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Is There Enough Science for Conservation Action?
Author(s) -
Shaanker Ramanan U.,
Ganeshaiah Kotiganahalli N.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
biotropica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1744-7429
pISSN - 0006-3606
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2010.00690.x
Subject(s) - anthropocentrism , objectivity (philosophy) , conservation science , action (physics) , ecology , conservation psychology , conservation biology , environmental ethics , epistemology , sociology , biology , philosophy , ecosystem , biodiversity , physics , quantum mechanics
ABSTRACT We argue that there is not enough science to appropriately support many of the conservation measures currently being proposed, and hence, we cannot be sure of the objectivity of the conservation actions being implemented. The objectivity claimed to be underlying conservation actions is more assumed than real. We also suggest that the approach to conservation is driven more by moral commitments than by tested concepts, and it is further biased by our anthropocentric evaluation of ecological processes and their outcomes. Conservation science is a young subject, which needs to be nourished while it continues to feed on its roots‐ecology and evolutionary biology.