By Chang Liu
Even microscopic organisms deserve to be protected, according to Floridians recently surveyed by the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education.
The 499 respondents to the online survey were asked to rank the level of importance to protect certain types of organisms on a scale of 0 to 100, or from “not important” to “extremely important.” The support for specific types of species ranged from ranged from mammals at 84 to microorganisms at 61.
Floridians rated fish as the second highest at 83, followed by plants at 82
“The fact that fish rated so highly could be due to the amount of coverage and concern about fish populations related to the effects of the oil spill or the oyster collapse in Apalachicola,” PIE Center Director Tracy Irani said. “Otherwise, as other research studies suggest, this response could be related to the classic anthropomorphism idea that the more cute and cuddly or the more human-like the organism, the more likely it is perceived of being worthy of protection.”
When asked which factors should be taken into consideration when prioritizing the conservation of species, 91 percent of respondents identified the severity and urgency of the threat, followed by the species importance to the ecosystem, as well as the rarity of the species.
The fewest number of Floridians surveyed rated physical attractiveness, monetary value and body size of the species as factors to consider, with responses ranging between 31 percent and 41 percent.
Researchers found that 38 percent of respondents believe the species’ importance to ecosystem should be the primary concern when deciding what to conserve. This was followed by urgency of threat, severity of threat and rarity of the species, each with the rate of 20 percent, 14 percent, and 13 percent.
That respondents strongly valued biodiversity in the ecosystem interested Irani.
“Is there a more holistic understanding of the ecosystem idea? Potentially.” she said. “I wonder if that might be based on people’s experiences in a state like Florida that has such great biodiversity.”
The PIE Center’s online survey regarding Floridians’ opinions of endangered species is the third issue explored in the series of public opinion surveys. Previous topics are water quality and quantity, as well as immigration reform. Results from an upcoming survey about food production practices will be released in early December.
