Biol875 Contemporary Conservation: Conservation Biology Assessment Answers

Conservation Biology in the Media Report

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

• Describe theoretical concepts in conservation biology and current conservation issues in Australia and abroad
• Evaluate literature on conservation issues within peer-reviewed scientific articles and their representation within the written media
• Demonstrate a capacity for undertaking literature-based research into key topics in conservation biology and synthesising the current state-of-knowledge

The media often reports scientific results and discoveries in mis-informed or misleading ways, in the interests of capturing reader attention or other motive. This occurs across many fields in science, but is also frequently the case in conservation biology. As scientists, it is important that we recognise when the media may be misrepresenting other’s work, or omitting certain aspects of results to tell a ‘clear’ story. As conservation biologists we can be confronted with this, and therefore must learn to highlight discrepancies and learn to better communicate our work to the public, the media, managers and policy makers.

This task is designed to raise your awareness of these issues and ability to recognise and evaluate them by directly verifying media articles that report on conservation research through consultation of both scientific and non-scientific literature.

You will assess how effectively the media is communicating the scientific literature. To do this, you will choose two recent (< 5 years old) media articles that each focus on a particular published scientific paper from a journal within conservation biology. Each media article must be on a separate conservation topic, with a different scientific paper associated with it.

Klein, A. 2017. Foxes seen climbing at night to track down and eat koalas Retrieved 10 May 2017, from https://www.newscientist.com/article/2120944-foxes-seen-climbing-trees-at-night-to-track-down-and-eat-koalas/

Journal paper 1: Mella, V.S., McArthur, C., Frend, R. and Crowther, M.S., 2017. Foxes in trees: a threat for Australian arboreal fauna?. Australian Mammalogy.

Conservation issue and significance:

Red foxes in Australia have been greatly documented in media articles and news reports for its anomalous activity of climbing trees to find koala and other creatures to eat. Although European Red fox had been brought in Australia for recreational hunting purpose, however it started hunting on other native species like wallabies and numbats. It is now distributed throughout the mainland of Australia causing decline and extinction of medium-sized marsupial species (European Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) 2017). There are many evidence regarding red foxes scaling the tree for hunting and Dickman (2014) also gave evidence regarding the variable level of activities found in red foxes. This is a shocking finding because red fox never climb tress. European foxes have played a role in reducing the population of damaging Australian species. Hence, this discussion suggest that red fox is the most invasive species introduced in Australia as it has been the reason for record number of mammal extinction in the continent (The Conversation 2017). 

Media article summary:

The article by Klein (2017) highlights the threat to the native mammalian species of Australia after introducing the European red fox in the country. The European red fox was deliberately introduced to Australia for recreational hunting in 1855 and within a span of 100 years, it spread to whole of Australia. The study by Bengsen and Sparkes (2016) questions the decision of introducing foxes for recreational hunting as instead of pest mammal control, it is leading to decrease in number of marsupials and other species. Currently there is growing evidence regarding decline of native mammalian species and the media article also gave proof that footage regarding the study of Koalas on a property in the Liverpool plains showed multiple instance in which red foxes scale the trees. They were often found at heights 4 metres above the ground and these are astonishing findings as foxes are never known for climbing trees. The study also declined the possibility that they might have come to drink water because they never touched the fountain. The explanation given for the foxes climbing the tree was they targeted animals who were accustomed to living on the tree. Furthermore, climbing to trees in Australia is easier for foxes because these trees have many bumps which give them good foothold. In addition, considering the nature of foxes that are known to be curios, agile and opportunistic, it might be a damaging sign for native Australian mammals.

Evaluation of media and journal article:  

The media article discussed the issue related to the highest mammalian extinction due to the introduction of the red fox in Australia. The reference for this issue was taken by the journal article by Mella et al. (2017) who gave the evidence regarding the tree climbing behaviour of red foxes in Australia. On comparing and contrasting the media article and the journal article, it has been found that Klein (2017) has briefly describes the method used by the Mella et al. (2017) to conduct the study. Although it has been briefly reported in media article, however the summary and main extract of the journal is successfully reported by the author. Hence, as mentioned in the media article, the journal article also showed that the observation of the red fox behaviour took place in the Liverpool plains. Water stations were positioned near the trunk of eucalypt trees. The result of the study showed that the fox visited the area and instead of drinking the water, the fox was found to repeatedly sniff the surrounding areas. Another astonishing finding was that the fox found to climb higher in the tree to grab the koalas. This description matches with that of the media article and it proves that there is no misinterpretation or gap in scientific reporting in the media article source. Similarly, research by (Newsome et al. 2014) revealed that currently land managers are implementing isolated control programs to control the number of red foxes and reduce its impact on native fauna of Australia.

