Research work · 2019
The Rise of Conservation Biology
Bradley J. Cardinale, Richard B. Primack, James D. Murdoch
Conservation Biology
Abstract
This chapter discusses the rise of conservation biology. Conservation biology is an interdisciplinary field that brings together experts from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and economics as well as practices from natural resource management for a common purpose: to protect Earth's biodiversity. The field has three primary goals: to investigate and describe the full variety of life on the planet; to evaluate and predict the effects of human activities on biodiversity; and to develop practical solutions to protect and manage biodiversity sustainably. Since emerging as a distinct field in the mid-1980s, conservation biology has grown dramatically. The chapter traces the origins of conservation before looking at contemporary conservation biology and structured decision-making.