Ein neuer Naturschutz für das Anthropozän (Essay)

Abstract

Nature conservation experiences a phase of vivid debates about its fundamental principles. The underlying basic question is: how can biodiversity be saved and major species extinction be avoided, when most of the planet is affected by human land use and anthropogenic environmental change including climate change? This implies three more specific questions: To what extent does a spatial separation of conservation areas and land use still work? When can nature disturbed by human still be restored to a pre-human state? How should novel species assemblies, and especially those composed of non-native species, be managed? I will in this article discuss current literature dealing with these three questions and propose a middle way between extreme positions, that neither solely relies on the principles of traditional nature conservation nor fully embraces novel anthropogenic nature.