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Managing game species suffering population declines demands effective harvest regulation to allow for species recovery. Striking a balance is crucial to ensure that regulations are not perceived as unfair impositions, potentially leading to non-compliance issues. The European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur) is a unique example of such conservation conflict, marked by a temporary moratorium of its hunting in the western European countries in 2021, maintained in subsequent years. Exploring the views of turtle-dove hunters is critical for predicting the acceptability of regulatory measures. Here we explored the preferences and perceptions of Spanish hunters regarding policy changes in European turtle-dove hunting. Specifically, we first investigated hunters' views on the current moratorium and then, using a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE), we assessed their preferences for future management scenarios regarding species recovery and its hunting. The findings revealed heterogeneous perceptions among hunters surveyed about the species' population trends and the procedures to be followed if hunting was reopened in the future (in particular, about who should hunt if small quotas would not allow hunting to occur in all hunting estates), but an overall rejection of the moratorium. The DCE showed that their most favored management option was hunting return in the medium term, and conservation efforts to be carried out across all European and African countries in the migration route. We conclude that transnational cooperative strategies that balance species recovery and science-based hunting regulations are required to achieve a transition to more effective and accepted conservation efforts.

Land abandonment together with the development of stronger conservation policies have favored the expansion of some wildlife species across Europe. This has led to increasing human-wildlife interactions, which are often conflictive, potentially harming both people livelihood and wildlife conservation. A paradigmatic example of conflicts over increasing wildlife species occurs when carnivores are involved. Assessing the human dimension of carnivore expansion is challenging if coexistence between human and carnivore species is sought. To date most studies on this topic have focused on large carnivores, whereas the expansion of mesocarnivores has received much less attention in the literature. Here, we explored the case of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumnon) in central Spain, its north-eastern range edge. This is the only mongoose species naturally occurring in Europe; in particular, it is distributed throughout most Portugal and south-western Spain, and their populations are expanding to the north-east of Spain. The mongoose preys on small-game species, which often leads to complaints from hunters about its presence. We assessed hunters and non-hunters views on the expansion of the Egyptian mongoose through online questionnaires. Our aims included: 1) assessing participants’ attitudes towards the natural expansion of the species; 2) analyzing their perception on the potential benefits and negative impacts of the occurrence of the mongoose; 3) evaluating potential conflicts between hunters and non-hunters regarding mongoose perceived impacts; 4) studying participants’ preferences over different potential management scenarios of mongoose expansion; 5) assessing attitudes towards different management tools to either favor mongoose expansion, or to halt it or, at least, to slow it down. Our results revealed that nearly all (>90%) hunters were against mongoose expansion. When we asked them about different potential management actions to stop mongoose expansion, mo

Renewable energy policies contribute to solving some of the current environmental challenges, such as climate change mitigation and decarbonization, and people around the world are usually willing to pay for a greater presence of renewable energies. That willingness to pay (WTP) can be translated into a gain in social well-being. But not all renewables are equally valued, nor do all people experience the same gain in terms of well-being. Over the last 25 years, many choice experiments have focused on analyzing social preferences for different external effects associated with renewables. This article presents a meta-analysis of choice experiments to examine the evidence on WTP for renewable energies. We examined 63 articles across 28 countries, with a total sample of 52,948 participants and 84,821 observations. We used three econometric approaches (Generalized Least Squares, Weighted Least Squares, and a Panel Data Model) to estimate the willingness to pay of households for renewables around the world. Results show that the promotion of renewable energies is socially demanded, with an average minimum WTP of between €113 and €124 per household per year. The results also show that onshore wind farms are the preferred renewable energy source for electricity generation, whereas people are more reluctant about offshore wind in comparison with other renewable technologies. Finally, some geographic patterns are found, with people from Asia and southern Europe showing, respectively, a lower and higher willingness to pay for renewable energies

