of genetic diversity than expected and likely represents a case of multiple paternity. Future propagation efforts will likely be able to produce genetically diverse cohorts from a small number of wild-caught females, and we recommend future reintroduction efforts utilize brooders within the sub-drainage closest to the reintroduction effort.

ACS Style

Nicole L. Garrison; Paul D. Johnson; Nathan V. Whelan. Conservation genomics reveals low genetic diversity and multiple parentage in the threatened freshwater mussel, Margaritifera hembeli. 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Nicole L. Garrison, Paul D. Johnson, Nathan V. Whelan. Conservation genomics reveals low genetic diversity and multiple parentage in the threatened freshwater mussel, Margaritifera hembeli. . 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicole L. Garrison; Paul D. Johnson; Nathan V. Whelan. 2020. "Conservation genomics reveals low genetic diversity and multiple parentage in the threatened freshwater mussel, Margaritifera hembeli." , no. : 1.

Contributed paper
Published: 06 March 2020 in Conservation Biology
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The persistence of endangered species may depend on the fate of a very small number of individual animals. In situ conservation alone may sometimes be insufficient. In these instances, the International Union for Conservation of Nature provides guidelines for ex situ conservation and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) indicates how ex situ management can support the CDB's objectives by providing insurance policies for species. The circumstances that justify its use are uncertain. To evaluate the current in situ extinction risk and ex situ management of 43 critically endangered species of mammalian megafauna, we used nonmetric multidimensional scaling and geopolitical variables related to governance, economics, and national policy within their extant ranges. We then fitted generalized additive models to assess the contribution of each variable to the ordination. Fifteen (almost one‐third) of the world's terrestrial mammalian megafauna are not the subject of any ex situ management. Seventy‐three percent of these taxa occur in areas characterized by political uncertainty, such as border zones or areas affected by armed conflicts, mainly in Africa and the Middle East. A further 23% of taxa in ex situ programs do not meet sustainability criteria for inbreeding avoidance. Strategic conservation planning, such as the One Plan approach, may improve ex situ management for these taxa. Given the escalating trend in threats afflicting megafauna, ex situ management should be considered more rigorously, particularly in politically unstable regions, to achieve CBD Target 12 (prevent extinction of threatened species). Manejo Ex Situ como Protección contra la Extinción de la Megafauna de Mamíferos en un Mundo Incierto This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

ACS Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia; Paul J. Johnson; Alexandra Zimmermann; Philip J.K. McGowan; Erik Meijaard; Mark Stanley‐Price; David W. Macdonald. Ex situ management as insurance against extinction of mammalian megafauna in an uncertain world. Conservation Biology 2020, 34, 988 -996.

AMA Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia, Paul J. Johnson, Alexandra Zimmermann, Philip J.K. McGowan, Erik Meijaard, Mark Stanley‐Price, David W. Macdonald. Ex situ management as insurance against extinction of mammalian megafauna in an uncertain world. Conservation Biology. 2020; 34 (4):988-996.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia; Paul J. Johnson; Alexandra Zimmermann; Philip J.K. McGowan; Erik Meijaard; Mark Stanley‐Price; David W. Macdonald. 2020. "Ex situ management as insurance against extinction of mammalian megafauna in an uncertain world." Conservation Biology 34, no. 4: 988-996.