The vulnerability of the Australian fauna due to the introduction of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been extensively published in media reports and Australian conservation department also reports about it (Australian government, 2017). It is a supporting article that proved that the issue presented in the journal article is valid. The impact of the predation by foxes was that it led to the decline in the number of ground-nesting birds, medium-sized mammals and reptiles. This has undermined the recovery efforts of different threatened species (Fisher et al. 2014). This also has economic implication too as preying on lambs, kid goats and poultry is causing loss to farmers (Dickman 2014). The review of the journal article by Mella et al. (2017) reliability and credibility of finding as the researcher provided sequential photos as an evidence that fox followed the path of koala to climb the tree. The media article also accurately presented the analysis of the whole journal article as it mentioned that the opportunistic nature of the red foxes is a threatening situation for native Australian mammals. Hence, on the whole, it can be concluded that media article was successful in attracting the reader’s attention and the consistency of the content with the journal article proved that no misleading information was provided.

The journal article concludes the research finding by giving only reference to another study where red foxes behaviour was observed. That evidence gave the information that foxes climb trees in search of food, however the research by Mella et al. (2017) gave the first evidence regarding the new habit of foxes climbing the trees. It gave the explanation that tree climbing behaviour is not seen due to food unavailability, but they are attracted to the tree because of the smell of potential grey. In view of this explanation, one limitation of the media article is that it did not highlighted any future course of action or research to improve the situation. Giving direction regarding additional research would have served the purpose of reporting about the conservation issue (Haddaway 2015). The same was covered and concluded in the journal article by the statement that findings regarding the potential for foxes to exert arboreal impacts can is significant for the conservation of Australian arboreal fauna. The evidence regarding extinction of Australian mammals due to the red fox is also discussed by Woinarski et al. (2015) who reported that apart from habitat loss and influence of human activities, loss of Australian land animal is also seen due to the predation by European red fox and feral cats. This paper is a significant study as it revealed the extent of loss and reasons for it.

Knowledge or method gap:

The research method as done by Mella et al. (2017) was adequately summarized by the journal article and the comparison between media and journal articles shows consistency in reporting of scientific evidence. No information has been misinterpreted by the journal article and quality in scientific reporting is observed when reading the media article and journal articles gives the same meaning and interpretation of the conservation issue (Ruths and Pfeffer 2014). The only difference is seen in the format of reporting as media article cannot be an extensive piece of report like journal articles, hence everything has been presented in a precise yet effective manner.

Another method gap identified in the media article is that it does not gives any recommendation or policy direction to improve the situation. Discussion regarding this aspect would have served the purpose of the study. Different level of action to reduce the population of red fox is seen in the research study by Woinarski, et al. (2014) where it was mentioned regarding the different approaches to protect the arboreal mammals in Australia. For example, the red fox were removed from the areas where black-footed wallaby colonized. This led to recovery of several prey species. Secondly, another approach to recovery was predator proof fencing where response of native animals where monitored (Hing et al. 2016). In some cases, threatened mammals were shifted to places which are free from cats and foxes. Hence, the media articles should also have reported about similar type of action and response required to improve the situation and save the mammals from extinction.

Conclusion:

The report summarized and compared the quality of media article with respects to its reporting against the journal article it had referred to for evidence. The analysis of the media article gave the idea about the conservation issue related to the extinction of mammalian species in Australia after the introduction of the red foxes. The critical analysis revealed that media article had accurately interpreted the methods followed in research and the results finding was also discusses as done in original research. There is no disparity or biasness in reporting. The only limitation was that the media article did not discussed about the importance of this piece of evidence regarding the future course of research and action. It means that the recommendation regarding the areas of improvement or future research would have given directions to solve the problem. As the media article had given proof regarding the introduction of the red fox as the most important reason for decline in mammalian species, practical management strategies are needed to recover and protect vulnerable species. The wider Australian community must also realise the responsibility for maintaining the biodiversity and protecting species from extinction. The Australian conservation department might also play a role in keeping records of distribution data of all species and integrating monitoring programs to check and observe Australia’s mammalian biodiversity. This would be an ideal step to encourage immediate conservation management response.