Esta ponencia trata de transferir los resultados de un trabajo recientemente publicado en Joumal of Environmental Management (Volume 331, 1 April 2023, 117236). Nuestro objetivo era estimar el apoyo y las preferencias del público general de varios países europeos sobre algunos principios básicos de gestión de la vida silvestre, que pueden ser útiles para informar a los responsables de la toma de decisiones de la UE. Se realizó un experimento de elección discreta con 2.415 habitantes de seis países europeos (España, Francia, Italia, Reino Unido, Alemania y Suecia), incluyendo residentes de zonas rurales (47% de los encuestados) y urbanas. Nuestros resultados revelaron un patrón claro en toda Europa occidental, con tendencias similares a lo largo de los países estudiados, e incluso entre ciudadanos rurales y urbanos, sobre algunos principios básicos de gestión de la fauna. Según nuestra encuesta, los pagos por servicios ambientales contribuyen a lograr un mayor bienestar de los ciudadanos europeos en cualquiera de los posibles programas de vida silvestre considerados, lo que sugiere que es una herramienta aceptable para repartir fondos para la conservación de la biodiversidad. Además, se prefiere la gestión de especies escasas a la de especies demasiado abundantes; se prioriza la gestión en hábitats forestales, agrícolas y acuáticos a la de paisajes urbanos; y se prefiere la gestión en zonas protegidas a la de zonas no protegidas. Estos resultados sugieren que existe una cultura común en Europa en relación con la gestión de la fauna. En general, este estudio puede ayudar a diseñar políticas de gestión de la fauna salvaje que maximicen la aceptabilidad social y obtengan un mayor apoyo

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 sets out a framework of commitments and actions to tackle the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Such framework needs to be built on a whole-of-society approach to biodiversity protection, mobilizing private and public funding. In this context, our goal was estimating societal support and preferences about some basic wildlife management principles, which may be useful to inform EU decision-makers about societal priorities and other additional funding sources for wildlife conservation. A discrete choice experiment was conducted by 2415 inhabitants in six European countries (Spain, France, Italy, UK, Germany, Sweden), including residents in both rural (47% of respondents) and urban areas. Our findings reveal a clear pattern across western Europe with similar trends along the studied countries, and even between rural and urban citizens, on some basic wildlife management principles. According to our survey, payments for environmental services contribute to achieving a higher well-being from European citizens in any of the prospective wildlife programs considered, which suggests it is an acceptable tool to share out funds for biodiversity conservation. In addition, managing scarce species is preferred over managing too abundant species; management in forest, agricultural and aquatic habitats is prioritized over that in urban landscapes; and management in protected areas is preferred over management in non-protected ones. These findings suggest that there is a common culture in Europe related to the management of wildlife even when considering citizens with contrasted ways of life: rural vs urban citizens from northern to southwestern Europe. Overall, this study may help in the design of wildlife management policies that maximize societal acceptability and gather higher support.

In a scenario of global change, with increasing temperatures and extreme climatic events, healthy forests are at risk. Forests have to fight several types of biotic and abiotic stress. Prospective scenarios warn of the negative effects that forests will suffer in upcoming decades (drought, fires, pests, diseases, etc.), consequently making it necessary to implement actions that can not only prevent the attack of biotic agents such as fungi and insects but also improve the resilience of forest systems. Such warning scenarios transcend the scientific sphere, and as such, Spanish society has previously expressed considerable concern about the appearance of pests and diseases caused by biotic agents. This article therefore analyzes the social preferences for pest and disease mitigation programs in Spanish forests. A discrete choice experiment was consequently carried out, and the willingness to pay was estimated for various characteristics of mitigation programs. The results show that society positively values these programs, mainly when they are applied in relatively nearby forests, when they are targeted at mixed forests, and when there is low uncertainty about their effectiveness. Conversely, the self-management of subsidies by forest owners is rejected, with a preference for funds being managed by regional public authorities.

Air pollution is one of the most severe environmental problems that Mexico is currently facing. The objective of this paper is to quantify the most relevant socioeconomic driving forces behind air polluting emissions and, more specifically, 7 local pollutants in Mexico. We do so in a multilevel version of the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) model that accounts for the spatial heterogeneity at the municipal level across the country. The results show that the most relevant variables to determine the emissions of atmospheric pollutants are the population, the harvested area and the number of cars, while technological development helps to mitigate such emissions. The ecological elasticities are, in all cases, smaller than one. Our purpose is to provide quantitative information about these socioeconomic driving forces of air deterioration as a basis to establish some recommendations for environmental policy decision-making

The demand for quality wild fungi has been continually increasing over the past few years. However, problems arise when modelling this demand, owing to the difficulty of finding precise data on their origin or value chain. Nor is there any reliable information on the preferences of consumers; therefore, in this work, we aimed to analyse the influence of internet search engines on the demand for porcini mushrooms, a highly appreciated wild fungus. For this purpose, weekly figures for their prices and the amounts sold over nine years in one of the main central markets in Spain have been recorded for diverse wild (porcini, saffron milk caps, and king oyster mushrooms) and cultivated fungi., Postprint (published version)