Journal article
Published: 30 January 2020 in Animals
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Wildlife causes ‘pest’ problems globally. Controlling wildlife involves killing and harming the welfare of many animals. We examined public perceptions of 10 wildlife species and wildlife management, in and around UK homes, as well as council ‘pest control’ services, to identify ethical, welfare-friendly ways to reduce wildlife problems. Most people had never had problems with each of the 10 species, and problems with some species were largely tolerated. Wasps, mice, and rats were the most frequently problematic species, the least tolerated and those for which councils most often offered ‘pest control’ services. People preferred Do-It-Yourself pest control over professional control, except for with wasps. They wanted control to be quick, lasting, and safe for people and non-target animals. Where people accepted the killing of wildlife, they still considered animal welfare important. Factors influencing pest status were complicated, while factors influencing people’s demand for pest control were fewer, simpler, and species-specific. Council pest control provision increased over the four years studied, but only half of councils offered advice on preventing/deterring wildlife; this advice was patchy and variable in quality. More effort should be put into preventing/deterring rather than controlling wildlife problems. Councils should provide standardised, informative advice on prevention/deterrence and prevention/deterrence services. Human–wildlife conflict occurs globally. Attempts to control ‘pest’ wildlife involve killing and harming the welfare of animals on a vast scale. We examined public perceptions of 10 wildlife species/groups and wildlife management, in and around UK homes, and public authority ‘pest control’ provision, in an effort to identify ethical, welfare-friendly ways to reduce conflict. Most people reported never having problems with each of the 10 species, and reported problems for some species were largely tolerated. Wasps, mice, and rats were the most frequently problematic species, the least tolerated, and those for which local authorities most often offered pest control services. Do-It-Yourself pest control was preferred over professional control, except for with wasps. People wanted control to be quick, lasting, and safe for people and non-target animals. Where people accepted lethal control, they were nevertheless concerned for animal welfare. Drivers of pest status were complex, while drivers of demand for control were fewer and species-specific. Local authority pest control provision increased over the four years studied, but only half of councils offered advice on preventing/deterring wildlife; this advice was patchy and variable in quality. Greater focus is required on preventing/deterring rather than controlling wildlife problems. Councils should provide standardised, comprehensive advice on prevention/deterrence and prevention/deterrence services.

ACS Style

Sandra E. Baker; Stephanie A. Maw; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. Not in My Backyard: Public Perceptions of Wildlife and ‘Pest Control’ in and around UK Homes, and Local Authority ‘Pest Control’. Animals 2020, 10, 222 .

AMA Style

Sandra E. Baker, Stephanie A. Maw, Paul J. Johnson, David W. Macdonald. Not in My Backyard: Public Perceptions of Wildlife and ‘Pest Control’ in and around UK Homes, and Local Authority ‘Pest Control’. Animals. 2020; 10 (2):222.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sandra E. Baker; Stephanie A. Maw; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. 2020. "Not in My Backyard: Public Perceptions of Wildlife and ‘Pest Control’ in and around UK Homes, and Local Authority ‘Pest Control’." Animals 10, no. 2: 222.

Commentary
Published: 11 December 2019 in Animals
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Human activity affecting the welfare of wild vertebrates, widely accepted to be sentient, and therefore deserving of moral concern, is widespread. A variety of motives lead to the killing of individual wild animals. These include to provide food, to protect stock and other human interests, and also for sport. The acceptability of such killing is widely believed to vary with the motive and method. Individual vertebrates are also killed by conservationists. Whether securing conservation goals is an adequate reason for such killing has recently been challenged. Conventional conservation practice has tended to prioritise ecological collectives, such as populations and species, when their interests conflict with those of individuals. Supporters of the ‘Compassionate Conservation’ movement argue both that conservationists have neglected animal welfare when such conflicts arise and that no killing for conservation is justified. We counter that conservationists increasingly seek to adhere to high standards of welfare, and that the extreme position advocated by some supporters of ‘Compassionate Conservation’, rooted in virtue ethics, would, if widely accepted, lead to considerable negative effects for conservation. Conservation practice cannot afford to neglect consequences. Moreover, the do-no-harm maxim does not always lead to better outcomes for animal welfare.

ACS Style

Paul J. Johnson; Vanessa M. Adams; Doug P. Armstrong; Sandra E. Baker; Duan Biggs; Luigi Boitani; Alayne Cotterill; Emma Dale; Holly O’Donnell; Armstrong Doug; Egil Droge; John G. Ewen; Ruth E. Feber; Piero Genovesi; Clive Hambler; Bart J. Harmsen; Lauren A. Harrington; Amy Hinks; Joelene Hughes; Lydia Katsis; Andrew Loveridge; Axel Moehrenschlager; Christopher O’Kane; Meshach Pierre; Steve Redpath; Lovemore Sibanda; Pritpal Soorae; Mark Stanley Price; Peter Tyrrell; Alexandra Zimmermann; Amy Dickman. Consequences Matter: Compassion in Conservation Means Caring for Individuals, Populations and Species. Animals 2019, 9, 1115 .

