AUTHOR=Volski Lara , McInturff Alex , Gaynor Kaitlyn M. , Yovovich Veronica , Brashares Justin S. TITLE=Social Effectiveness and Human-Wildlife Conflict: Linking the Ecological Effectiveness and Social Acceptability of Livestock Protection Tools JOURNAL=Frontiers in Conservation Science VOLUME=2 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/conservation-science/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2021.682210 DOI=10.3389/fcosc.2021.682210 ISSN=2673-611X ABSTRACT=
Human-wildlife interactions are embedded within socio-ecological systems (SES), in which animal behavior and human decision-making reciprocally interact. While a growing body of research addresses specific social and ecological elements of human-wildlife interactions, including conflicts, integrating these approaches is essential for identifying practical and effective solutions. Carnivore predation on livestock can threaten human livelihoods, weaken relationships among stakeholders, and precipitate carnivore declines. As carnivores have received greater protection in recent decades, researchers and managers have sought non-lethal tools to reduce predation and promote coexistence between livestock producers and carnivores. For these tools to be successful, they must effectively deter carnivores, and they must also be adopted by producers. Relatively few studies examine the practical and context-specific effectiveness of non-lethal tools, and even fewer simultaneously consider their social acceptability among producers. To address this gap, we suggest that a tool's ecological effectiveness and social acceptability be analyzed concurrently to determine its