The demand for quality wild fungi has been continually increasing over the past few years. However, problems arise when modelling this demand, owing to the difficulty of finding precise data on their origin or value chain. Nor is there any reliable information on the preferences of consumers; therefore, in this work, we aimed to analyse the influence of internet search engines on the demand for porcini mushrooms, a highly appreciated wild fungus. For this purpose, weekly figures for their prices and the amounts sold over nine years in one of the main central markets in Spain have been recorded for diverse wild (porcini, saffron milk caps, and king oyster mushrooms) and cultivated fungi. In addition, for the same period, searches for wild mushrooms using Google Trends and Google search engines were analysed. The results show that these searches improve the classic demand model, presenting different signs with regard to their influence on the price of the mushroom analysed. An increase in searches over time was also verified, which could be considered as an indicator of an increase in demand. Lastly, no complementarity relationships or substitutions for any other emblematic mushroom in Spain (saffron milk caps), or for any cultivated fungi, were observed

Public surveys can be valuable tools to collect information on wildlife distribution. Our objective was to improve the knowledge on the distribution and expanding areas of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) in central Spain by using an on-line questionnaire to hunters. We assessed the reliability of information that hunters provided by comparing it with reports from wildlife professionals. Our results show a high overall congruence but significantly different information provided by hunters and professionals on the distribution of the Egyptian mongoose, suggesting that both sources provide unique data for the management of non-game species. For example, hunters reported greater mongoose presence than professionals in areas to the east of Toledo and Ciudad Real provinces, for the whole distribution and core area of the species, suggesting that hunters could help to detect other areas where the species exists. Overall, our findings stress the importance of engaging hunters in wildlife conservation, as they can share valuable information on wildlife species, including those that are not hunted.

Land use changes and conservation policies have led to the recovery of some wildlife populations in Europe. In this context, understanding people’s attitudes and perception towards returning wildlife species may be important to minimize human-wildlife conflicts and to promote coexistence. This is particularly evident in the case of carnivores, whose recovery may lead to strong conflicts between advocates and opponents of those species. In accordance with this, researchers are increasingly paying attention to the social aspects of the recovery of carnivores. A paradigmatic case is the passive restoration of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) in the Iberian Peninsula. In turn, hunters often complain of the presence of this carnivore species, as it preys on small game species. To improve the understanding of the human dimension of mongoose expansion, an online survey was carried out with hunters (n= 885) in the autonomous communities of Andalucia, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha. In particular, the main objective of this survey was assessing hunters’ attitudes regarding the passive restoration of the Egyptian mongoose and their preferences about the species’ management. Our results revealed that hunters mostly opposed (95.9%) to passive restoration of the Egyptian mongoose. Accordingly, most of them believed that some management should be carried out to avoid its expansion. Hunters mostly selected management measures with stronger impact on the species and carried out by hunters themselves (90.6%). Hunter’s negative perception of the Egyptian mongoose was generalized, but the analysis of the decision tree (CHAID tree-Chi-square automatic interaction detection) showed indeed subtle differences depending on the region, legal regulation and the species presence. Given the expansion dynamic experienced by the Egyptian mongoose during the last decades, environmental managers should not neglect human-mongoose conflict if they want to seek their coexistence

Due to land use and climate change, human-wildlife interactions rise, often leading to conflicts, especially with carnivores. Understanding social perceptions of expanding carnivore species is crucial to reduce the associated potential conflicts. Through an online survey we assessed the perceived impacts (both positive and negative) of hunters and non-hunters (both residents in Castilla-La Mancha, central Spain) in relation to the expanding Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon). We then used the Potential Conflict Index (PCI2) to detect the degree of intra- and inter- group consensus (hunters and non-hunters). PCI2 values range from 0 to 1: smaller values (closer to 0) indicate a high consensus within a group; whereas values approaching 1 identify greater intra-group potential for conflict. Overall, hunters were more in agreement with potential negative impacts of mongooses, namely for the ecosystems and rural economy. On the contrary, non-hunters mostly agreed with the potential beneficial impacts associated with the mongoose. Looking at the level of agreement within groups, we found that hunters’ highest consensus (PCI2= 0.07) was obtained regarding the perception that mongoose did not increase tourism; whereas the lowest consensus (PCI2= 0.50) referred to the impact of attacks on livestock. In contrast, among non-hunter, there was a high level of consensus (PCI2= 0.19) regarding mongoose’s contribution to biodiversity conservation, while the lowest consensus (PCI2= 0.44) was related to its impact on attacking pets. Based on our findings, we suggest designing targeted information campaigns to increase residents’ (including hunters) awareness about the species occurring in their territories, and, importantly, to explain them how such species may affect the ecosystems and rural livelihood. Furthermore, our study stresses the usefulness of the PCI2 to visually assess disagreement in perceptions among different social groups about expanding mesocarnivores