AMA Style

Paul J. Johnson, Vanessa M. Adams, Doug P. Armstrong, Sandra E. Baker, Duan Biggs, Luigi Boitani, Alayne Cotterill, Emma Dale, Holly O’Donnell, Armstrong Doug, Egil Droge, John G. Ewen, Ruth E. Feber, Piero Genovesi, Clive Hambler, Bart J. Harmsen, Lauren A. Harrington, Amy Hinks, Joelene Hughes, Lydia Katsis, Andrew Loveridge, Axel Moehrenschlager, Christopher O’Kane, Meshach Pierre, Steve Redpath, Lovemore Sibanda, Pritpal Soorae, Mark Stanley Price, Peter Tyrrell, Alexandra Zimmermann, Amy Dickman. Consequences Matter: Compassion in Conservation Means Caring for Individuals, Populations and Species. Animals. 2019; 9 (12):1115.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paul J. Johnson; Vanessa M. Adams; Doug P. Armstrong; Sandra E. Baker; Duan Biggs; Luigi Boitani; Alayne Cotterill; Emma Dale; Holly O’Donnell; Armstrong Doug; Egil Droge; John G. Ewen; Ruth E. Feber; Piero Genovesi; Clive Hambler; Bart J. Harmsen; Lauren A. Harrington; Amy Hinks; Joelene Hughes; Lydia Katsis; Andrew Loveridge; Axel Moehrenschlager; Christopher O’Kane; Meshach Pierre; Steve Redpath; Lovemore Sibanda; Pritpal Soorae; Mark Stanley Price; Peter Tyrrell; Alexandra Zimmermann; Amy Dickman. 2019. "Consequences Matter: Compassion in Conservation Means Caring for Individuals, Populations and Species." Animals 9, no. 12: 1115.

Journal article
Published: 17 September 2019 in Sustainability
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Public reason is a formal concept in political theory. There is a need to better understand how public reason might be elicited in making public decisions that involve deep uncertainty, which arises from pernicious and gross ignorance about how a system works, the boundaries of a system, and the relative value (or disvalue) of various possible outcomes. This article is the third in a series to demonstrate how ethical argument analysis—a qualitative decision-making aid—may be used to elicit public reason in the presence of deep uncertainty. The first article demonstrated how argument analysis is capable of probing deep into a single argument. The second article demonstrated how argument analysis can analyze a broad set of arguments and how argument analysis can be operationalized for use as a decision-making aid. This article demonstrates (i) the relevance of argument analysis to public reasoning, (ii) the relevance of argument analysis for decision-making under deep uncertainty, an emerging direction in decision theory, and (iii) how deep uncertainty can arise when the boundary between facts and values is inescapably entangled. This article and the previous two make these demonstrations using, as an example, the conservation and sustainable use of lions.

ACS Style

Peter Coals; Dawn Burnham; Paul J. Johnson; Andrew Loveridge; David W. Macdonald; Vivienne L. Williams; John A. Vucetich. Deep Uncertainty, Public Reason, the Conservation of Biodiversity and the Regulation of Markets for Lion Skeletons. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5085 .

AMA Style

Peter Coals, Dawn Burnham, Paul J. Johnson, Andrew Loveridge, David W. Macdonald, Vivienne L. Williams, John A. Vucetich. Deep Uncertainty, Public Reason, the Conservation of Biodiversity and the Regulation of Markets for Lion Skeletons. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (18):5085.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Peter Coals; Dawn Burnham; Paul J. Johnson; Andrew Loveridge; David W. Macdonald; Vivienne L. Williams; John A. Vucetich. 2019. "Deep Uncertainty, Public Reason, the Conservation of Biodiversity and the Regulation of Markets for Lion Skeletons." Sustainability 11, no. 18: 5085.

Letter
Published: 29 August 2019 in Science
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ACS Style

Amy Dickman; Rosie Cooney; Paul J. Johnson; Maxi Pia Louis; Dilys Roe. Trophy hunting bans imperil biodiversity. Science 2019, 365, 874 -874.

AMA Style

Amy Dickman, Rosie Cooney, Paul J. Johnson, Maxi Pia Louis, Dilys Roe. Trophy hunting bans imperil biodiversity. Science. 2019; 365 (6456):874-874.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amy Dickman; Rosie Cooney; Paul J. Johnson; Maxi Pia Louis; Dilys Roe. 2019. "Trophy hunting bans imperil biodiversity." Science 365, no. 6456: 874-874.

