Maximizing the spread of conservation initiatives in social networks

Abstract

AbstractConservation programs and policies can preserve biodiversity and boost ecosystem services, but only when widely adopted. While thousands of conservation initiatives exist globally, most fail to spread beyond a few initial adopters. Here, we use network science to (1) determine the topology and structure of two networks of conservation actors (one regional, one national), (2) identify influential individuals in those networks, and (3) test whether the adoption of a conservation initiative by influential individuals could increase the spread of that initiative across the network. We find that initial adoption by influential individuals results in sharp improvements in the total number of adopters of a conservation initiative network‐wide, particularly when a linear threshold diffusion model is used. Under an independent cascade diffusion model, the benefits of targeting influencers are smaller but still substantial. These benefits occurred in both networks despite very different network structures: the regional network resembles a random network comprised mostly of state agencies and local entities, while the national network has a scale‐free structure with highly influential hubs of federal agency and NGO entities. Given that many conservation programs fail to reach critical mass, our findings highlight the importance of strategically targeting influential individuals to boost the spread of conservation initiatives.