Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026
07:10
At-Risk Butterfly Captive Propagation Programs to Enhance Life History Knowledge and Effective Ex Situ Conservation Techniques
Published on: February 11, 2020
7.8K
Conservation Research Is Not Happening Where It Is Most Needed
Kerrie A Wilson1, Nancy A Auerbach1, Katerina Sam2,3
1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Plos Biology
|March 30, 2016
Summary
Conservation science research is biased, with less work done in biodiverse nations and local scientists underrepresented. Addressing these biases is crucial for achieving global biodiversity targets.
Area of Science:
- Conservation science
- Biodiversity research
- Global environmental policy
Background:
- The Convention on Biological Diversity's Target 19 aims to enhance biodiversity knowledge and technology.
- Significant biases in conservation science hinder the achievement of global biodiversity goals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze key biases in conservation science research.
- To propose solutions for mitigating these biases to better achieve Target 19.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of research output and representation in international forums within the field of conservation science.
- Review of existing policies and practices in scientific publishing and international collaboration.
Main Results:
- Conservation research is disproportionately concentrated outside, rather than within, the world's most biodiverse countries.
- In-country research is often not led by local scientists, who also face underrepresentation in international scientific forums.
Conclusions:
- Addressing geographical and representation biases in conservation science is essential for meeting Target 19.
- Solutions include reforming open access policies, improving science communication, revising author attribution, and strengthening research capacity in biodiverse nations.
Related Concept Videos
01:57What is Conservation Biology?
24.8K
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
24.8K
02:07Conservation of Declining Populations
13.6K
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
13.6K
02:04Conservation of Small Populations
17.7K
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...
17.7K
00:54Conservation of Energy
11.6K
The terms 'conserved quantity' and 'conservation law' have specific scientific meanings in physics, which differ from the meanings associated with their everyday use. For example, in everyday usage, water could be conserved by not using it, by using less of it, or by re-using it. However, in scientific terms, a conserved quantity of a system stays constant, changes by a definite amount that is transferred to other systems, and is converted into other forms of that...
11.6K
01:12Conservation of Energy: Application
8.5K
When solving problems using the energy conservation law, the object (system) to be studied should first be identified. Often, in applications of energy conservation, we study more than one body at the same time. Second, identify all forces acting on the object and determine whether each force doing work is conservative. If a non-conservative force (e.g., friction) is doing work, then mechanical energy is not conserved. The system must then be analyzed with non-conservative work. Third, for...
8.5K
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
21.8K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
21.8K