Researcher Wild Animal Initiative Stockholm, Sweden
Background/Question/Methods
It is increasingly recognized that the behavior of individuals and the ecological consequences of their interactions with communities can be better appreciated within the context of welfare. Researchers incorporating a welfare aspect to their ecological research report an increased understanding of how ecological interactions relate to individuals, suggesting that the inclusion and consideration of welfare somehow increases awareness of ecological systems. Furthermore, an understanding of welfare appears to help determine how some individuals are better adapted or more adaptable, both of which are highly relevant to predicting impacts of environmental change, that in turn appears to make studies more relevant to interventions that support adaptation.
To test this assumption, we conducted a metaanalysis of welfare versus non-welfare related studies to determine if there is a positive effect on the research outcomes as indicated by 1) increased consideration of the multiple dimensions of ecology, 2) higher average citation, 3) greater conversion of results to management actions, and 4) better consideration of environmental change and adaptation.
Results/Conclusions
When using search terms ‘welfare’ or ‘well-being’ or surrogates thereof, we found that studies in selected mainstream ecological journals, or articles with ecology in the title, showed improved understanding of ecological interactions as indicated by increased use of multi-dimensional approaches. The control group (those that did not include welfare or surrogates thereof in their study) on average, were less likely to take a holistic approach as indicated by numbers of factors included in the study (an average of 3 versus an average of 5). When investigating trends in research over time, we also found that there was greater (more than a 50% increase) in the consideration of welfare in ecological studies from 2010 to 2020.
Our results suggest that a consideration of the individual, their welfare, and their unique ecological conditions, encourage researchers to take a more holistic approach to ecology and to consider the individual needs for adaptation. Considering the complex nature of ecology, interactions, and the increasing need to understand how climate changes will affect individuals to populations to species, it is likely that taking this approach will help advance the field of ecology and prepare us for the changes that are going to come.
