What is the future of conservation?

• Published in: Trends in ecology & evolution (Amsterdam) Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 77 - 81
• Main Authors: Doak, Daniel F., Bakker, Victoria J., Goldstein, Bruce Evan, Hale, Benjamin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; conservation NGOs; Conservation of Natural Resources - economics; Conservation of Natural Resources - methods; Conservation of Natural Resources - trends; conservation policy; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Ecosystem; Ethics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Humans; mission statements; Morals; new conservation science; Planning Techniques; United States; United States; conservation policy; new conservation science; mission statements; conservation NGOs; Conservation
• ISSN: 0169-5347; 1872-8383
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2013.10.013

•Some conservation biologists are claiming that contemporary conservation has failed.•However, these critiques and their suggested remedies are not supported by data.•Ethical assumptions, not scientific data, underlie these proposed shifts in the practice of conservation.
In recent years, some conservation biologists and conservation organizations have sought to refocus the field of conservation biology by de-emphasizing the goal of protecting nature for its own sake in favor of protecting the environment for its benefits to humans. This ‘new conservation science’ (NCS) has inspired debate among academics and conservationists and motivated fundamental changes in the world's largest conservation groups. Despite claims that NCS approaches are supported by biological and social science, NCS has limited support from either. Rather, the shift in motivations and goals associated with NCS appear to arise largely from a belief system holding that the needs and wants of humans should be prioritized over any intrinsic or inherent rights and values of nature.