Development and psychometric validation of a brief scale to measure environmental perception based on the 2-major environmental values model in adolescents and adults.

BACKGROUND: The worldwide ecological crisis, including global climate change, is leading to increased awareness and attitudes towards environmental problems. To address these problems, studies of human attitudes are needed. This study is based on the 2-Major Environmental Values (2-MEV) model, which measures two components of environmental attitudes: Preservation and Utilization. The model has been applied to both, adolescents and adults. After decades of use, it is necessary to review the psychometric scale and update the wording. Developing short or even super-short scales to measure well-established constructs is necessary due to time constraints, compliance or fatigue due to language issues. METHODS: We applied an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to a dataset containing 20 items from the 2-MEV model to reduce the scale to 6 items, 3 per dimension using parallel analysis, scree plot examination and eigen-value greater than 0 as criteria. The scale was then applied to adults and the sample was split for EFA and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) was then used to assess invariance across age and gender. Finally, regression and linear models were used to examine the effects of age and gender in both, adults and adolescents. RESULTS: The 2-MEV model was replicated in the EFA and CFA and the correlated two-factor model showed the best fit. The scale showed configural and metric invariance across age and gender, and scale invariance across gender. Gender and age effects were replicated in relation to previous studies. DISCUSSION: The brief scale showed good model indices and convergent validity. IMPLICATIONS: The brief scale of the 2-MEV model can be applied in situations where environmental attitudes are important, but time constraints (internet surveys), compliance, or language problems may hinder the use of longer scales.

Selection of Indicator Bird Species as a Baseline for Knowledge Assessment in Biodiversity Survey Studies.

The loss of Earth's biodiversity is accompanied by a loss of public knowledge about species. Many scientists are convinced that knowledge about species is an important prerequisite to interest and investment in species conservation. In the past, knowledge about species has mostly been assessed using birds, but there is no consensus on which birds could serve as a baseline for knowledge about species in the general public. The aim of this study is to provide a list of the 'golden 50' bird species in Germany that can be used by educational institutions, as well as studies about species knowledge to make them more comparable. The list can also serve as a basis for the selection of so-called flagship species, which are used for the protection of habitats and other species due to their high likeability. To achieve this, three consecutive steps were conducted: an analysis of bird-related databases to determine which species might be common and known and two expert panel studies. The data analysis included several factors: species characteristics, Citizen Science data, public value and importance, and scientific studies. In both the first and second rounds, experts were asked for their opinion on which species should be known by the general public in Germany. The first expert panel, which consisted of only a small group of experts (n = 6), was mainly used to reduce the number of species for the second panel. In the second expert panel, 197 ornithologically qualified experts from all over Germany were asked for their assessment. The correlations between the expert assessments and the different variables were all significant (except for the species trait "colourfulness"), which validates the selection process used here and consequently the species list that has been compiled. The selection process can also be applied to other biogeographical regions or taxa.

Psychological restoration depends on curiosity, motivation, and species richness during a guided bird walk in a suburban blue space.

Urban and suburban green and blue spaces are important places for human recreation, and the impact of biodiversity on psychological and recalled restoration has received much attention. This study addresses the relationship between bird species richness and restoration in a controlled field experiment (guided bird walk) applying a battery of individual trait scales (need for cognition, personality) as predictors of restoration. We found a significant positive relationship between the number of bird species present and recalled restoration. Personality, bird species knowledge, bird related interest as test measures, demographics and birding specialization as self-report had no influence on psychological restoration. However, need for cognition correlated positively with psychological restoration, thus providing a new predictive variable. All subscales of the intrinsic motivation scale (enjoyment, perceived competence, perceived choice, pressure/tension) were positively correlated with restoration except of pressure/tension. Learning emotions like interest and well-being were positively related to restoration, while boredom was negatively related. Therefore, we suggest research to examine the restorative function of more cognitive-oriented programs because people may also need cognition when it comes to restoration. We also suggest a broader focus on education and cognitive aspects when it comes to linking biodiversity and health within the framework of ecosystem services.

