Is extinction forever?

Mistrust of science has seeped into public perception of the most fundamental aspect of conservation—extinction. The term ought to be straightforward, and yet, there is a disconnect between scientific discussion and public views. This is not a mere semantic issue, rather one of communication. Within...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public understanding of science (Bristol, England) England), 2015-05, Vol.24 (4), p.481-495
Main Authors: Smith-Patten, Brenda D., Bridge, Eli S., Crawford, Priscilla H. C., Hough, Daniel J., Kelly, Jeffrey F., Patten, Michael A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitudes
Biology
Communication
Conservation
Conservation of Natural Resources
Extinct species
Extinction
Extinction, Biological
History of medicine and histology
Information Dissemination
Public Opinion
Science
Species extinction
Trust
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Summary:Mistrust of science has seeped into public perception of the most fundamental aspect of conservation—extinction. The term ought to be straightforward, and yet, there is a disconnect between scientific discussion and public views. This is not a mere semantic issue, rather one of communication. Within a population dynamics context, we say that a species went locally extinct, later to document its return. Conveying our findings matters, for when we use local extinction, an essentially nonsensical phrase, rather than extirpation, which is what is meant, then we contribute to, if not create outright, a problem for public understanding of conservation, particularly as local extinction is often shortened to extinction in media sources. The public that receives the message of our research void of context and modifiers comes away with the idea that extinction is not forever or, worse for conservation as a whole, that an extinction crisis has been invented.
ISSN:0963-6625
1361-6609
DOI:10.1177/0963662515571489