Book Preface

Few things are as exciting as seeing a new insight in its original form, with all the ambiguity and uncertainty that accompanies the first articulation of an idea. For that reason, I have always loved studying biology through its primary literature, and I've always hated biology textbooks. Most of the textbooks I read as a student and have used as a teacher resembled well-ordered intellectual cemeteries, not gardens of ideas in bloom. These texts presented their concepts as a kind of catechism in which students were taught to recite the "correct" responses to formalized questions whose answers were known long ago. The body of ideas that had once held the life of the discipline was dismembered into chapters that bore little apparent relation to one another.

Why I Wrote This Textbook

I believe that conservation biology should be taught as a unity of thought and practice expressed through a coherent foundation of concepts, theories, facts, and values, not as a loose assemblage of impressive disciplinary expertise. A unified textbook of conservation biology does not attempt to present every subject that conservation biologists have studied, but instead defines the context and relationships of controlling ideas, problems, and applications of the discipline. Critical facts and case histories are important, but are meaningless without context. We do not remember facts that we memorized years, or even days, ago simply for the purpose of passing a test. Rather, we remember information that skilled teachers imbued with meaning, that inspired and enlightened us, and that led to an understanding of our own discipline, and our place and purpose in it.

How This Text Is Organized

Guided by these convictions, I have organized this textbook around three fundamental questions about conservation biology that give meaning to diverse research and management efforts. Readers should proceed with these questions in mind. First, how did conservation biology become a distinct discipline, and what keeps conservation biology from being absorbed into related disciplines? Second, what are the fundamental intellectual, conceptual, and practical problems that conservation biologists must address and solve? Third, what is the role of conservation biology in achieving "success" in conservation in ways that affect all dimensions of the human experience?

The question of conservation biology's origin and distinctions is examined in the first five chapters of the book, collectively called "Foundations." In that section, readers explore the recent history of conservation and conservation biology (Chapter One); the legal foundations and policies that empower conservation (Chapter Two); the sources of ethics and values that give meaning, depth, and direction to conservation biology's goals (Chapter Three); the emphasis conservation biology places on the concept, measurement, and value of biodiversity (Chapter Four); and the intellectual paradigms that have formed conservation biology's theoretical foundation and directed its research agenda (Chapter Five). The next section - "Concepts" - explores the more detailed conceptual, theoretical, and analytical framework of basic problems that conservation biology attempts to solve. These chapters examine ways to conserve genetic diversity (Chapter Six), conserve populations and species (Chapter Seven), protect and manage terrestrial and aquatic habitat (Chapters Eight and Nine), and manage ecosystems (Chapter Ten). The final section (Applications) examines, in three chapters, some ways to apply the fruits of research and management at various scales. First, I explore direct applications of conservation science to the problems of restoring species, habitats, and ecosystems (Chapter Eleven). Second, I consider ways to achieve broader, socially based applications of conservation to problems of economics and sustainable development (Chapter Twelve). Finally, I describe practical ways for students to make career commitments to conservation, to function effectively within a community of conservation professionals, and to prepare for emerging trends in the field (Chapter Thirteen).

Pedagogy Encourages Reflection

In a classroom setting, education has two dimensions-- presentation and process. Textbooks and teachers have traditionally emphasized the former and neglected the latter. Presentation is important, and I have done my best to organize ideas carefully and make every sentence count. However, presentation of information can occur with incredible speed (especially if the speaker is armed with good presentation software and a laptop) without any learning taking place. Process, not presentation, is learning's limiting step. Thus, I interrupt each chapter at certain points with a question or related group of questions, boxed in inserts labeled "Points of Engagement." These questions raise issues and problems about material that has been presented, and provide students an opportunity to work with, reflect upon, or discuss concepts and their implications before proceeding further. I am sure that many instructors can improve upon my questions or replace them altogether with substitutes of their own. But I do recommend the technique to engage students regularly in the flow of ideas.