Original paper
Published: 28 August 2019 in Biodiversity and Conservation
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Bushmeat consumption in Madagascar is increasingly acknowledged as one of the major threats to its wild vertebrates. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the drivers of the consumption of protected versus legally huntable wild species, or examined its variance across Madagascar’s protected and unprotected areas. This research provides a novel study of the consumption of protected, unprotected, and fish/eel species between forest types (deciduous and rainforest), as well as across a gradient of protected habitat (National Park, Reserve, Unprotected). Members of 1750 households were interviewed across four regions, including two national parks, two reserves, and two unprotected forests. Household demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic variables were explored as possible predictors of bushmeat consumption. We found that poorer households reported consuming greater quantities of protected species whereas wealthier households reported consuming greater quantities of fish and eel. Households located inside Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar’s most visited protected area, reported consuming the greatest quantities of protected species. Interviewees’ most favoured meat was from livestock, and fish. The consumption pattern of wild species reflected interviewees’ stated preference for species that are either unlisted (e.g. tilapia fish) under Malagasy species protection laws, classified as pest (e.g. bushpig) and/or game species (e.g. tenrec). Most protected species (such as lemurs and carnivorans) were interviewees’ least favoured wild meats. Given the lack of cultural affinity, and low preference for the consumption of most protected species, our results suggest that improving accessibility to domestic meat is a promising strategy for reducing the consumption of protected species.

ACS Style

Samuel D. Merson; Luke J. Dollar; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. Poverty not taste drives the consumption of protected species in Madagascar. Biodiversity and Conservation 2019, 28, 3669 -3689.

AMA Style

Samuel D. Merson, Luke J. Dollar, Paul J. Johnson, David W. Macdonald. Poverty not taste drives the consumption of protected species in Madagascar. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2019; 28 (13):3669-3689.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samuel D. Merson; Luke J. Dollar; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. 2019. "Poverty not taste drives the consumption of protected species in Madagascar." Biodiversity and Conservation 28, no. 13: 3669-3689.

Contributed paper
Published: 08 April 2019 in Conservation Biology
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Conservation planers need reliable information on spatial patterns of biodiversity. However, existing data sets are skewed because some ecosystems, taxa, and locations are underrepresented. We determined how many articles have been published in recent decades on the biodiversity of different countries and their constituent provinces. We searched the Web of Science catalogues SCI and SSCI for biodiversity‐related articles published from 1993 to 2016 that included country and province names. We combined data on research publication frequency with other provincial‐scale factors hypothesized to affect the likelihood of research activity (i.e., economic development, human presence, infrastructure, and remoteness). Areas that appeared understudied relative to the biodiversity expected based on site climate likely have been inaccessible to researchers for reasons, notably armed conflict. Geographic publication bias is of most concern in the most remote areas of sub‐Saharan Africa and South America. Our provincial‐scale model may help compensate for publication biases in conservation planning by revealing the spatial extent of research needs and the low cost of redoing this analysis annually. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

ACS Style

R. Hickisch; T. Hodgetts; P. J. Johnson; C. Sillero‐Zubiri; K. Tockner; D.W. Macdonald. Effects of publication bias on conservation planning. Conservation Biology 2019, 33, 1151 -1163.

AMA Style

R. Hickisch, T. Hodgetts, P. J. Johnson, C. Sillero‐Zubiri, K. Tockner, D.W. Macdonald. Effects of publication bias on conservation planning. Conservation Biology. 2019; 33 (5):1151-1163.

Chicago/Turabian Style

R. Hickisch; T. Hodgetts; P. J. Johnson; C. Sillero‐Zubiri; K. Tockner; D.W. Macdonald. 2019. "Effects of publication bias on conservation planning." Conservation Biology 33, no. 5: 1151-1163.

Correspondence
Published: 14 September 2018 in Conservation Letters
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ACS Style

Amy J. Dickman; Paul J. Johnson; Michael 't Sas-Rolfes; Enrico Di Minin; Andrew J. Loveridge; Caroline Good; Lovemore Sibanda; Ruth E. Feber; Lauren A. Harrington; Moreangels Mbizah; Alayne Cotterill; Dawn Burnham; David W. Macdonald. Is there an elephant in the room? A response to Batavia et al. Conservation Letters 2018, 12, e12603 .

