Open AccessIncorporating evolutionary principles into environmental management and policy
Author(s) -
Lankau Richard,
Jørgensen Peter Søgaard,
Harris David J.,
Sih Andrew
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
evolutionary applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 68
ISSN - 1752-4571
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00171.x
Subject(s) - threatened species , biology , environmental change , ecology , evolutionary ecology , psychological resilience , adaptation (eye) , selection (genetic algorithm) , environmental resource management , risk analysis (engineering) , climate change , business , computer science , economics , artificial intelligence , psychology , neuroscience , habitat , psychotherapist , host (biology)
As policymakers and managers work to mitigate the effects of rapid anthropogenic environmental changes, they need to consider organisms’ responses. In light of recent evidence that evolution can be quite rapid, this now includes evolutionary responses. Evolutionary principles have a long history in conservation biology, and the necessary next step for the field is to consider ways in which conservation policy makers and managers can proactively manipulate evolutionary processes to achieve their goals. In this review, we aim to illustrate the potential conservation benefits of an increased understanding of evolutionary history and prescriptive manipulation of three basic evolutionary factors: selection, variation, and gene flow. For each, we review and propose ways that policy makers and managers can use evolutionary thinking to preserve threatened species, combat pest species, or reduce undesirable evolutionary changes. Such evolution‐based management has potential to be a highly efficient and consistent way to create greater ecological resilience to widespread, rapid, and multifaceted environmental change.