Coexistence beyond disciplinary silos: Five dimensions of analysis for more convivial human-predator interactions

Understanding human-predator interactions has been a central goal of conservation for decades, yet many previous efforts have approached this challenge from disciplinary perspectives focused on single case studies. There is a need for more transdisciplinary and multi-sited research to enrich our understandings of the complexity of human-nonhuman interactions and to design ways to make them more convivial. The multi-year CONVIVA “convivial conservation” research project addressed this gap, involving scholars from natural sciences, social sciences and humanities to promote coexistence, biodiversity and justice in conservation across four diverse case studies of apex predators: jaguars in Brazil, wolves in Finland, lions in Tanzania, and brown bears in California, United States. In this article, we set out two key contributions. First, we highlight how our project created iterative, dialogue-based reflections amongst different disciplines and perspectives to inform research questions, methods and units of analysis, fulfilling what we see as a key need in the literature. Second, we operationalise our collaboration beyond disciplinary silos into a novel framework of five interconnected dimensions of analysis, that characterise human-predator interactions, drawing on a range of lenses and including a series of guiding questions. We also showcase empirical material from our cases across wildlife, environment, interactions, institutions and justice dimensions. We present our approach, framework and findings with collective reflections and an invitation for adaptation and further research on their suitability to other contexts and species.

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Publication Details

Journal
Biological Conservation
Published
2025-05-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111145
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.20

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article

Coexistence beyond disciplinary silos: Five dimensions of analysis for more convivial human-predator interactions

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Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
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Coexistence beyond disciplinary silos: Five dimensions of analysis for more convivial human-predator interactions

Kate Massarella, Peter S. Alagona, Sanna Komi, Laila Sandroni, Dan Brockington, Judith E. Krauss, Kátia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros Ferraz, Rob Fletcher, Silvio Marchini, Mathew Bukhi Mabele, Wilhelm Andrew Kiwango, Anja Nygren, Rosaleen Duffy, Bram Büscher, Alex McInturff, Valentina Fiasco
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Understanding human-predator interactions has been a central goal of conservation for decades, yet many previous efforts have approached this challenge from disciplinary perspectives focused on single case studies. There is a need for more transdisciplinary and multi-sited research to enrich our understandings of the complexity of human-nonhuman interactions and to design ways to make them more convivial. The multi-year CONVIVA “convivial conservation” research project addressed this gap, involving scholars from natural sciences, social sciences and humanities to promote coexistence, biodiversity and justice in conservation across four diverse case studies of apex predators: jaguars in Brazil, wolves in Finland, lions in Tanzania, and brown bears in California, United States. In this article, we set out two key contributions. First, we highlight how our project created iterative, dialogue-based reflections amongst different disciplines and perspectives to inform research questions, methods and units of analysis, fulfilling what we see as a key need in the literature. Second, we operationalise our collaboration beyond disciplinary silos into a novel framework of five interconnected dimensions of analysis, that characterise human-predator interactions, drawing on a range of lenses and including a series of guiding questions. We also showcase empirical material from our cases across wildlife, environment, interactions, institutions and justice dimensions. We present our approach, framework and findings with collective reflections and an invitation for adaptation and further research on their suitability to other contexts and species.

Biological ConservationVol. 308
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES), United States Geological Survey (US), University of Leeds (GB), Wildlife Conservation Society (US), University of Helsinki (FI), University of California, Santa Barbara (US), Universidade de São Paulo (BR), Tilburg University (NL), Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (US), The University of Dodoma (TZ), Sustainability Institute (ZA), National Zoological Park (US), Conservation Biology Institute, University of York (GB), University of Sheffield (GB), Wageningen University & Research (NL)
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Belmont Forum, European Commission, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, U.S. Geological Survey, Economic and Social Research Council, European Research Council
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
4.20
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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