introduction

Question 1

define conservation biology

Answer 1

• “A mission-oriented science that focuses on how to protect and restore biodiversity” - society for conservation biology

Question 2

is it an old discipline?

Answer 2

no. • Relatively recent - conservation biology mostly started in the 80s
• Wasn’t really “labelled” until the 90s

Question 3

three goals of con. biol

Answer 3

1. To document the full range of biological diversity on earth
   
   2. To investigate human impacts on species, genetic variation, and ecosystems
      ○ Applied aspect
   3. To develop practical approaches to prevent the extinction of species, maintain genetic diversity within species, and protect and restore biological communities and their associated ecosystem functions

Question 4

who were emerson and thoreau? what was their contribution

Answer 4

• Emerson and Thoreau
○ Philosophers
○ Famous for emphasizing importance of nature to human society + spirituality
○ Admired by naturalist bc of their eloquent expression of ideas + for recording them in literature

Question 5

why were emerson and th. ideas important

Answer 5

○ Context of the time ex. - mass loss of buffalo due to overhunting - idea of conservation not yet important in society

Question 6

muir and pinchots visions?

Answer 6

○ Muir’s vision focused on protection - conceptualized national parks with his founding of the sierra club
○ Pinchot’s vision was balancing nature with human needs - sustainable exploitation
We cannot exist without exploiting resources, however, it can be limited

Question 7

rachel carson - contributions

Answer 7

○ Most famous for series of essays in her book - discussed use of pesticides and their impact on the environment such as DDT on bird populations
○ She captured the topic in a persuasive way - galvanized many people, contributed to public awareness and conservation movement
○ Changed the mindset of many conservation biologists + industries, politicians, and people into a more active one

Question 8

importance of the scientific method?

Answer 8

• How we use science to understand the world around us
  
  • The study of conservation biology has to be rooted in science, not just natural history - has to be tested
  • Determine causes in order to implement conservation efforts - more effective if you know the cause

Question 9

aldo leopold?

Answer 9

○ Famous for book “a sand county Almanac”
○ Idea of connectedness of humans and nature
○ Importance of finding balance of humans and nature

Question 10

why were these people accredited with such common ideas?

Answer 10

the ideas are common now because of them

Question 11

issue with human population size?

Answer 11

• Increasing exponentially
• Around 10 billion ppl in next 30 years
• Currently 7.8 billion
• Conflicts with nature
• If you put the entire population in a sphere and think about the foot print they have - the sphere would only be a kilometer
○ Utilization of resources - we could get by using less!! Not necessarily an over population issue but an over exploitation and consumption issue

Question 12

shifting baseline concept?

Answer 12

• We become normalized to the changes in our environment - we accept the shift In things that were vastly different or unacceptable in previous times
  
  • Awareness can change based on personal experiences/biases - the time in which we are born can affect what issues concern us

Question 13

ex of shifting baseline

Answer 13

• Ex. Size of fish caught decreased over time, would catch smaller fish with the same effort between decades