Conservation Sociology

I have become convinced that the natural sciences alone are not enough, but must often be integrated with the social sciences to achieve any long-term conservation success. I try to think outside of the box when incorporating the social sciences (usually economics and/or sociology), and have benefited in this by the applied business and economics experience gained during my pre-academic career as owner of a commodities trading company. My collaborator on most of this work is Dr. Patricia Zaradic.

Publications

• Zaradic, P. A. and O. R. W. Pergams. 2013. Trends in nature recreation: causes and consequences. Chapter in the Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, 2nd. ed., Academic Press, Elsevier B.V., Netherlands.

• Zaradic, P. A. and O. R. W. Pergams. 2011. The Nature Conservancy’s Long-Term LEAF Program Evaluation 2011. Report by the Red Rock Institute to the Nature Conservancy.

• Zaradic, P.  A., O. R. W. Pergams, and P. Kareiva. 2009. The impact of nature experience on willingness to support conservation. PLoS One: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.000737.

• Pergams, O. R. W. and P. Kareiva. 2009. Support services: A focus on genetic diversity. In: S. A. Levin, S. R. Carpenter, H. C. J. Godfray, A. P. Kinzig, M. Loreau, et al., editors. The Princeton Guide to Ecology. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

• Pergams, O. R. W. and P. A. Zaradic. July 8, 2008. Reply to Jacobs and Manfredo: More support for a pervasive decline in nature-based recreation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA10.1073/pnas.0803331105.

• Pergams, O.R.W. April 22, 2008. Written Testimony of Dr. Oliver R. W. Pergams Director, Red Rock Institute, Inc. Conservation Biologist, University of Illinois at Chicago Before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor.

• Pergams, O. R. W. and P. A. Zaradic. 2008. Evidence for a fundamental and pervasive shift away from nature-based recreation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 105:2295-2300.

• Zaradic, P. A. and O. R. W. Pergams. 2007. Videophilia: Implications for childhood development and conservation. Journal of Developmental Processes 2:130-144.
  

• Fox, H. E., C. Christian, J. C. Nordby, O. R. W. Pergams, G. D. Peterson, and C. R. Pyke. 2006. Perceived barriers to Integrating social science and conservation. Conservation Biology 20:1817-1820.

• Pergams, O. R. W. and P. A. Zaradic. 2006. Is love of nature in the US becoming love of electronic media? 16-year downtrend in national park visits explained by watching movies, playing video games, internet use, and oil prices. Journal of Environmental Management 80:387-393. In this paper we coin a new word: 
• videophilia -  The new human tendency to focus on sedentary activities involving electronic media. 

• Pergams, O. R. W., B. Czech, J. C. Haney, and D. Nyberg. 2004. Linkage of conservation activity to trends in the U.S. economy. Conservation Biology 18:1617-1623.