Whose conservation? Changes in the perception and goals of nature conservation require a solid scientific basis

Abstract

Conservation biology is a missiondriven discipline and is therefore subject to both drift and the periodic adoption of fads and fashions. Although many basic conservation principles, conservation organizations, and initiatives of global reach and impact have persisted almost unchanged for decades, the framing and purpose of conservation have shifted. These shifts mainly relate to how the relationships between people and nature are viewed, with consequences for the science underpinning conservation.