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Explora: Environment
and Resource COVID-19 impact on forest biodiversity attitudes

beneficiaries of this act; however, generally, it resulted in into another, hence arguing for sustainable management
disaster for the wider global population. targeting integrated social-natural system management.
History witnessed that humans disrupt the natural The Theory of Planned Behavior by Ajzen (1991) also may
ecological system, such as cutting trees and hunting be useful in understanding the effects that changes during
animals for their survival – initially as a source of food the pandemic have had on people’s attitudes, subjective
and then digressing toward gaining economic prosperity. norms, and perceived behavioral control over conservation
That artificial disruption is termed as loss of biodiversity. behaviors. Drawing on these theoretical lenses, the present
Before the scientific advancements, humans are unaware of findings together reveal a change in public attitudes toward
the future negative consequences. However, technological biodiversity and conservation during the pandemic and
advancements, especially in medical sciences, hint that an increasing value of natural environments under threat
loss of biodiversity appears to impact socioecological by human activities among people as well as increasing
dimensions (e.g., Keesing et al.), due to the emergence of conservation support.
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fatal diseases and other health-related issues. This is largely This study, therefore, aims to investigate the attitude
confirmed by the result of the emergence of contagious of the public toward biodiversity loss, particularly
illnesses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola, focusing on determining the relationships between
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and other bat–borne viruses. The latest coronavirus deforestation and its impact on the plants, mammals,
pandemic that reportedly originated in Wuhan is said to and birds’ extinctions. Furthermore, due to the recent
be the result of the animal virus, which finds a more secure surge of COVID-19, it would be interesting to establish
host in humans. a moderating effect of COVID-19 awareness on the
Malaysia is known for its incredibly diversified flora extinction of plants, mammals, and birds. To understand
and fauna. Malaysia has over 15,000 species of animal this phenomenon, an explanatory study is conducted.
diversity. In Malaysia, however, forest cover was reduced A detailed questionnaire is designed, using the Likert
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by 96,000 ha/year. Natural ecosystems have undergone the scale, focusing on the factors explained as above. The
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most dramatic changes in the last 50 years when Malaysia questionnaires were distributed throughout Malaysian
embarked on a path of rapid economic development. states. To measure the impact, SMART-PLS software was
Commercial rubber and oil palm plantations, as well as used by virtue of the global recognition of the research
other crops, were established in lowland forests suited for results it produced.
agriculture. Some plant and animal species in Malaysia are The following research questions are formulated:
deemed endangered because of the loss of their natural RQ1: What is the public perception toward loss of
habitats, over-collection and hunting, and pollution. These biodiversity and what is the nature of their attitudes
are potential reasons which may contribute to biodiversity to conserve biodiversity in Malaysia?
loss in Malaysia. RQ2: What lessons could be learned from COVID-19
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic pandemic?
has significantly changed how people engage with natural The results of this study may benefit the policymakers
environments, leading to a reassessment of perspectives and managers responsible for conserving biodiversity in
on forest biodiversity and nature preservation. Insights Malaysia. It may assist in designing policies to conserve the
from environmental psychology reveal that prolonged natural habitat using awareness and regulations, which may
lockdowns have increased awareness of local natural have been unintentionally neglected due to information
settings, with theories such as Kaplan’s attention asymmetry. Moreover, it may help managers to embed
restoration theory and Wilson’s Biophilia Hypothesis standard operating procedures within their organization
underlining the mental health benefits of connecting with to create a culture of environmental citizenship and hence
nature. Conservation biology has emphasized the crucial constrain the environmental footprints from going beyond
role of biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem health and control.
preventing diseases, as evidenced by the zoonotic origins This research paper is prepared into sections. Section 1
of COVID-19 and concepts such as the dilution effect, describes the significance of the research and objectives,
which propose that higher biodiversity can mitigate the and section 2 reviews the applicable literature. Section 3
spread of pathogens. describes the theoretical-conceptual framework, and

Systems theory of socioecological systems contributed section 4 presents the materials and methods used in this
to conceptualizing the correlations between human well- study. Outcomes and discussion are presented in section 5,
being and the integrity of biophysical systems, suggesting and section 6 discusses brief conclusions and explores
that large-scale disturbances in one domain may feedback future instructions.

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2024) 2 doi: 10.36922/eer.3615