Introduction to Conservation Biology

Conservation biology is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific field that has developed in response to the __________

challenge of preserving species and ecosystems.

Conservation biology has three major goals:

To document the full range of biodiversity on Earth.

To investigate human impact on species, genetic variation, and ecosystems.

To develop practical approaches to prevent the extinction of species, maintain genetic diversity within species, and protect and restore biological communities and their associated ecosystem functions.

The human population in 2014 stands at _______

around 7.2 billion

Conservation biology arose in the 1980s because the traditional applied disciplines of _______ were not comprehensive enough to address the critical threats to biodiversity.

resource management alone

Conservation biology is closely associated with _______, a movement characterized by political and educational activism with the goal of protecting the natural environment from destruction and pollution.

environmentalism

Conservation biology merges applied and theoretical biology and incorporates ideas and expertise from a ___________, toward the goal of preserving biodiversity.

broad range of fields outside the natural sciences

Conservation biology represents a synthesis of many basic sciences that provide _________ for the applied fields of resource management.

principles and new approaches

Conservation biology’s ethical principles:

The diversity of species and ecosystems should be preserved.

The untimely extinction of populations and species should be preserved.

Ecological complexity should be maintained.

Evolution should continue.

Biodiversity has intrinsic value.

• People enjoy seeing the diversity of life, as shown by the growing popularity of butterfly gardens

The origins of conservation biology can be traced to religious and philosophical beliefs concerning the relationship between _________

human societies and the natural world.

_______: An influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, glaciologist, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the US.

His letters, essays, and books describing his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada, have been read by millions

The Sierra Club, which he co-founded, is a prominent American conservation organization.

John Muir (1838-1914)

_________: Learned forest management in Europe and pioneered forestry in the U.S.

Established the U.S. Forest Service in 1905.

Founder of the American Society of Foresters.

Conservation philosophy was ‘wise and sustained use’.

Gifford Pinchot (1865–1946)

__________: Regarded as the ‘father’ of wildlife management.

Born in Burlington, Iowa. Graduated from Yale in 1909.

Started career with the U.S. Forest Service in AZ & NM.

In 1937, Leopold cofounded The Wildlife Society.

Leopold may well have been the most influential figure to speak for conservation in the 20th century.

Aldo Leopold (1887–1948)

________: An American marine biologist, author, and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement.

Carson began her career as an aquatic biologist in the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, and became a full-time nature writer in the 1950s.

Carson turned her attention to conservation, especially some problems that she believed were caused by synthetic pesticides.

Rachel Carson (1907–1964)