Abstract
One way of measuring pre-existing knowledge of a threatened species and its circumstances is to measure the degree of surprise expressed by stakeholders in relation to factual statements regarding the species. Beach-goers (n = 684) were surveyed in regard to their knowledge of the beach-dwelling, threatened, Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis, a coastal obligate in south eastern Australia. Principle components analysis revealed that respondents’ degree of knowledge could be categorized as involving ‘chick (flightless young) ecology’ and ‘human impacts’ (threatening processes). Respondents were more surprised by aspects of chick ecology than by threatening processes (F1,514 = 460.446, p < 0.001). Prior knowledge of the species was associated with less surprise at factual statements. Therefore, priorities for further education should focus on linking threats with chick ecology, particularly because an understanding that chicks are not stationary within fenced areas is critical to the interpretation and effectiveness of current signage used to mitigate human impacts.
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Acknowledgments
Gordon Institute of TAFE (EnviroTech) and BirdLife Australia (funded by the Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country program) collected data. This work was conducted under Deakin University Human Ethics Exemption 2012–204. We thank all respondents. This work was supported by the Deakin University Centre for Integrative Ecology (CIE) and a School of Life and Environmental Sciences New Initiatives Research Grant.
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Maguire, G.S., Rimmer, J.M. & Weston, M.A. Stakeholder knowledge of threatened coastal species; the case of beach-goers and the Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis . J Coast Conserv 19, 73–77 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-014-0361-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-014-0361-9