For similar reasons, and because of my enthusiasm for primary literature, at the end of each chapter one will find four groups of questions arranged to facilitate "Directed Discussions" about assigned readings from peer-reviewed journals. These differ from the usual "Questions for Discussion" that appear at the ends of chapters in most textbooks. In the format you will find here, each question leads logically to the next, and students must spend time reading scientific literature to see how ideas were initially presented. I admit this approach requires more effort from instructors and students, but unprepared, speculative, and unfocused discussions have been of little value in my own teaching and preparation of students for a professional environment.

In addition to the two important features above, each chapter opens with a thoughtful Quote and a list of Learning Objectives, written in such a way as to encourage active learning and critical evaluation. Important Key Terms are highlighted to signify definitions and help students review chapter material. These key terms are also defined in the end-of-book Glossary. Finally, a comprehensive list of Literature Cited concludes each chapter and offers the student a bibliography on which to depend for research or further reading.

Web-Enhanced

The World Wide Web is a valuable resource for students and instructors, and offers vast amounts of information to supplement what you will read in this textbook. At the end of each chapter there is a list of topics that relate to and enrich the material just covered. This list of Web Resources is repeated as hot links on the book's accompanying website. The website also offers test questions, images to use in classroom presentations, links to professional organizations, global issues and case studies, and animations.

Unique Approach

This text strives to be genuinely interdisciplinary in its approach. Although an understanding of biological facts and concepts is essential and given pride of place, the text takes seriously the contributions of law, political science, economics, ethics, sociology, and other disciplines to the modern conservation effort. Additionally, my book does not conceal issues of ambiguity and uncertainty in conservation science, or issues of controversy in conservation ethics and policy. I do not believe that we should shield students, at any level, from the inherently controversial, often contentious, nature of the scientific effort, nor should we try to protect them from the messy uncertainties that inevitably arise when we attempt to translate research results into management decisions. Many years of working with state and federal conservation agencies, combined with the shared experiences of other conservation professionals whom I respect, have convinced me that such uncertainty is best acknowledged quickly and forthrightly, lest it lead to recommendations that are more precise than accurate, and produce professionals that are more arrogant than useful. Thus, this text not only explains, but also critiques, the foundational practices, techniques, and concepts of conservation biology. My purpose in taking this approach is not to create a spirit of negativism or confusion, but to provoke current and future conservation biologists to examine their foundational premises carefully and make continued efforts to improve all aspects of conservation practice.

This text also takes a stand on some issues. My intent in doing so is not to indoctrinate students or to eliminate the possibility of alternative positions. Indeed, I do my best to present fairly all reasonable alternatives in serious controversies, but cases will arise in which action becomes impossible without commitment. Different commitments lead to different actions, and different actions lead to different outcomes, but such commitments are unavoidable and essential to the practice of conservation biology.

Acknowledgements

I am most grateful for the reviewers who noted faults in earlier drafts of this text. These excellent scientists and teachers supplied many helpful suggestions to improve the book, and I have done my best to follow their advice. Errors that remain are entirely my responsibility. Kathy Loewenberg, Mary Powers, Marge Kemp, Dianne Berning and others at McGraw Hill Publishers persevered with me to make the book more attractive and functional for every reader. Elizabeth Truesdell, Brian Darby, Nathan De Jager, Krista Anderson, and David Hoekman contributed greatly to the preparation of figures and tables, and suffered long and without complaint under the many demands I placed on their time and talent. Teresa Cerchio assisted me with many final adjustments of tables and figures, often on short notice, arranged innumerable express mailings of manuscripts, and was an unfailing source of cheer and encouragement under the most stressful conditions. My greatest debt is to Krista Clements, who served from start to finish as my editorial advisor and consultant. Her superb editorial skills transformed many pages of hopelessly muddled expression into readable and professional prose and corrected innumerable errors in the process. Her ruthless and relentless editor's eye, however, was bound to a kind and encouraging heart that helped me to persevere throughout the many discouragements of this effort. Finally, I am most grateful to my wife Linda for her patience and support, especially through the final months of work when I was rarely seen at home. I hope to make amends for this neglect in the coming year.

Fred Van Dyke

2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
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