The scope of conservation

Question 1

conservation as a cultural force/ social movement

Answer 1

• expression of people’s desire to preserve elements of the natural world that they value
• some people believe everyone has an innate love of the natural environment and therefore feel a need to protect it, biophilia
• encourages societies to reflect upon and regulate their relationship with the natural world

Question 2

conservation causes

Answer 2

• saving rare species from extinction
• protection of wilderness areas where human populations are small
• prevention of unnecessary slaughter and overexploitation of wild animals

Question 3

different regions have different emphasis in conservation

Answer 3

• North America tends to focus on protecting their large areas of untouched wilderness with low population densities, keeping them wild
• Europe has little wilderness left, so tends to focus on preserving particular species and cultural landscapes in the context of humans. The focus is still managing the landscape but less intensively, restoring them back to pre-industrial land use
• East Asian practices tend to focus on creating harmony and balance between humans and wilderness

Question 4

how conservationists work with governments

Answer 4

• funding for sustainable development policies and alleviation of poverty
• ecosystem services facilitate sustainable development
• conserving ecosystem services such as clean water, erosion control and crop pollination

Question 5

how conservationists work with popular culture

Answer 5

• engage and raise awareness with the general public
• species introduction and habitat restoration usually engaging
• local initiatives such as tree planting

Question 6

how conservationists work with businesses

Answer 6

• rising market for green consumerism, organic and fair-trade certified products
• commitment to no net loss of biodiversity, may be to improve image (possible greenwashing)

Question 7

conservation vs animal welfare movement

Answer 7

• animal welfare movement concerned with how humans treat individual animals
  conservation movement concerned with relationship between society and nature
• e.g. primate rehabilitation centres benefit individual primates but have limited benefits to wild primate populations (conservation goal)
• also potential for conflict when it come to the management of invasive species

Question 8

conservation vs environmentalism movement

Answer 8

• environmentalism more human centered, focused on maintaining an environment that is healthy for humans and creating equity in distribution of environmental benefits and costs
• more concerned with ‘brown’ issues; pollution, toxins, waste disposal, resource extraction
• engages with major industries that affect the environment; energy, transport, agriculture, fisheries, forestry
• conservation is more nature centered and concerned with ‘green’ issues; protection and restoration of species, sites and habitats