En Europa existen cada vez más programas de gestión de fauna. Idealmente, las medidas de gestión de fauna silvestre deben basarse en conocimiento experto y contar con suficiente apoyo social. Por este motivo es importante conocer las percepciones y preferencias sobre este tema tanto de los expertos como del público general. En este estudio comparamos dichas percepciones y preferencias de ambos grupos mediante un cuestionario on-line realizado en 2021 a una muestra representativa de la sociedad española (n= 400) en términos de edad, género y área de residencia, y a una muestra de los asistentes (n= 98) al XV congreso de la SECEM, que consideramos como expertos en fauna silvestre. Al inicio del cuestionario los participantes tenían que indicar en qué medida estaban de acuerdo con una serie de afirmaciones sobre los mamíferos y las aves y su gestión. A continuación se realizó un experimento de elección discreta en el que los participantes tenían que elegir su programa de gestión de mamíferos y aves preferido entre varias opciones que diferían en relación al valor cualitativo de una serie de atributos, así como en su coste. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los participantes de ambos grupos son conscientes de los impactos negativos de las actividades humanas sobre la fauna, con mayor preocupación del grupo de expertos. Prácticamente todos los expertos están de acuerdo con que debería haber más programas de seguimiento de especies, algo con lo que también concuerdan dos tercios del público general. Se valora mejor la gestión de especies en declive que la de especies muy abundantes que causan daños, particularmente entre los expertos. Estos últimos valoran con mayor intensidad la gestión en ecosistemas acuáticos, siendo indiferentes sobre que la gestión se haga en territorios con mayor o menor grado de protección. Por el contrario, el público general valora mejor la gestión en espacios protegidos, priorizando los ecosistemas forestales. Finalmente, el diseño de p

Zoonotic emerging diseases (ZEDs) are increasing and may deeply impact human wellbeing, but our recent survey of public opinion in six European countries (n = 2415 participants) suggests a low concern among Europeans about the risk associated with ZEDs. This contrasts with Europeans’ high awareness of climate change risks, which was confirmed by our survey. Given the increasing risk of ZEDs, it is therefore essential to increase Europeans’ awareness of their impacts. In addition, our study suggests that Europeans may be more likely to support sustainable environmental policies that would reduce the risk associated with ZEDs, consequently improving the human wellbeing

Conflicts derived from the proactive management of ecosystems and wildlife populations abound in national parks, which can prevent the control of some animal populations, consequently causing negative effects to the ecological values and creating health risks for the ecosystems. This work quantifies a conflict related to population control of the Iberian ibex in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in Spain where ecological values and health risks are at stake. A discrete choice experiment was conducted of three population samples: 430 on-site visitors, 210 off-site visitors and 210 non-visitors, and two levels of status quo information were considered. The results show that not conducting any ibex management program in the park causes a loss of social well-being and that the design of the management program is shown to be relevant for obtaining greater or lesser acceptance by the surveyed population. In general, better ecological and health levels, as well as avoiding having to kill animals in the park, increase a program's acceptance. Management measures are also shown to take on greater importance to the extent that the results in the health and ecological indicators are worse. Finally, in aggregate terms, additional information about the status quo did not generate major differences in the estimates of a change of well-being.

Natural corridors are essential components of wildlife conservation but, when human-wildlife conflicts emerge, the participation of local communities becomes imperative to ensure their efficacy and long-term persistence. Therefore, local people initiatives and commitments (community-based strategies) promoting human-wildlife coexistence are urgently needed especially in African natural corridors dominated by elephants (Loxodonta africana). Wildlife rangers represent skilled technical staff who are involved in the monitoring and protection of wildlife but also in promoting human-wildlife coexistence and community awareness. They are the closest conservation staff to local communities and have broad experience in dealing with elephants around the villages. Therefore, collecting and recognizing the knowledge of wildlife rangers on the suitability of possible local solutions could contribute to the successful planning and implementation of human elephant mitigation measures at farmer level. This study aims to quantify wildlife rangers' preferences for community-based strategies to increase human-elephant coexistence in the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor (Southern Tanzania). In particular, we evaluated wildlife rangers' preferences regarding three attributes: local farm-based mitigation measures, the implication of technical support in the implementation of those measures and the preferred level of cooperation in the local community for that implementation. In 2019, we conducted a discrete choice experiment by interviewing 63 wildlife rangers (41% of the total rangers working along the corridor). Results showed that the most preferred management strategy included building chili-oil fences by farmers cooperating at community level and technically supported by external institutions. Other strategies considered were (in decreasing order of importance) crop species selection, beehive fences, crop translocation, cooperation in small groups, and the use of noisemakers. The di