Skaldina Oksana, Blande James D
Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Ecol Lett. 2025 Jan;28(1):e70050. doi: 10.1111/ele.70050.
In the fields of ecology and conservation, taxonomic and geographic biases may compromise scientific progress. Using pollinator research as a case study, we evaluate four drivers of these biases and propose solutions to address (i) untested generalisations from highly studied taxa, (ii) information accessibility, (iii) scattered environmental regulations and (iv) restricted infrastructure and funding resources. Expanding the taxonomic, functional and geographic breadth of research and legislation, and involving scientists in policymaking, can generate greater equity, accessibility and impact of future science. Using search engines in different languages, Open Access (OA) publishing and promoting mutually beneficial collaborations between scientists from developed and developing countries, may help to overcome geographic biases in research and funding. We suggest reviewing potentially similar biases and their drivers in other branches of ecology and conservation and identifying further ways to achieve information balance in science.
在生态学和保护领域，分类学和地理偏见可能会阻碍科学进步。以传粉者研究为例，我们评估了这些偏见的四个驱动因素，并提出了解决方案，以应对（i）来自研究充分的分类群的未经检验的概括，（ii）信息可获取性，（iii）分散的环境法规，以及（iv）有限的基础设施和资金资源。扩大研究和立法的分类学、功能和地理范围，并让科学家参与政策制定，可以在未来科学中产生更大的公平性、可及性和影响力。使用不同语言的搜索引擎、开放获取（OA）出版以及促进发达国家和发展中国家科学家之间的互利合作，可能有助于克服研究和资金方面的地理偏见。我们建议审视生态学和保护其他分支中潜在的类似偏见及其驱动因素，并确定实现科学信息平衡的更多方法。
