The social context for conservation: Amphibians in human shaped landscapes with high nature values

Abstract

Many human-shaped landscapes have high natural and cultural values and support viable amphibian populations. The challenges and approaches required to achieve the persistence of amphibians in such landscapes are clearly different from approaches commonly applied in protected areas. Contrary to protected areas or natural landscapes, where amphibian conservationists can have direct control over management, in human-shaped landscapes, management options must incorporate local communities’ values and socio-economic aspirations. However, consideration of the social aspects of amphibian conservation are not well represented in the amphibian conservation literature. Here, we propose that amphibian conservationists should: (i) assess the controllability of their management actions for achieving long-term sustainability; (ii) understand the values and attitudes of landowners towards amphibians, as well as amphibian-friendly practices (local scale) and land stewardship forms on which amphibian conservation initiatives can be built (landscape scale); and, (iii) understand the social and economic drivers of land-use, which is crucial for building adaptive potential in conservation programs. Since targeted amphibian conservation initiatives are limited in human-shaped landscapes, focus on the broader socio-economic context conducive to amphibian persistence is crucial.