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Elemental conservation units: communicating extinction risk without dictating targets for protection.

Chris C Wood1, Mart R Gross

  • 1Conservation Biology Section, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6N7, Canada. woodc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology
|February 8, 2008
PubMed
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Protecting biodiversity below the species level requires clear goals. The elemental conservation unit (ECU) framework separates scientific extinction risk assessment from societal protection decisions, offering a flexible approach.

Area of Science:

  • Conservation Biology
  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Debate exists on the best approach to conserve biodiversity below the species level.
  • Distinguishing between preserving maximum biodiversity and minimizing loss of ecosystem services is crucial.
  • Separating scientific assessment of extinction risk from normative protection goals is necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a framework for conserving biodiversity below the species level.
  • To distinguish between abstract biodiversity preservation and pragmatic ecosystem service maintenance.
  • To differentiate scientific risk assessment from societal protection target setting.

Main Methods:

  • Defined the elemental conservation unit (ECU) as a demographically isolated population.

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  • Proposed that ECU extinction risk be assessed over relevant time scales (e.g., 100 years).
  • Advocated for integrating scientific advice on ECU loss probability and consequences into landscape planning.

    • Main Results:

    • The elemental conservation unit (ECU) is identified as the smallest meaningful scale for extinction risk assessment.
    • ECU loss is irreversible within human intervention time frames without human intervention.
    • The ECU approach separates scientific assessment from societal value judgments.

    Conclusions:

    • The elemental conservation unit (ECU) framework offers a flexible approach for conservation decision-making.
    • Scientific advice on extinction risk should be provided distinctly from normative conservation target setting.
    • This framework ensures scientific data informs, but does not dictate, societal conservation priorities.