CHAPTER 10
Prospects and Challenges
Richard J. Ladle
1,2 and Robert J. Whittaker
1
1 School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
2
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Vi ç osa, Brazil
10.1 WHY WE NEED CONSERVATION
BIOGEOGRAPHY
The death of a species is a more remarkable event
than the end of an imperial dynasty.
(Orton 1869 , p. 540, commenting
on the demise of the Great Auk.)
The world is in the midst of an unparalleled period of
biotic change driven by human alterations of the
natural environment. Even with the considerable gaps
in our basic knowledge of global biodiversity, there is
still good evidence for an increase in species extinctions
relative to natural background rates (Lawton & May,
1995 ). This human - induced crisis began towards the
end of the Pleistocene as modern humans began to
spread out from Africa, bringing their tool - using and
ecosystem - transforming habits to other land masses
(Wilson, 1992 ; Lomolino et al. , 2010 ).
Notwithstanding that there remains huge uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and signifi cance of
current patterns of species extinction (Ladle, 2009 ),
much of this uncertainty relates to poor knowledge of
baseline diversity levels, rather than to whether species
extinction rates have been elevated by humans. For
example, in 2000, at a discussion hosted by the
National Academy of Sciences of the United States of
America on the ‘ Future of Evolution ’ the expert panel
unanimously agreed that current extinction rates are
50 – 500 times background and are still increasing
(Woodruff, 2001 ).
Additional to the recent historical patterns of elevated rates of extinction driven by habitat conversion,
hunting and biotic homogenization is the spectre of
rapid anthropogenic climate change, which has the
potential to cause dramatic shifts in the distributions
of species and ecosystems before the end of the
current century (Chapter 7 ). Each of these processes
is diffi cult enough to model on its own, but there are,
of course, interactions and synergies (multiplying
effects) between them. For example, as habitats shift
and transform (and sometimes disappear completely),
exotic species will shift in their distributions alongside
native species, with both new arrivals and old members
of the regional biota invading new territories, forming
up assemblages and communities with no modern or
past analogues (Chapters 3 , 7 and 9 ).
Conservation biogeography will not be a source of
cure - alls, but it can provide the tools and concepts that
are needed to make scientifi cally informed choices
about what and where to protect, the consequences
of different policies, or of not acting at all (Table
10.1 ). This is essential, because effective biodiversity
conservation requires that governments and other
policy - making bodies make rational decisions about
land use (or ocean use) and management that are
based on the most accurate and up - to - date
information.
Biogeographers also have an important role to play
by contributing to the debate about the ultimate
goals of conservation through education and public
engagement (Ladle, 2008 ; Devictor et al. , 2010 ). As
Conservation Biogeography
Edited by Richard J. Ladle and Robert J. Whittaker
© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. ISBN: 978-1-444-33503-3
Prospects and Challenges
Richard J. Ladle
1,2 and Robert J. Whittaker
1
1 School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
2
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Vi ç osa, Brazil
10.1 WHY WE NEED CONSERVATION
BIOGEOGRAPHY
The death of a species is a more remarkable event
than the end of an imperial dynasty.
(Orton 1869 , p. 540, commenting
on the demise of the Great Auk.)
The world is in the midst of an unparalleled period of
biotic change driven by human alterations of the
natural environment. Even with the considerable gaps
in our basic knowledge of global biodiversity, there is
still good evidence for an increase in species extinctions
relative to natural background rates (Lawton & May,
1995 ). This human - induced crisis began towards the
end of the Pleistocene as modern humans began to
spread out from Africa, bringing their tool - using and
ecosystem - transforming habits to other land masses
(Wilson, 1992 ; Lomolino et al. , 2010 ).
Notwithstanding that there remains huge uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and signifi cance of
current patterns of species extinction (Ladle, 2009 ),
much of this uncertainty relates to poor knowledge of
baseline diversity levels, rather than to whether species
extinction rates have been elevated by humans. For
example, in 2000, at a discussion hosted by the
National Academy of Sciences of the United States of
America on the ‘ Future of Evolution ’ the expert panel
unanimously agreed that current extinction rates are
50 – 500 times background and are still increasing
(Woodruff, 2001 ).
Additional to the recent historical patterns of elevated rates of extinction driven by habitat conversion,
hunting and biotic homogenization is the spectre of
rapid anthropogenic climate change, which has the
potential to cause dramatic shifts in the distributions
of species and ecosystems before the end of the
current century (Chapter 7 ). Each of these processes
is diffi cult enough to model on its own, but there are,
of course, interactions and synergies (multiplying
effects) between them. For example, as habitats shift
and transform (and sometimes disappear completely),
exotic species will shift in their distributions alongside
native species, with both new arrivals and old members
of the regional biota invading new territories, forming
up assemblages and communities with no modern or
past analogues (Chapters 3 , 7 and 9 ).
Conservation biogeography will not be a source of
cure - alls, but it can provide the tools and concepts that
are needed to make scientifi cally informed choices
about what and where to protect, the consequences
of different policies, or of not acting at all (Table
10.1 ). This is essential, because effective biodiversity
conservation requires that governments and other
policy - making bodies make rational decisions about
land use (or ocean use) and management that are
based on the most accurate and up - to - date
information.
Biogeographers also have an important role to play
by contributing to the debate about the ultimate
goals of conservation through education and public
engagement (Ladle, 2008 ; Devictor et al. , 2010 ). As
Conservation Biogeography
Edited by Richard J. Ladle and Robert J. Whittaker
© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. ISBN: 978-1-444-33503-3