The shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental change
Abstract The concept of the ‘shifting baseline syndrome’ has assisted researchers in understanding how expectations for the health of the environment deteriorate, despite known, often widespread, and significant impacts from human activities. The concept has been used to demonstrate that more accura...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | People and Nature |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10473 |
| _version_ | 1797814273086324736 |
|---|---|
| author | Heidi K. Alleway Emily S. Klein Liz Cameron Kristina Douglass Ishtar Govia Cornelia Guell Michelle Lim Libby Robin Ruth H. Thurstan |
| author_facet | Heidi K. Alleway Emily S. Klein Liz Cameron Kristina Douglass Ishtar Govia Cornelia Guell Michelle Lim Libby Robin Ruth H. Thurstan |
| author_sort | Heidi K. Alleway |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The concept of the ‘shifting baseline syndrome’ has assisted researchers in understanding how expectations for the health of the environment deteriorate, despite known, often widespread, and significant impacts from human activities. The concept has been used to demonstrate that more accurate assessment of historical ecosystem decline can be achieved by balancing contemporary perceptions with other sorts of evidence, and is now widely referred to in studies assessing environmental change. The potential of this concept as a model for examining and addressing complex and multidimensional social‐ecological interactions, however, is underexplored and current approaches have limitations. We perceive the shifting baseline syndrome as a rare working example of a ‘connective concept’ that can work across fields of science, the humanities and others and that re‐envisioning the concept in this way would assist us to establish more complete, true and reflective environmental baselines. Through our diverse author team, from a range of disciplines, geographies and cultural backgrounds, we identify gaps in current knowledge of the shifting baseline syndrome concept, its use and its effects, and describe several approaches that could be taken to improve investigations and capitalise on the connectivity that it fosters. This re‐envisioning could support a more informed and just way forward in addressing global environmental change. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:05:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58a30a31ed9b43e7830aedba23228f7d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2575-8314 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:05:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | People and Nature |
| spelling | doaj.art-58a30a31ed9b43e7830aedba23228f7d2023-06-01T06:33:35ZengWileyPeople and Nature2575-83142023-06-015388589610.1002/pan3.10473The shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental changeHeidi K. Alleway0Emily S. Klein1Liz Cameron2Kristina Douglass3Ishtar Govia4Cornelia Guell5Michelle Lim6Libby Robin7Ruth H. Thurstan8Provide Food & Water The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USAThe Pew Charitable Trusts Washington District of Columbia USASchool of Architecture and Construction University of Newcastle Newcastle New South Wales AustraliaThe Climate School Columbia University New York USACaribbean Institute for Health Research The University of West Indies Kingston JamaicaEuropean Centre for Environment and Human Health University of Exeter Medical School Cornwall UKYong Pung How School of Law Singapore Management University Singapore SingaporeAustralian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory AustraliaCentre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Cornwall UKAbstract The concept of the ‘shifting baseline syndrome’ has assisted researchers in understanding how expectations for the health of the environment deteriorate, despite known, often widespread, and significant impacts from human activities. The concept has been used to demonstrate that more accurate assessment of historical ecosystem decline can be achieved by balancing contemporary perceptions with other sorts of evidence, and is now widely referred to in studies assessing environmental change. The potential of this concept as a model for examining and addressing complex and multidimensional social‐ecological interactions, however, is underexplored and current approaches have limitations. We perceive the shifting baseline syndrome as a rare working example of a ‘connective concept’ that can work across fields of science, the humanities and others and that re‐envisioning the concept in this way would assist us to establish more complete, true and reflective environmental baselines. Through our diverse author team, from a range of disciplines, geographies and cultural backgrounds, we identify gaps in current knowledge of the shifting baseline syndrome concept, its use and its effects, and describe several approaches that could be taken to improve investigations and capitalise on the connectivity that it fosters. This re‐envisioning could support a more informed and just way forward in addressing global environmental change. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10473ecologyenvironmental changejusticeshifting baselines syndrome |
| spellingShingle | Heidi K. Alleway Emily S. Klein Liz Cameron Kristina Douglass Ishtar Govia Cornelia Guell Michelle Lim Libby Robin Ruth H. Thurstan The shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental change People and Nature ecology environmental change justice shifting baselines syndrome |
| title | The shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental change |
| title_full | The shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental change |
| title_fullStr | The shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental change |
| title_full_unstemmed | The shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental change |
| title_short | The shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental change |
| title_sort | shifting baseline syndrome as a connective concept for more informed and just responses to global environmental change |
| topic | ecology environmental change justice shifting baselines syndrome |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10473 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT heidikalleway theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT emilysklein theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT lizcameron theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT kristinadouglass theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT ishtargovia theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT corneliaguell theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT michellelim theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT libbyrobin theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT ruthhthurstan theshiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT heidikalleway shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT emilysklein shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT lizcameron shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT kristinadouglass shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT ishtargovia shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT corneliaguell shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT michellelim shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT libbyrobin shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange AT ruthhthurstan shiftingbaselinesyndromeasaconnectiveconceptformoreinformedandjustresponsestoglobalenvironmentalchange |