Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development

Increase Conservation Efforts:
- Raising conservation efforts leads to a stabilized biodiversity maintaining current life levels (represented by the red line).
- To create a more nature-positive future, it is crucial to complement conservation with ecological restoration and sustainable development (represented by the green line).

To effectively address biodiversity loss, conservation efforts must integrate with remediation methods that include:
- Preserving What Remains: Protecting existing ecosystems and species.
- Recovering What Has Been Lost: Focusing on repairing damage already done to ecosystems.

Restoration Ecology: The study aimed at repairing ecosystems that have been damaged, degraded, or destroyed beyond their natural recovery capability within a sensible time frame.
Ecological Restoration: A practice utilizing human interventions to reverse damage, degradation, or destruction of ecosystems.

Complementary Management Approaches:
  - Conservation Biology: Utilizes techniques from:
    - Biological sciences.
    - Natural resource management.
  - Ecological Restoration: Draws from:
    - Ecological design (such as landscape architecture, urban planning).
    - Engineering disciplines (environmental, civil, structural).
    - Geosciences (hydrology, geomorphology, pedology).
    - Construction methods (green construction, mixed-use projects).

Ecosystem Enhancement: The process of adding features (chemical, physical, biological) to a degraded ecosystem to improve its structure or functionality.
- Example: Adding gravel in streambeds to enhance spawning habitat for salmon.

These terms refer to making partial improvements to degraded ecosystems for better utility.
  - Rehabilitation: Reinstating some ecosystem functions at degraded sites where full restoration is impossible, e.g., replanting trees to stabilize soil erosion despite soil loss.
  - Reclamation: Minimizing adverse environmental impacts of activities, such as mining, to return land to a beneficial state.
  - Remediation: Cleaning contaminants from polluted ecosystems through physical or biological methods, ensuring human health and ecosystem integrity.

Re-creation of Ecosystems: Constructing a novel ecosystem that mirrors certain original ecosystem attributes when complete restoration is impossible.
- Example: Recreating wetlands destroyed for agricultural use.

Definition: Sustainable Development seeks to balance human needs and environmental considerations.
Seeks equilibrium between:
  - Economic wellbeing.
  - Social equity.
  - Environmental integrity.

Economic Imperative: To meet basic human needs and provide a livable standard for all.
Ecological Imperative: To respect environmental limits and remain within the Earth’s biophysical carrying capacity.
Social Imperative: To foster socially equitable systems that align with people's values and desires.

No Poverty: End poverty in all forms everywhere.
Zero Hunger: Improve food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture.
Good Health and Well-Being: Promote health for all ages.
Quality Education: Ensure equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.
Gender Equality: Achieve gender equity and empower women and girls.
Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure sustainable management of water and sanitation.
Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to sustainable energy solutions for everyone.

Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained economic growth and decent employment.
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure and promote sustainable industrialization.
Reduced Inequalities: Minimize inequality within and among countries.
Sustainable Cities and Communities: Foster safe, resilient, and sustainable urban settlements.
Responsible Production and Consumption: Promote sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Climate Action: Urgently combat climate change and its effects.
Life Below Water: Sustainably use the oceans and marine resources.

Life on Land: Protect and restore ecosystems while managing forests and combating land degradation.
Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Promote peaceful societies with access to justice for everyone.
Partnerships for the Goals: Foster revitalized global partnerships for sustainable development.

Most biodiversity still exists.
World population growth is slowing, possibly reducing biodiversity loss.
Growing societal momentum and recognition of nature loss.
Inclusive approaches to valuing biodiversity that recognize instrumental and intrinsic values.
Improved evidence-based practices, methodologies, and technologies for conservation.
Human innovation as a driver for resolving biodiversity crises.
Increasing diversity in conservation disciplines, recognizing that biodiversity loss is a global concern demanding diverse perspectives.