- Arctica!!

Most of the major research topics are often from some great founders writings. In conservation biology , the writings of great authors have certainly been instrumental in the acceptance of these criteria. Soulé , in the 1980s , describes the conservation biology as a science of scarcity and diversity ( Soulé 1986) and posits that conservation biology is a crisis discipline and as a postulate that the diversity of organisms is good ( Soulé 1985). It is now recognized as assumptions that rarity, vulnerability and diversity are key factors justifying themselves , the conservation needs .

The first major type of protected species is , unsurprisingly, rare species and / or vulnerable. Was then considered the key species concept introduced in the late 1960s, allowing retained essential to the functioning of ecosystems species or umbrella species supposed to allow the preservation of the whole space (see "Flagships , umbrellas , and keystones : single - species management is going in the landscape era", Simberloff , 1998)

However, the selection of these species has great heritage and is still the subject of much criticism. The concept of keystone species or umbrella has been questioned because of the ambiguous nature of their definitions (Strong 1992 , Mills and al. 1993).

Today , it is more towards the notions of protection features of ecosystems and their interactions , not to mention the tools provide by the approaches of ecosystem services.

Protected areas manage complex socio -ecological systems and work on the interactions between the natural environment and human activities (Therville et al. , 2012). The pilot sites are therefore preferred for the development of knowledge on biodiversity, ecosystem functionality and production of ecosystem services.

Thanks Alain, those are useful thoughts. So the big ideas thus include:

1. Conservation biology as a science of scarcity and diversity

2. Key species concept, i.e., species that are ecologically essential

3. Umbrella species concept, i.e., species representing larger ecosystems

4. Expansion of ecosystems not only as habitats for also service providers

5. Integration of social and ecological aspects of conservation

Does that sound right?

Molecular branch for biogegraphy`with having habitat approach, could be assumed as a new window in conservation biology. We really don't know anything about harmony possibility among biodiversity pattern. It seems hot spot areas of difference fauna and flora taxon, should have meaningful relationships in same locations.

I think Eric summarized the process, but probably the reasoning is certainly more complex. There are many aspects which are still unknown or little connu.Les multiple relationships between species (which is not limited to trophic relationships ...), the field of micro-organisms .....

Seyed means Gen-centers (the historic hotspot areas of biodiversity). Nicolai Vavilov in 1920-1930-thies proposed this conception for cultural plant crops origin areas (this conception was used to develop the seed collection of wild relatives of crops in Vavilov Plant Breeding Institute, the largest collection in the world). Iran is one of the most important among gen-centers.

Of couse, the conception is much earlier: Noah'c Ark, see the Bible, Koran and Torah. Wide range from the Conservation Landscapes - to natural reserves - to Zoo- and Botanical Gardens, - finishing with reservations and Gulags (for humans). Whether the real conservaton service may be profitable? For sure NOT, only Gulags can be highly economically efficient, but this is an efficiency based on inhumanity and slavery.

Wilderness is and wild places are an area of my own research. What I've discovered for myself is the complexity of these concepts. Christian spirituality and history play a major role. Initially wild places are to be treated as places of fear where the devil confronts and challenges. A place of creatures and people outside 'the law' and 'civilization'. The Christian Desert Fathers use this paradigm as a means of experiencing and expressing their spirituality, as the wild can be viewed as a 'Godless - as in the Christian sense and thus the domain of devils, demons and beasts bent on destruction. We witness this paradigm play out through history in the way lands are 'acquired' and 'managed' i.e. through the destruction of all bears and wolves across the UK. Through the controlling of inhabitants, whether human or not by the application of codes of behavior, rules and laws that can be re-enforced whilst under surveillance. Where this was not the case then these lands were considered lawless and people living in them did so often because their community had withdrawn the protection of their laws from them, making them outside of the law and thus 'outlaws'. So, laws, Godless and wild places were synonymous with each other in the Christian world for a millennium and a half. This is evident in the approach Christian European cultures continued to respond to new lands and that/those living on it repeatedly across the Globe. The Reformation had to occur, so it could be suggested that Martin Luther in 1517 played a hugely significant role, as without him and his thesis Rousseau would not have been able to express his philosophy formed from his own spiritual and practical thoughts and experiences. Of course, Rousseau's work could arguably be 'the birth of the Romantic movement'. The Romantics being known for their changed paradigm of the wild and wilderness to a place of God and beauty; the conception of the science of conservation, the actual birth to become later.

Conservation is a complex interacting system of science, philosophy and spirituality. To try to view it from one isolated aspect of the three must de facto lead to greater problematisations due to the flawed initial methodology being applied.

In addition to Erik's list should be mentioned:

ecological basic concepts such a competition, community, succession, ecosystem, food web, food chain and, more recently, ecological infrastructure.

.

Henny listed the real scientific conceptions, without their authors' names-years. In Erik's list only items 2 and 3 are scientific, other (1,4,5) are political and practical.

Sciences, as we know, are a subset of philosophies, which in turn are generally attempts to address the great problems their surrounding cultures view at the time.

Given the question, the conception of the scientific fields influencing conservation and the current experience in Borneo is a necessary factor needing to be incorporated into an analysis in order to incorporate the influencing factors on the ground. Hence my initial statement. In the context of the above the economist Adam Smith needs to be included with his two publications - 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments' (1759) and the far more famous and influential 'An Inquiry into the Nature and Cause of the Wealth of Nations' (1776). Rousseau's publications 'Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts' (1750), 'Discourse on the Origins of Inequality' (1755) 'Emile, on education' (1762), 'The Social Contract' (1762).

The times in Europe were 'stressed' with the Jacobite uprising starting in the UK following a failed attempt by James Stuart and the French to seize the crowns of England and Scotland in1708, following on from the formation of the Union in 1707. The actual uprising dating from1715 ending 1745, American War of Independence 1776, French Revolution 1789-1799, political and military changes in and around the sphere of Prussia from 1701 to 1772.

As the works of Rousseau and Smith then impacted on the above, so too today does their legacy on the problem of conservation science.

In first part of the starting question, Erik supposed the mutual exchange between conservation theory and conservation practice, but then he restricted to the science-to-practice contribution. I think that a restriction leads to finish of the discussion, it may be revived, if to put the problem bottom-up..

Hi Alexander. I am not sure I quite get what you mean by putting the problem bottom up. My main interest is with the role of conservation science in shaping how we go about conservation practice. There seems to be an assumption that through science the new insights and "big ideas" are generated that these are then used to change conservation practice. But I wonder whether pretty much all ideas originate from practice and that in science these ideas are simply put into fancier wording and published in journal. My question should really be, what is the role of conservation science?

you might want to consider reading ;Michel Foucault;s work 'An Archeology of Knowledge' which analyses claims to knowledge. Science being a way to make a claim to knowledge in the field of wildlife conservation.

Hi Miles. That sounds like the kind of book I should indeed read. Not much of a chance finding that in a Jakarta book shop but I will keep an eye out for it. A claim to knowledge rather than the generation of knowledge. I guess what science helps to do is to seek objectively verifiable evidence for something that we think to be true based on logic or even gut feeling. Then hypotheses could be developed in conservation practice and then tested and distributed through science.

I think, you must consult the international agreements Especially Those of the UN (UNEP, WHO, UNIDO, ....) conventions, protocols, programs and practical guide.

You can find als setting works of these agreements as components legislative, administrative, institutional and technical by the Contracting Parties

You might be able to find a used copy online. I'm not very bright so it took me a little time to get my head around his language/thinking as in a paradigm I'm not used to...