AMA Style

Amy J. Dickman, Paul J. Johnson, Michael 't Sas-Rolfes, Enrico Di Minin, Andrew J. Loveridge, Caroline Good, Lovemore Sibanda, Ruth E. Feber, Lauren A. Harrington, Moreangels Mbizah, Alayne Cotterill, Dawn Burnham, David W. Macdonald. Is there an elephant in the room? A response to Batavia et al. Conservation Letters. 2018; 12 (1):e12603.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amy J. Dickman; Paul J. Johnson; Michael 't Sas-Rolfes; Enrico Di Minin; Andrew J. Loveridge; Caroline Good; Lovemore Sibanda; Ruth E. Feber; Lauren A. Harrington; Moreangels Mbizah; Alayne Cotterill; Dawn Burnham; David W. Macdonald. 2018. "Is there an elephant in the room? A response to Batavia et al." Conservation Letters 12, no. 1: e12603.

Journal article
Published: 05 July 2018 in Ecological Indicators
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Population monitoring of large carnivores, particularly in remote montane landscapes, represents a considerable conservation challenge. Occupancy modeling using repeated detection/non-detection surveys offers a practical and robust tool for assessments of this type. Sign surveys or photographic detections have been the two primary survey methods to inform occupancy models. However, these approaches are expensive to implement and resource-intensive. Thus, their applicability for assessing the distribution of rare large carnivores residing in inaccessible landscapes is limited, particularly when large scale species monitoring is desired. Here, our intent was to predict the occupancy of the endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) inhabiting the rugged mountains of northeastern Iran. Using a Bayesian occupancy modeling framework, we compared patterns of leopard occupancy derived from standardized monitoring data implemented using spatially-replicated sign surveys to those informed by citizen scientist observations. We found that leopard occupancy probability was comparable between the two survey methods (sign survey = 0.92, 95% CI 0.85–1 and citizen science = 0.94, 95% CI 0.88–1) though detection probability varied (sign survey = 0.52, 95% CI 0.46–0.58 and citizen science = 0.25, 95% CI 0.18–0.32). The magnitude of effect among the environmental covariates that predicted leopard occupancy probability was also similar for the two methods. Thus, while yielding comparable predictions, the citizen science approaches were half the cost of sign surveys. The implementation of the effective citizen scientist data enabled us to expand by two-fold the monitored area while halving the costs in comparison to the area investigated via sign surveys. Our paper demonstrates that citizen science surveys represent a cost-effective, reliable, and surprisingly overlooked means to efficiently assess occupancy, particularly for rare large carnivores inhabiting mountainous landscapes.

ACS Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia; Remington J. Moll; Robert A. Montgomery; Sohrab Ashrafi; Paul J. Johnson; Luke T.B. Hunter; David W. Macdonald. Citizen science data facilitate monitoring of rare large carnivores in remote montane landscapes. Ecological Indicators 2018, 94, 283 -291.

AMA Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia, Remington J. Moll, Robert A. Montgomery, Sohrab Ashrafi, Paul J. Johnson, Luke T.B. Hunter, David W. Macdonald. Citizen science data facilitate monitoring of rare large carnivores in remote montane landscapes. Ecological Indicators. 2018; 94 ():283-291.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia; Remington J. Moll; Robert A. Montgomery; Sohrab Ashrafi; Paul J. Johnson; Luke T.B. Hunter; David W. Macdonald. 2018. "Citizen science data facilitate monitoring of rare large carnivores in remote montane landscapes." Ecological Indicators 94, no. : 283-291.

Journal article
Published: 15 May 2018 in Journal of Mammalogy
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Mohammad S Farhadinia; Paul J Johnson; Luke T B Hunter; David W Macdonald. Persian leopard predation patterns and kill rates in the Iran–Turkmenistan borderland. Journal of Mammalogy 2018, 99, 713 -723.

AMA Style

Mohammad S Farhadinia, Paul J Johnson, Luke T B Hunter, David W Macdonald. Persian leopard predation patterns and kill rates in the Iran–Turkmenistan borderland. Journal of Mammalogy. 2018; 99 (3):713-723.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohammad S Farhadinia; Paul J Johnson; Luke T B Hunter; David W Macdonald. 2018. "Persian leopard predation patterns and kill rates in the Iran–Turkmenistan borderland." Journal of Mammalogy 99, no. 3: 713-723.

