Evaluating conservation biology texts for bias in biodiversity representation

in taxonomic groups are directly related to conservation efforts for that group. In terrestrial species, those with large areas of protected habitat experience slower declines than those with small or no areas of protected habitat [24]. Because of this discrepancy wherein protected spe- cies benefit more than unprotected species, it is important that conservation efforts target all species of concern, not just charismatic groups. To encourage protection of all at risk taxa, conservation education should offer a broad perspective that extends to all taxonomic groups, ecosystems, and aspects of biodiversity in a more even way. To protect all parts of our world, students need to know and care for all parts of its unique and diverse biosphere–their under- standing should not be limited by biases in education materials. Based on our evaluation of contemporary conservation biology textbooks, we recommend that future textbooks better consider the various ways to measure biodiversity and strive to accurately reflect these measures in their examples (Box 1). We cannot expect students and practitioners to care about species, populations, or ecosystems that they do not understand or have yet to be exposed to. Changing textbooks will require more thought on providing relevant examples and care in describing them, but will potentially result in a more ecologically literate Box 1. Suggestions for authors of conservation biology textbooks. 1. Authors are encouraged to look beyond “conservation science” in their primary

literature, and expand to include basic biology and zoology to ferret out diverse examples of taxa used in studies of genetic diversity, etc. For example, think of all the research done using Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), much of which has focused on genetics of the species. 2. Authors are encouraged to look beyond their existing professional network to include scientists and their work from geographic areas outside of North America and Europe in their textbooks. Such searching might result in future collabora- tions with individuals from different geographic areas and opportunities to include more examples from such areas, or to co-author future publication of a conservation biology textbook that is more geographically and taxonomically diverse. 3. Authors should encourage students who use their textbooks to look further afield than they themselves have, to explore various taxa and geographic areas, and to pursue funding from non-governmental sources to pursue their passion to study less well-known and less charismatic species. One could include examples from such scientists in their textbooks. 4. Publishers can demand, or at least strongly encourage authors, to include exam- ples from diverse geographic regions, a diverse group of taxa, and/or input from scientists from geographic areas other than North America and Europe. 5. In the case where an author or authors are unable to adequately represent biodi- verse examples in their texts, a statement should be included in the beginning of

the textbook explaining that the author(s) acknowledge this particular shortcom- ing in their text and a reason or reasons for this shortcoming. PLOS ONE Bias in conservation biology textbooks PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234877 July 10, 2020 9 / 11