Using Species Knowledge to Promote Pro-Environmental Attitudes? The Association among Species Knowledge, Environmental System Knowledge and Attitude towards the Environment in Secondary School Students.

Scientists and conservationists suggest species knowledge as a possible starting point when it comes to creating deeper knowledge and awareness of nature, the environment, and biodiversity. The aim of this work was to analyze secondary school students' species knowledge of vertebrates and invertebrates. This is one of the first studies that also draws on invertebrates. Furthermore, we investigated whether knowledge of species forms a basis for the formation of environmental knowledge and attitude towards the environment. For this purpose, a questionnaire on species knowledge was developed. In addition, a questionnaire was used to measure environmental system knowledge, and the 2-MEV Attitude Scale to measure attitude towards the environment. The questionnaires were completed by 103 seventh and eighth-grade (age: 12-13) students of a secondary German school (Gymnasium, highest stratification level). The students identified more vertebrates than invertebrates (50.15% vs. 36.7%). The structural equation model with the latent variables species knowledge, environmental system knowledge, and attitude towards the environment showed that species knowledge has a highly significant influence on the two other latent variables. More precisely species knowledge explained 28% of the variance in environmental systems knowledge and 17% of the variance in attitude towards the environment. This study can therefore draw attention to the relevance of teaching species knowledge in the sense of Education for Sustainable Development, in order not to promote decreasing biodiversity through dwindling species knowledge.

Are Lay People Able to Estimate Breeding Bird Diversity?

Studies about biodiversity and well-being used different approaches to assess biodiversity, e.g., scientific counts and censuses or perceived biodiversity estimated by the respondents. Here, we assessed whether laypeople could estimate the breeding bird diversity or species richness at specific places. For comparison, we carried out bird censuses with standard methods of professional ornithologists and used citizen science data from the internet platform Ornitho (Germany). Lay people from the public (1184 respondents) were surveyed between May and July 2022 at 40 different places in southwest Germany between Rottenburg/Tübingen and Stuttgart following the catchment of the river Neckar (30 people surveyed per place). People were asked to estimate the bird species richness/diversity at this current place. Here, we show that the data from the citizen science platform does not correlate with the professional census counts nor with the perceived species richness of laypeople. Laypeople have a generally good assessment of the bird species richness, correlating with the data of professionals (r = 0.325, p = 0.041). On average, the number of species assessed by laypeople lies in between the values of the professional morning and afternoon census. People were most often surveyed in the afternoon; therefore, their assessment must be done on other factors than actual birds present. This result is valuable for future studies on the connection between biodiversity and well-being.

Evaluation of Potential Sustainable Bedding Substrates Focusing on Preference, Behavior, and Stress Physiology in Rats-A Pilot Study.

Ensuring optimal housing conditions for laboratory animals is a crucial prerequisite for high-quality and ethically justifiable in vivo science. In addition to guaranteeing animal welfare and promoting scientific validity, environmental sustainability is also increasingly gaining attention in laboratory animal facilities. Consequently, comprehensive management of such aspects is one of the core tasks of any research vivarium. Hygienic monitoring and adhering to standardized experimental protocols have been highlighted in the past; nevertheless, various environmental aspects of housing animals still need to be evaluated in greater depth. In this pilot study, we aimed at assessing the suitability of spelt and corncob as economical and ecologically friendly bedding substrates as compared with commonly used aspen wood chips. Therefore, following a descriptive study design, we examined the preferences of male and female Wistar rats for corncob and spelt under specific conditions. In addition, we evaluated potential effects on behavior, metabolism, and stress physiology. The type of bedding did not seem to influence behavior in the observed parameters but did have time- and sex-dependent effects on blood glucose. Furthermore, housing animals on spelt led to a significant reduction in food consumption, probably compensated for by the intake of spelt, and although it did not influence glucose levels, it may have certainly impacted the nutrient supply. Our descriptive pilot study, therefore, highlights the importance of a thorough condition-associated evaluation of even seemingly marginal environmental factors, when balancing potential cost-benefit advances in sustainability and questions of standardization and reproducibility of experimental protocols.