Media Article 2: 

Klein, A. (2017). Biggest ever die-off of ocean forests triggered by warming seas. Retrieved 10 May 2017, from https://www.newscientist.com/article/2096458-biggest-ever-die-off-of-ocean-forests-triggered-by-warming-seas/

Journal 2: Wernberg, T., Bennett, S., Babcock, R.C., de Bettignies, T., Cure, K., Depczynski, M., Dufois, F., Fromont, J., Fulton, C.J., Hovey, R.K., Harvey, E.S., Holmes, T.H., Kendrick, G.A., Radford, B., Santana-Garcon, J., Saunders, B.J., Smale, D.A., Thomsen, M.S., Tuckett, C.A., Tuya, F., Vanderklift, M.A. & Wilson, S. 2016, "Climate-driven regime shift of a temperate marine ecosystem", Science (New York, N.Y.), vol. 353, no. 6295, pp. 169-172. https://science.sciencemag.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/content/353/6295/169.full

Conservation issue and significance:

The marine environment is influenced by the climate changes and increase in global temperature is affecting the marine flora and fauna too (Barange et al. 2014). Apart from loss of marine species due to loss of habitat, climate change is also leading to coral  bleaching, a stress caused by rising water temperature leading to coral death (Burge et al. 2014). The rising sea temperature has wiped off several kilometres of kelp forest along the coast of Western Australia. The rapid pace of kelp loss is astonishing and it has occurred due to global climate changes. Indian Ocean near the Western Australia recorded a high summer temperature in between the year 2011 and 2013 caused due to global warming effect and La Nina weather phase (Marine problems: climate change 2017). Scientist had also warned about the aftermath of global warming and negative consequences of extreme and unpredictable weather condition. The loss of kelp forest in Australia will lead to the death of the Great Barrier Reef and it is necessary to take necessary action to conserve this natural resource (Vergés et al. 2016).

Media article summary:

The media article by Klein (2017) reports on the biggest ever impact of rising sea temperature on the kelp forest in Australia. Australia marine habitat consists of giant kelp forest which provides habitat to commercially important marine species. 90% of this kelp forest is present in the north-western part of the Great Southern Reef. These forest have come under threat due to impact of climate changes (Wahlquist 2017). Due to the marine heat wave between 2010 and 2013, hundred kilometres of kelp forest across western coast of Australia has been wiped out. The sea surface temperature in some areas of Western Australia has reached above 6°C.in 2011. The ultimate consequence of this heatwave is that 500 km of kelp cover has already been destroyed and the northern part is also facing the threat of extinction (The importance of kelp forests | Explore the Seafloor 2017). The most recent survey expedition in the sea in 2015 also showed no signs of kelp recovery as all the kelp forest have been replaced by sea weeds, corals, tropical fish and invertebrates (Provost et al. 2017). These species have come after the cold water has been replaced by new warm water. Hence, with this form of marine changes, kelp forest is likely to retreat further south of the ocean (Klein 2017). Research evidence also supports that rising sea water is the cause of kelp forest loss (Pecl et al. 2017). Therefore, the media articles brings to attention the importance of conserving the kelp forest as conservation of kelp forest has received less attention than coral reefs. As kelp forest is source of oxygen and provides habitat to huge variety of fish and other marine organism, loss of kelp forest will have environmental and economic consequence too (Wernberg et al. 2016). Hence, it is necessary to take action against the issue.

Evaluation of media and journal article:

The comparison between the media article and the journal article on related to the impact of warming sea on kelp forest revealed that there is consistency between the findings presented in the journal articles and as reported by media article. The media article by Klein (2017) reported loss of kelp forest due to rising sea temperature in Australia and replacement of temperate water forest with sea weeds, tropical fish and corals. On the other hand, the referring journal article by Wernberg (2016) also revealed that temperate reef community of Australia lost their kelp forest and became dominated by sea weeds, corals and tropical fishes. However, the scientific way of reporting in the journal article explicitly explains the reasons for little improvement in recovery of kelp forest which is not seen in journal article (Ware and Mabe 2015). The media article reported little signs of kelp recovery means of evidence from a survey expedition, however the journal article explained tropicalization of temperate reef community as a reason for little progress in recovery of kelp forest. This form of adverse impact of climate change and increase in climate variability is also supported in a research study by Bakun et al. (2015) which shows that coastal marine ecosystem is affected by these changes. The physical and chemical changes associated with rising sea temperature has an impact on marine macrophytes and whole pervasive change in the distribution of macrophytes due to rising ocean temperature is adequately explained in this study.