Mammalia
Published: 24 April 2018 in Zoology in the Middle East
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Intraspecific aggression is one of the most common causes of death in leopards. Here, we report four cases of intraspecific killing amongst Persian Leopards (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in Iran. A young male leopard was found on 7 June 2008 which, according to camera trap images, had been killed by an adult male over a Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) kill, with trauma to his neck in Dorfak No-Hunting Area. A young female that had been fitted with a satellite GPS collar on 6 December 2015 in Tandoureh National Park died on 29 January 2016 at a site where an Urial Sheep (Ovis orientalis) ram had been freshly killed. Necropsy results, footprints at the scene of death and camera trap footage all supported the deduction that the animal was killed by a larger female leopard at the kill site. On 13 January 2017, a young, partially eaten female leopard was found with double puncture on the side of her throat. Finally, a rehabilitated adult female fitted with a satellite GPS collar found on 19 December 2017 with a double puncture on her head with several trauma and haemorrhages on her back. These instances seem to be the first documented reports of intraspecific killing among free-ranging leopards in Asia.

ACS Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia; Hossein Alinezhad; Ehsan Hadipour; Iman Memarian; Stephane Ostrowski; Kaveh Hobeali; Amirhosein Dadashi-Jourdehi; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald; Luke T. B. Hunter. Intraspecific killing among Leopards (Panthera pardus) in Iran (Mammalia: Felidae). Zoology in the Middle East 2018, 64, 189 -194.

AMA Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia, Hossein Alinezhad, Ehsan Hadipour, Iman Memarian, Stephane Ostrowski, Kaveh Hobeali, Amirhosein Dadashi-Jourdehi, Paul J. Johnson, David W. Macdonald, Luke T. B. Hunter. Intraspecific killing among Leopards (Panthera pardus) in Iran (Mammalia: Felidae). Zoology in the Middle East. 2018; 64 (3):189-194.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohammad S. Farhadinia; Hossein Alinezhad; Ehsan Hadipour; Iman Memarian; Stephane Ostrowski; Kaveh Hobeali; Amirhosein Dadashi-Jourdehi; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald; Luke T. B. Hunter. 2018. "Intraspecific killing among Leopards (Panthera pardus) in Iran (Mammalia: Felidae)." Zoology in the Middle East 64, no. 3: 189-194.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2018 in Conservation Biology
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Consistency is widely believed to be a virtue. Some of the hottest fires of hell, according to Dante's Inferno, are reserved for those who transgress: the hypocrites. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

ACS Style

Amy Dickman; Craig Packer; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. A sideways look at conservation and consistency in tourism policy. Conservation Biology 2018, 32, 744 -746.

AMA Style

Amy Dickman, Craig Packer, Paul J. Johnson, David W. Macdonald. A sideways look at conservation and consistency in tourism policy. Conservation Biology. 2018; 32 (3):744-746.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amy Dickman; Craig Packer; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. 2018. "A sideways look at conservation and consistency in tourism policy." Conservation Biology 32, no. 3: 744-746.

Book
Published: 18 January 2018 in Giant otters: using knowledge of life history for conservation
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The giant otter is an endangered South American carnivore with a facultatively cooperative social system that may be affected by local ecology. This chapter synthesises demographic data arising from a 16 year study of a population inhabiting patchily distributed and resource-rich oxbow lakes in the floodplain of Manu National Park, in the Department of Madre de Dios, Peru. It explores how giant otter group size and composition relates to territory size, and how reproductive success is affected by territory quality. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the implications of these findings for giant otter conservation in southeastern Peru, in the face of increased human/giant otter conflict; tourism; and mining, logging and agricultural pressures, and highlights the need for a giant otter habitat conservation corridor along the Madre de Dios River.

ACS Style

Jessica Groenendijk; Frank Hajek; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. Giant otters: using knowledge of life history for conservation. Giant otters: using knowledge of life history for conservation 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Jessica Groenendijk, Frank Hajek, Paul J. Johnson, David W. Macdonald. Giant otters: using knowledge of life history for conservation. Giant otters: using knowledge of life history for conservation. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jessica Groenendijk; Frank Hajek; Paul J. Johnson; David W. Macdonald. 2018. "Giant otters: using knowledge of life history for conservation." Giant otters: using knowledge of life history for conservation , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 23 October 2017 in Mammal Review
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We utilise a volunteer survey recording roadkills between 2001 and 2011 to examine the factors affecting hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus abundance and decline. Hedgehogs were most abundant in the North and East of England and in Scotland, regions characterised by low badger numbers. Hedgehogs selected arable land and urban areas relative to their availability. Badger Meles meles and fox Vulpes vulpes abundance were negatively associated with hedgehog abundance at the 10 km2 scale. At the county level, foxes were positively associated with hedgehog numbers and badgers negatively associated. The mechanism behind the relationships between hedgehogs and badgers and foxes merits further investigation.

