The positive impact of conservation action.

Governments recently adopted new global targets to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. It is therefore crucial to understand the outcomes of conservation actions. We conducted a global meta-analysis of 186 studies (including 665 trials) that measured biodiversity over time and compared outcomes under conservation action with a suitable counterfactual of no action. We find that in two-thirds of cases, conservation either improved the state of biodiversity or at least slowed declines. Specifically, we find that interventions targeted at species and ecosystems, such as invasive species control, habitat loss reduction and restoration, protected areas, and sustainable management, are highly effective and have large effect sizes. This provides the strongest evidence to date that conservation actions are successful but require transformational scaling up to meet global targets.

What motivates the masses: Understanding why people contribute to conservation citizen science projects.

Participation in conservation citizen science projects is growing rapidly and approaches to project design are diversifying. There has been a recent shift towards projects characterised by contributors collecting data in isolation and submitting findings online, with little training or opportunities for direct social interaction with other citizen scientists. While research is emerging on developing citizen science projects by optimising technological modalities, little consideration has been given to understanding what motivates individuals to voluntarily contribute data. Here, we use the Volunteer Functions Inventory, combined with open-ended questions, to demonstrate that the two strongest motivations underpinning participation, for both individuals who contribute data systematically (regularly; n = 177) and opportunistically (ad hoc basis; n = 218), are 'Values' and 'Understanding'. People take part in such projects because they have an intrinsic value for the environment and want to support research efforts (representing 'Values'), as well as wanting to learn and gain knowledge (signifying 'Understanding'). Unlike more traditional citizen science projects that involve specific training and considerable time investments, contributors to these newer types of project are not motivated by the potential to develop their career or opportunities for social interaction. The person-level characteristics of contributors considered in this study did not reliably forecast levels of motivation, suggesting that predicting high levels of motivation is inherently more complex than is often speculated. We recommend avenues for future research that may further enhance our understanding of contributor motivations and the characteristics that may underpin levels of motivation.

Network analysis of a stakeholder community combatting illegal wildlife trade.

The illegal wildlife trade has emerged as a growing and urgent environmental issue. Stakeholders involved in the efforts to curb wildlife trafficking include nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academia, and state government and enforcement bodies. The extent to which these stakeholders work and communicate among each other is fundamental to effectively combatting illicit trade. Using the United Kingdom as a case study, we used a social network analysis and semistructured interviews of stakeholders to assess communication relationships in the counter wildlife trafficking community. The NGOs consistently occupied 4 of the 5 most central positions in the generated networks, whereas academic institutions routinely occupied 4 of the 5 most peripheral positions. However, NGOs were the least diverse in their communication practices compared with the other stakeholder groups. Stakeholders identified personal relationships as the most important aspect of functioning communication. Participant insights also showed that stakeholder-specific variables (e.g., ethical and confidentiality concerns), competition, and fundraising can have a confounding effect on intercommunication. Evaluating communication networks and intrastakeholder communication trends is essential to creating cohesive, productive, and efficient responses to the challenges of combatting illegal wildlife trade. Article impact statement: Communication among those combatting illegal wildlife trade is confounded by stakeholder variables (ethics, confidentiality), competition, and fundraising.

Análisis de las Redes de una Comunidad de Activistas que Combate al Mercado Ilegal de Fauna Resumen El mercado ilegal de fauna ha emergido como un tema ambiental creciente y urgente. Los actores involucrados en los esfuerzos por detener el tráfico de fauna incluyen a las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONGs), los académicos y a los cuerpos estatales de gobierno y aplicación de la ley. El grado hasta el que estos accionistas trabajen y se comuniquen entre sí es fundamental para combatir efectivamente el mercado ilícito. Con el Reino Unido como estudio de caso, usamos un análisis de redes sociales y entrevistas semiestructuradas con los actores para evaluar las relaciones de comunicación dentro de la comunidad que combate el tráfico de fauna. Las ONGs ocuparon sistemáticamente cuatro de las cinco posiciones más centrales en las redes generadas, mientras que las instituciones académicas ocuparon rutinariamente cuatro de las cinco posiciones más periféricas. Sin embargo, las ONGs fueron las menos diversas con sus prácticas de comunicación en comparación con los otros grupos de actores. Los actores identificaron a las relaciones personales como el aspecto más importante de la comunicación funcional. La percepción de los participantes también mostró que las variables específicas por accionista (p. ej.: preocupaciones éticas y de confidencialidad), la competencia y la captación de fondos pueden tener un efecto confuso sobre la intercomunicación. La evaluación de las tendencias en las redes de comunicación y la comunicación entre accionistas es esencial para la creación de respuestas cohesivas, productivas y eficientes ante los obstáculos que presenta el combate al comercio ilegal de fauna.