A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Scientific Productivity of Brazilian Ecological Stations




AuthorsAlencar H, Jepson P, Ladle RJ, Correia R, Bragagnolo C, Malhado ACM, Batista VS

PublisherCAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Publication year2019

JournalEnvironmental Conservation

Journal name in sourceENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Journal acronymENVIRON CONSERV

Article numberPII S0376892919000018

Volume46

First page 219

Last page225

Number of pages7

ISSN0376-8929

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892919000018(external)


Abstract
Protected areas are frequently used loci for ecological and conservation research, with several national/international designations identifying scientific research as a key objective. For example, Ecological Stations (ESs) in Brazil are strictly protected areas with the explicit goals of protecting nature and hosting scientific research. Nevertheless, simply mandating scientific research does not necessarily translate into action. Here, we quantitatively assess the scientific productivity of ESs and identify the main socio-ecological factors associated with different levels of scientific research. Specifically, we adopt a multi-model inference approach with a hurdle regression model to independently evaluate the factors associated with the presence/absence of research and the volume of studies in ESs. Surprisingly, given their stated remit, a large proportion of ESs had little or no scientific productivity. Results also indicate that older ESs were more likely to be associated with published research and that the volume of publications was associated with the number of years since the first article was published. The presence of a management plan and a management council were also significant positive drivers of research. Our results strongly suggest that, despite their clear mandate, ESs are not effectively fulfilling their role as a policy instrument for generating valuable scientific data.



Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 20:35