There is difference in reporting and expression of conservation issue in media article and journal articles too. The media article directly presents the wiping of kelp forest and supports the reason by means of statistics and figures on record summer temperature and extent of decline in kelp cover in Australia. In the journal article, the topic is introduced by means of discussing the impact of shift in ecosystem structure (Bonney et al. 2014). Despite the limitation of the media article in scientifically reporting the finding, it has adequately highlighted the figures related to the contraction of the kelp forest across the Australian Great Southern Reef. The main aim of the journal article was to document how marine heat wave leads to loss of kelp forest and resulting in habitat shift to seaweed turfs. To document the ecosystem changes, the researcher used the survey method to investigate about the kelp forest, seaweeds and corals presents around the 2000km zone of Western Australia. This survey was conducted in the period between 2001 and 2015. This timing is important because extreme heat wave had affected the western Australian region in those year only (Wernberg et al. 2016). Although the media article did not described the methods used in the research study, it also reported about the extreme health wave condition in Australia between 2011 and 2013 (Klein 2017). The report about the heat wave condition and its impact on Australia’s neglected kelp forest is also reported in a study by (Bennett et al. 2016.) which mentioned the serious toll the heatwave is taking on the Australian marine ecosystem.

The difference in the rigour of the journal and quality of the media article is clearly seen. While the media article follows the news reporting format to bring to the attention the consequences of neglecting the kelp forest from heat wave damage, the journal article gives evidence regarding the rate of ocean warming globally and the highest rise in western Australia (Spalding et al. 2014). It also discussed the difference in kelp cover along the reef before the extreme marine heat wave and after the heat wave. Before 2010, the 70% of the reef was covered with kelp forest and in the year 2013, 43% of the kelp forest along the west coast was lost.  The main conservation issue is that despite the decline in heat wave period, there is no sign of kelp forest recovery. Instead of recovery, the subtropical and tropical fish feeding rate has increased. Finally, the economic and environmental impact is adequately reported in both journal and media article by highlighting that pushing the kelp forest towards southern edge might lead to local extinction (Wernberg et al. 2016). The economic consequence is that the loss in kelp forest and shift of habitat will devastate lucrative fishing and tourism industries of Australia (Pecl et al. 2017). This conservation issue has been highly published in different journals and media articles. For example, Vergés et al. (2014) also highlighted the issue of tropicalisation of the temperate marine ecosystem as a result of climate mediated changes. Similarly variously other articles have warned against the impact of global warming on marine ecosystem.

Knowledge or method gap:

The weakness or knowledge gap identified in the research article is that its focus is only on highlighting the issue of kelp forest destruction due to global warming, however no future action or recommendation has been proposed to preserve this resource from damage. The emphasis is mainly on directing attention to kelp forest instead of coral reefs, however no such  scientific evidence is given regarding improving the current situation (Scharks and Masuda 2016). Similarly, in the journal article too, description regarding the contraction of kelp forest and shift towards warm-water species is given, however there is no justification or clarity regarding the future course of action. The work of Bennett et al. (2016) is significant in this regard as it recommends considering the Great Southern Reef as a spatially connected temperate reef system and take step towards maintaining the ecological health of the Great Southern Reef. Action plan was prepared for enhancing public perception about the issue by means of news and media reporting. Furthermore, research investment in this area was also proposed.

Conclusion:

From the analysis of the media article, it is seen that is successful in attracting public attentions towards loss of kelp forest. Furthermore, the media article has tried to present the main issue as published in the journal articles in its own style of reporting. Although the reporting of the issue is different in media and journal articles, however the article could have been strengthened by adapting better methods scientific interpretation of the issue. Secondly, as kelp forest has been ignored, some public level action and recommendation to address the issues might have further enhanced the scientific value of the article.

References

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