A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Societal extinction of species
Authors: Jaric I, Roll U, Bonaiuto M, Brook BW, Courchamp F, Firth JA, Gaston KJ, Heger T, Jeschke JM, Ladle RJ, Meinard Y, Roberts DL, Sherren K, Soga M, Soriano-Redondo A, Verissimo D, Correia RA
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE LONDON
Publication year: 2022
Journal: Trends in Ecology and Evolution
Journal name in source: TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
Journal acronym: TRENDS ECOL EVOL
Volume: 37
Issue: 5
First page : 411
Last page: 419
Number of pages: 9
ISSN: 0169-5347
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.12.011
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: No Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
The ongoing global biodiversity crisis not only involves biological extinctions, but also the loss of experience and the gradual fading of cultural knowledge and collective memory of species. We refer to this phenomenon as 'societal extinction of species' and apply it to both extinct and extant taxa. We describe the underlying concepts as well as the mechanisms and factors that affect this process, discuss its main implications, and identify mitigation measures. Societal extinction is cognitively intractable, but it is tied to biological extinction and thus has important consequences for conservation policy and management. It affects societal perceptions of the severity of anthropogenic impacts and of true extinction rates, erodes societal support for conservation efforts, and causes the loss of cultural heritage.
