Effect of environment on biodiversity opinions

Biodiversity loss today is often caused by anthropological impact, and although most people are aware of this, biodiversity conservation action is relatively rare. One challenge with biodiversity conservation is that it can be too temporally or spatially distant for an individual to fully comprehend its implications (Macia et al., 2003). In this study, we asked university community members a series of questions on the location and conservation of biodiversity at different locations on campus. Each location varied in the amount of biodiversity present, the idea being that in a more biodiverse location respondents would care more its conservation as well as locate it closer to themselves. We found mixed results, but in general the biodiversity level of a location did not impact opinions on biodiversity. Our results suggest potentially different types of people may have different opinions on biodiversity, and people’s choices to be in more biodiverse locations may be relevant to future studies on biodiversity conservation. This and future research may be relevant to university landscapers and planners attempting to gain support for conservation and create a biodiverse-rich campus. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”Arts, Faculty ofPsychology, Department ofUnreviewedUndergraduat