The role of non-English-language science in informing national biodiversity assessments

Tatsuya Amano (), Violeta Berdejo-Espinola, Munemitsu Akasaka, Milton A. U. de Andrade Junior, Ndayizeye Blaise, Julia Checco, F. Gözde Çilingir, Geoffroy Citegetse, Marina Corella Tor, Szymon M. Drobniak, Sylvaine Giakoumi, Marina Golivets, Mihaela C. Ion, Javiera P. Jara-Díaz, Ryosuke Katayose, Felicia P. S. Lasmana, Hsien-Yung Lin, Erick Lopez, Peter Mikula, Lucia Morales-Barquero, Anne-Christine Mupepele, Juan P. Narváez-Gómez, Thi Hieu Nguyen, Sá Nogueira Lisboa, Martin A. Nuñez, Diego Pavón-Jordán, Patrice Pottier, Graham W. Prescott, Farah Samad, Marko Šćiban, Hae-Min Seo, Yushin Shinoda, Flóra Vajna, Svetlana Vozykova, Jessica C. Walsh, Alison K. S. Wee, Hui Xiao and Veronica Zamora-Gutierrez
Additional contact information
Tatsuya Amano: The University of Queensland
Violeta Berdejo-Espinola: The University of Queensland
Munemitsu Akasaka: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Milton A. U. de Andrade Junior: State Department of Sustainable Economic Development
Ndayizeye Blaise: Gitega’s Polytechnique University (UPG)
Julia Checco: The University of Queensland
F. Gözde Çilingir: University of Zurich
Geoffroy Citegetse: BirdLife International
Marina Corella Tor: The University of Queensland
Szymon M. Drobniak: University of New South Wales
Sylvaine Giakoumi: The University of Queensland
Marina Golivets: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ
Mihaela C. Ion: Romanian Academy
Javiera P. Jara-Díaz: Fundación Auilaff
Ryosuke Katayose: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Felicia P. S. Lasmana: HCV Network
Hsien-Yung Lin: Carleton University
Erick Lopez: Universidad del Valle de Guatemala
Peter Mikula: Czech Academy of Sciences
Lucia Morales-Barquero: The University of Queensland
Anne-Christine Mupepele: University of Freiburg
Juan P. Narváez-Gómez: Universidade de São Paulo
Thi Hieu Nguyen: The University of Queensland
Sá Nogueira Lisboa: Eduardo Mondlane University
Martin A. Nuñez: University of Houston
Diego Pavón-Jordán: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)
Patrice Pottier: The University of New South Wales
Graham W. Prescott: University of Bern
Farah Samad: Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon
Marko Šćiban: Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia
Hae-Min Seo: Seoul National University
Yushin Shinoda: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Flóra Vajna: Centre for Ecological Research
Svetlana Vozykova: ITMO University
Jessica C. Walsh: Monash University
Alison K. S. Wee: University of Nottingham Malaysia
Hui Xiao: Deakin University
Veronica Zamora-Gutierrez: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Durango

Nature Sustainability, 2023, vol. 6, issue 7, 845-854

Abstract: Abstract Consulting the best available evidence is key to successful conservation decision-making. While much scientific evidence on conservation continues to be published in non-English languages, a poor understanding of how non-English-language science contributes to conservation decision-making is causing global assessments and studies to practically ignore non-English-language literature. By investigating the use of scientific literature in biodiversity assessment reports across 37 countries/territories, we have uncovered the established role of non-English-language literature as a major source of information locally. On average, non-English-language literature constituted 65% of the references cited, and these were recognized as relevant knowledge sources by 75% of report authors. This means that by ignoring non-English-language science, international assessments may overlook important information on local and/or regional biodiversity. Furthermore, a quarter of the authors acknowledged the struggles of understanding English-language literature. This points to the need to aid the use of English-language literature in domestic decision-making, for example, by providing non-English-language abstracts or improving and/or implementing machine translation. (This abstract is also avaialble in 21 other languages in Supplementary Data 4).

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-023-01087-8

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