Dear BERGers and SHAIRers,
Our seminar this Wednesday 18 October 4-5pm in the Psychology Common Room (Cottrell,
C3A94) and
hybrid<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3a9823d93069124396a7…
(link to join the online meeting
here<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3a9823d93069124396a7a4…)
will be given by Toryn Whitehead - details below. Everyone is welcome and postgraduate
students are encouraged to attend. If you would like to join us for dinner with the
speaker afterwards, please let me
(clare.andrews@stir.ac.uk<mailto:clare.andrews@stir.ac.uk>) know (by Wednesday
morning) - all are welcome!
Toryn Whitehead, King's College London
Planning for large carnivore coexistence in Scotland: A shifting baseline syndrome
perspective
Abstract:
1. The extirpation of large carnivores (LCs) from Scotland has had far reaching social
and ecological implications. In the absence of LCs, burgeoning wild ungulate populations
and extensive livestock grazing systems have drastically altered landscapes. Historical
land-use changes, such as during the Highland Clearances, depopulated and further dewilded
landscapes to eradicate 'backwardness' and produce highly concentrated patterns of
private land ownership.
2. Co-occurring with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and growing support for a
nature positive vision for Scotland, reintroducing LCs has been flagged as a powerful
intervention to combat the biodiversity crisis by conservation NGOs. But efforts to
reintroduce LCs are controversial and highly contested, with the competing values and
objectives of stakeholders often unable to find common ground.
3. We draw on the academic literature, popular media, and policy documents to consider
the potential reintroduction of the Eurasian lynx and wolf in Scotland through a shifting
baseline syndrome lens to review the social, psychological, cultural, ecological, and
economic factors influencing their reintroduction.
4. Lynxes and wolves are biologically extinct but societally extant in Scotland. We
argue that the lack of precise data about the impacts of LCs and the loss of lived
interactions and experiences has resulted in the cultural transformation of these species
to varying degrees. Vicarious experiences such as folklore and pop culture have become
societally predominant, enabling myths and wishful thinking about wolves in particular to
proliferate.
5. Our review develops novel and innovative thinking about how visions for the Scottish
landscape, with or without LCs, could help achieve livelihood, biodiversity, and carbon
aspirations. We make several recommendations that could contribute to bridging knowledge
gaps and moving from conflict to tolerance. Most importantly, to prioritise and empower
local communities through policy and conservation decision-making processes to ensure that
any transition is socially just and economically feasible.
The upcoming BERG programme is
here<https://stir-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/ac112_stir_ac_uk/EQ3i…yL>.
Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday!
Clare
Students: book to talk with me
here<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/PsychologyY1PersonalTute…s/>.
Dr Clare Andrews (preferred pronouns: she/her) MA, MSc, DPhil, FHEA
Lecturer in Psychology and Course Director for MSc/MA Human-Animal Interaction
Psychology Division
University of Stirling
Stirling
FK9 4LA
ResearchGate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Clare_Andrews>
Twitter<https://twitter.com/clarepandrews?lang=en>
My working days are Monday to Friday. I aim to read and respond to email within 3 working
days, but during busy periods my response may take longer. I check my emails at varying
times of day and I do not expect an immediate response from my correspondents.
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