Improving the Practice of Conservation: a Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda for Conservation Science

Abstract

Effective conservation requires addressing three fundamental questions whose answers can only be sought in conservation practice: (1) What should our goals be and how do we measure progress in reaching them? (2) How can we most effectively take action to achieve conservation? and (3) How can we learn to do conservation better? This essay provides a conceptual framework and research agenda for a conservation science that uses the principles of adaptive management to answer these questions. The framework is based on a general model of a conservation project. The conservation target involves defining the specific area or population the project is trying to influence. This target is affected by direct and indirect threats and opportunities; we provide a table of potential direct threats. Conservation actions that are taken to counter these threats can be divided into approaches, strategies, and specific tools; we present a comprehensive table of potential approaches. Finally, the practicioners that take these actions include individuals, organizations, project alliances, and networks; we define the specific functional roles necessary to achieve effective adaptive management. We then use this framework to outline a research agenda for conservation science that involves defining clear and practical measures of conservation success, determining sound guiding principles for using conservation strategies and tools, and developing the knowledge and skills in individuals and organizations for good adaptive management and thus for making conservation more effective.Mejoramiento de la Práctica de la Conservación: un Marco Conceptual y un Programa Para la Ciencia de la Conservación Resumen: La conservación efectiva requiere trafar tres preguntas fundamentales cuyas respuestas solo pueden encontrarse en la práctica de la conservación: 1) ¿ Cuales deben ser nuestras metas y como medimos el progreso en alcanzarlas? 2) ¿ Cómo podemos realizar acciones más efectivas para lograr la conservación? y 3) ¿ Como podemos contestar a llevar a cabo mejor la conservación? Este ensayo proporciona un marco conceptual y un programa de investigación para una ciencia de la conservación que utiliza los principios del manejo adaptativo para responder estas preguntas. El marco se basa en un modelo general de un proyecto de conservación. El objetivo de conservación involucra la definición del sitio específico o población afectada por el proyecto. Este objetivo es afectado por amenazas directas e indirectas; proporcionamos una tabla de amenazas directas potenciales y otros factores. Las acciones de conservación que se realizan para contrarrestar estas amenazas se pueden dividir en aproximaciones, estrategias y herramientas específicas; presentamos una extensa tabla de aproximaciones potenciales. Finalmente, los actores que pueden participar incluyen individuos, organizaciones, alianzas de proyectos y redes que practican la conservación; definimos los papeles funcionales específicos necesarios para alcanzar un manejo adaptativo eficiente. Luego utiliza...

Bridging the research-practice gap: Conservation research priorities in a Central and Eastern European country

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“…A specific area where integration and co-production of knowledge (by academics and different stakeholders) essentially contributes to natural resource management is, for example, the adaptive management (AM) framework which deals with management problems related to complex systems with high level of uncertainty in a systematic way (Salafsky et al 2002). Salafsky et al (2002) emphasise that AM connects pure science and pure practice building on collaboration and consultation with different stakeholder groups (Schreiber et al, 2004). Although its relevance is profound at the site or project level (e.g.…”

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