when considering large areas. It may happen similarly with biodiversity preservation and any other of the components of current global change. Although ecological
services to mitigate global change issues can be modest, the symbolism of mountain
nature reserves may be valuable. Actions in mountain reserves may be mirrored in
other areas covering larger extensions. It is not only a matter of education but also
of symbolism. Mountains have had a symbolic appeal since ancient times, and they
are still being so. Current conservation goals may emotionally link people to those
traditional values [e.g., sacred lakes and forests (Brandt et al. 2013)].
1.5.6 Conservation Beyond Conservation
The conservation paradigm was built in a context in which a large part of the
population had actual contact with natural environments through a rural life or
recent memory of them. Even in those circumstances, the understanding and
emotional connection to nature varied among cultures (Crowley 2013). Nowadays,
more than half of the population of the planet has moved to the cities and a large
part of the population in developed countries has only incidental contact with
nature. Even among those that expend a lot of time outdoors, most are of urban
origin, many are sports practitioners or specialized collectors with a limited
understanding (interest) for how nature works as a whole. Conservation has had
always a double appeal: emotional and rational. The hankering of preserving a past
legacy is now challenged by global change but also by the loss of tight connections
of humankind with nature.
The conservation paradigm has to face the new situation and accumulate as
many as possible rational and emotional arguments. A leading token in that sense is
the global stewardship humans are responsible for (Steffen et al. 2011). In this
situation, new conservation values emerge; for instance, microbial conservation
(Casamayor 2017) and biogeochemical ecosystem services (Garcia-Pausas et al.
2017). Saving big trees and bears is fine, but consciousness about our intervention
in the dynamics of the whole planet system and the need to respond in an appropriate way to this challenge becomes a priority in the conservation paradigm. In
contrast to trees and bears, microbes and biogeochemical pathways are scarcely
apparent. Communication and visualization techniques in nature reserves have a
great role to play in this issue, including the use of new technologies.
The more conservation suffers from social pressure, the more it is involved in the
economic arena. This has pros and cons, but the tendency of a growing economics
around conservation calls for more expert attention (Sala et al. 2013). The environment has been progressively accepted as an economic sector as pollution
problems have been growing. Conservation has not fully been included yet in the
same dynamics. It is still viewed in aesthetical terms rather than as a critical part of
the socio-economic affairs. This flawy attitude is even shared by some professionals
of environmental issues. They see conservation as a matter of preserving beautiful
1 The High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World
27
services to mitigate global change issues can be modest, the symbolism of mountain
nature reserves may be valuable. Actions in mountain reserves may be mirrored in
other areas covering larger extensions. It is not only a matter of education but also
of symbolism. Mountains have had a symbolic appeal since ancient times, and they
are still being so. Current conservation goals may emotionally link people to those
traditional values [e.g., sacred lakes and forests (Brandt et al. 2013)].
1.5.6 Conservation Beyond Conservation
The conservation paradigm was built in a context in which a large part of the
population had actual contact with natural environments through a rural life or
recent memory of them. Even in those circumstances, the understanding and
emotional connection to nature varied among cultures (Crowley 2013). Nowadays,
more than half of the population of the planet has moved to the cities and a large
part of the population in developed countries has only incidental contact with
nature. Even among those that expend a lot of time outdoors, most are of urban
origin, many are sports practitioners or specialized collectors with a limited
understanding (interest) for how nature works as a whole. Conservation has had
always a double appeal: emotional and rational. The hankering of preserving a past
legacy is now challenged by global change but also by the loss of tight connections
of humankind with nature.
The conservation paradigm has to face the new situation and accumulate as
many as possible rational and emotional arguments. A leading token in that sense is
the global stewardship humans are responsible for (Steffen et al. 2011). In this
situation, new conservation values emerge; for instance, microbial conservation
(Casamayor 2017) and biogeochemical ecosystem services (Garcia-Pausas et al.
2017). Saving big trees and bears is fine, but consciousness about our intervention
in the dynamics of the whole planet system and the need to respond in an appropriate way to this challenge becomes a priority in the conservation paradigm. In
contrast to trees and bears, microbes and biogeochemical pathways are scarcely
apparent. Communication and visualization techniques in nature reserves have a
great role to play in this issue, including the use of new technologies.
The more conservation suffers from social pressure, the more it is involved in the
economic arena. This has pros and cons, but the tendency of a growing economics
around conservation calls for more expert attention (Sala et al. 2013). The environment has been progressively accepted as an economic sector as pollution
problems have been growing. Conservation has not fully been included yet in the
same dynamics. It is still viewed in aesthetical terms rather than as a critical part of
the socio-economic affairs. This flawy attitude is even shared by some professionals
of environmental issues. They see conservation as a matter of preserving beautiful
1 The High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World
27