Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ab9927
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Non-material contributions of wildlife to human well-being: a systematic review
Author Methorst, J.; Arbieu, U.; Bonn, A. ORCID logo ; Böhning-Gaese, K.; Müller, T.
Source Titel Environmental Research Letters
Year 2020
Department iDiv; ESS
Volume 15
Issue 9
Page From art. 093005
Language englisch
Supplements https://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/15/9/093005/media/ERL_15_9_093005_suppdata.pdf
https://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/15/9/093005/media/ERL_15_9_093005_suppdata1.xlsx
Keywords nature’s contributions to people; ecosystem services; ecosystem disservices; human-wildlife coexistence; human-wildlife conflicts
Abstract Wildlife has important effects on human well-being, ranging from beneficial contributions to life threatening interactions. Here, we systematically reviewed publications of both positive and negative non-material contributions of wildlife to people (WCP) for different taxonomic groups (birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians) and dimensions of human well-being such as health, social well-being, identity and spirituality. Overall, the majority of studies reported negative WCP, such as feelings of insecurity or injuries. However, over the last decade the number of publications on positive WCP such as good mental health, positive emotions or learning increased, mainly in the Global North. These spatial and temporal patterns may hint towards normative influences that drive the relative proportion of reported WCP. However, these normative influences are not yet well understood and future research should examine potential biases by conducting policy assessments or surveys among researchers to understand drivers and motivations behind their research questions. We found almost no joint assessments of positive and negative WCP for any wildlife species. Studies also showed taxon-specific differences in WCP outcomes, with predominantly positive WCP reported for birds and predominantly negative WCP published for mammals or reptiles. Physical health was the most dominant aspect of well-being studied and affected by WCP while other well-being dimensions such as social well-being, learning or identity were less frequently covered in the literature. Future studies should jointly evaluate positive and negative effects of wildlife on human well-being and implement multi-taxon approaches to obtain a more balanced and comprehensive understanding of WCP. These assessments of WCP will provide actionable science outcomes that will shape human-wildlife coexistence and promote human health and well-being.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23579
Methorst, J., Arbieu, U., Bonn, A., Böhning-Gaese, K., Müller, T. (2020):
Non-material contributions of wildlife to human well-being: a systematic review
Environ. Res. Lett. 15 (9), art. 093005 10.1088/1748-9326/ab9927