Dear Maan Congrats on the publication. Will it be possible to send me a full pdf of the same? Rajkmal
On Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 8:29 PM, Maan Barua <[email protected]> wrote: > ** > > > Dear folks, > > Apologies for cross-posting. We've recently published a paper on > selecting invertebrate flagship species in Biodiversity and Conservation > (abstract pasted below). The paper looks at how butterflies perform in > relation to other potential invertebrate taxa, and it also devises a set of > heuristic guidelines for selecting invertebrate flagships. > > The paper is likely to be of interest to group members, especially those > working on butterfly conservation and public outreach. The DOI of the > paper is included below; if you don't have access to journals, then let me > know and I might have a few pdfs lying around. > > Best wishes, > Maan Barua > > > > Selecting flagships for invertebrate conservation > > Maan Barua <http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Maan+Barua>, Daniel > J. Gurdak <http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Daniel+J.+Gurdak>, > Riyaz > Akhtar > Ahmed<http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Riyaz+Akhtar+Ahmed>and Jatin > Tamuly <http://www.springerlink.com/content/?Author=Jatin+Tamuly> > Biodiversity and Conservation<http://www.springerlink.com/content/0960-3115/> > DOI: 10.1007/s10531-012-0257-7 > Online First™ > ** > *Abstract* > Invertebrates have a low public profile and are seriously underrepresented > in global conservation efforts. The promotion of flagship species is one > way to generate interest in invertebrate conservation. Butterflies are > frequently labeled invertebrate flagships, but clear definitions of the > conservation actions they are meant to catalyze, and empirical assessments > of their popularity amongst non-Western audiences are lacking. To improve > the use of invertebrate flagships, we examine how butterflies compare with > other taxa in terms of popularity. We then identify characteristics of > individual species that are appealing and explore whether these may be used > to derive a set of guidelines for selecting invertebrate flagships. We > conducted questionnaire-based surveys amongst two target audiences: rural > residents (*n* = 255) and tourists (*n* = 105) in northeast India. > Invertebrates that were aesthetically appealing, or those that provided > material benefits or ecological services were liked. Butterflies were the > most popular group for both audiences, followed by dragonflies, honeybees > and earthworms. A combination of large size and bright colours led to high > popularity of individual species, whilst butterflies with unique features > were liked by tourists but not rural residents. These results provide > empirical evidence that butterflies appeal to diverse audiences and have > the potential to be deployed as flagships in different contexts. However, > prior to promoting invertebrate flagships, their intended uses need to be > specified. Here we define an invertebrate flagship as an invertebrate > species or group that resonates with a target audience and stimulates > awareness, funding, research and policy support for the conservation of > invertebrate diversity. In conclusion we outline a set of heuristic > guidelines for selecting flagships to raise awareness of invertebrate > diversity and conservation. > > *Keywords* Biodiversity – Butterflies – Conservation – Flagship species – > Insects – Invertebrates – Public perceptions > > URL: http://www.springerlink.com/content/x33n768p3872n56t/ > > > > > -- Rajkamal -- Enjoy