ACS Style

Carly E. Pettett; Paul J. Johnson; Tom P. Moorhouse; David W. Macdonald. National predictors of hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus distribution and decline in Britain. Mammal Review 2017, 48, 1 -6.

AMA Style

Carly E. Pettett, Paul J. Johnson, Tom P. Moorhouse, David W. Macdonald. National predictors of hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus distribution and decline in Britain. Mammal Review. 2017; 48 (1):1-6.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carly E. Pettett; Paul J. Johnson; Tom P. Moorhouse; David W. Macdonald. 2017. "National predictors of hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus distribution and decline in Britain." Mammal Review 48, no. 1: 1-6.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2017 in Mammal Review
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What does trophy hunting (selective hunting for recreation) contribute to wild lion conservation? Macdonald (Report on Lion Conservation with Particular Respect to the Issue of Trophy Hunting. WildCRU, Oxford, UK, 2016) summarises what we know. We identify unknowns, gaps in the knowledge that inhibit conservation planning, including: the causes of lion mortality, the amount of land used for lion trophy hunting, the extent to which trophy hunting depends on lions for financial viability, and the vulnerability of areas used for hunting to conversion to land not used for wildlife, if trophy hunting ceased. The cost of reversing biodiversity loss exceeds income from tourism, including hunting. New financial models are needed, particularly in view of the expanding human population in Africa.

ACS Style

David W. Macdonald; Andrew J. Loveridge; Amy Dickman; Paul J. Johnson; Kim S. Jacobsen; Byron Du Preez. Lions, trophy hunting and beyond: knowledge gaps and why they matter. Mammal Review 2017, 47, 247 -253.

AMA Style

David W. Macdonald, Andrew J. Loveridge, Amy Dickman, Paul J. Johnson, Kim S. Jacobsen, Byron Du Preez. Lions, trophy hunting and beyond: knowledge gaps and why they matter. Mammal Review. 2017; 47 (4):247-253.

Chicago/Turabian Style

David W. Macdonald; Andrew J. Loveridge; Amy Dickman; Paul J. Johnson; Kim S. Jacobsen; Byron Du Preez. 2017. "Lions, trophy hunting and beyond: knowledge gaps and why they matter." Mammal Review 47, no. 4: 247-253.

Journal article
Published: 28 June 2017 in Royal Society Open Science
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The tendency for sexual size dimorphism (SSD) to increase with body mass in taxa where males are larger, and to decrease when females are larger, is known as Rensch's rule. In mammals, where the trend occurs, it is believed to be the result of a competitive advantage for larger males, while female mass is constrained by the energetics of reproduction. Here, we examine the allometry of SSD within the Felidae and Canidae, demonstrating distinctly different patterns: in felids, there is positive allometric scaling, while there is no trend in canids. We hypothesize that feeding ecology, via its effect on female spacing patterns, is responsible for the difference; larger male mass may be advantageous only where females are dispersed such that males can defend access to them. This is supported by the observation that felids are predominately solitary, and all are obligate carnivores. Similarly, carnivorous canids are more sexually dimorphic than insectivores and omnivores, but carnivory does not contribute to a Rensch effect as dietary variation occurs across the mass spectrum. The observed inter-familial differences are also consistent with reduced constraints on female mass in the canids, where litter size increases with body mass, versus no observable allometry in the felids.

ACS Style

P. J. Johnson; M. J. Noonan; Andrew Kitchener; L. A. Harrington; C. Newman; D. W. Macdonald. Rensching cats and dogs: feeding ecology and fecundity trends explain variation in the allometry of sexual size dimorphism. Royal Society Open Science 2017, 4, 170453 -170453.

AMA Style

P. J. Johnson, M. J. Noonan, Andrew Kitchener, L. A. Harrington, C. Newman, D. W. Macdonald. Rensching cats and dogs: feeding ecology and fecundity trends explain variation in the allometry of sexual size dimorphism. Royal Society Open Science. 2017; 4 (6):170453-170453.

Chicago/Turabian Style

P. J. Johnson; M. J. Noonan; Andrew Kitchener; L. A. Harrington; C. Newman; D. W. Macdonald. 2017. "Rensching cats and dogs: feeding ecology and fecundity trends explain variation in the allometry of sexual size dimorphism." Royal Society Open Science 4, no. 6: 170453-170453.