Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026
07:36
An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
Published on: May 3, 2016
9.0K
Exploring neglected places enabling conservation crime through place network investigations
Elle Jingjing Xu1, Dat Tien Trong Cao2, Xin Xu1
1Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
Iscience
|January 28, 2026
Summary
Integrating community knowledge with place network investigations (PNI) improved understanding of wildlife poaching hotspots. Local villagers provided more insights than experts, revealing crucial
Area of Science:
- Conservation science
- Criminology
- Human geography
Background:
- Existing conservation crime knowledge often relies heavily on expert elicitation.
- Integrating local community knowledge offers a more comprehensive understanding of conservation crimes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt and apply place network investigations (PNI) for gathering community and expert knowledge on wildlife poaching.
- To compare spatial knowledge of crime-associated places between local villagers and conservation experts.
- To identify spatial patterns and clusters of poaching activities around Pù Mát National Park, Vietnam.
Main Methods:
- Utilized participatory mapping to identify four crime-associated place types: corruption spots, comfort spaces, convergence settings, and crime sites.
- Compared knowledge data gathered from local communities and conservation experts.
- Analyzed spatial autocorrelation of identified crime-associated places.
Main Results:
- Identified previously neglected poaching-associated places extending beyond national park boundaries.
- Community members provided more extensive knowledge than experts, especially regarding convergence settings and corruption spots.
- Three crime-associated place types exhibited positive spatial autocorrelation, highlighting key intervention priorities.
Conclusions:
- A participatory approach enhances stakeholder knowledge exchange and broadens the understanding of poaching-associated spaces.
- Findings suggest theoretical advancements in understanding spatial commonalities and distinctions between conservation and violent crime.
- The adapted PNI model offers a replicable strategy for conservation crime prevention.
Keywords:
Earth sciencesEcologyEnvironmental scienceResearch methodology social sciencesSocial sciencesMore Related Videos
08:32Neurovascular Network Explorer 2.0: A Simple Tool for Exploring and Sharing a Database of Optogenetically-evoked Vasomotion in Mouse Cortex In Vivo
Published on: May 4, 2018
6.7K
07:04Virtual Reality Tools for Assessing Unilateral Spatial Neglect: A Novel Opportunity for Data Collection
Published on: March 10, 2021
4.5K
Related Concept Videos
01:57What is Conservation Biology?
24.3K
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
24.3K
02:04Conservation of Small Populations
17.1K
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...
17.1K
01:49Conserved Binding Sites
5.1K
Many proteins’ biological role depends on their interactions with their ligands, small molecules that bind to specific locations on the protein known as ligand-binding sites. Ligand-binding sites are often conserved among homologous proteins as these sites are critical for protein function.
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally...
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally...
5.1K
02:26Protein Networks
4.5K
An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions.
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
4.5K
02:26Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
14.4K
Protein domains are small structurally independent units that are part of a single amino acid chain. Although these domains are often structurally independent, they may rely on synergistic effects to perform their functions as part of a larger protein. Protein domains may be conserved within the same organism, as well as across different organisms.
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to...
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to...
14.4K
02:18Network Covalent Solids
16.1K
Network covalent solids contain a three-dimensional network of covalently bonded atoms as found in the crystal structures of nonmetals like diamond, graphite, silicon, and some covalent compounds, such as silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (carborundum, the abrasive on sandpaper). Many minerals have networks of covalent bonds.
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
16.1K