Many people working toward sustainability recognize the important role
of conservation but are inadequately prepared to deal with the large
spatial, temporal and complexity scales that are involved in large-scale
conservation efforts. Problems in large-scale conservation require
navigating an intermixture of geophysical, biological and political
dimensions. Coming to grips with these many natural and human forces and
factors at large scales, much less the myriad details in any single
case, is challenging in the extreme and becomes more critical with each
day that passes. Large-scale conservation poses many complex challenges
that single disciplines, approaches or methods cannot fully address
alone. Interdisciplinarity can significantly strengthen large-scale
conservation efforts. Throughout Large-Scale Conservation in the Common
Interest the editors and authors argue that a more holistic and
genuinely interdisciplinary approach is required to solve the complex
and growing challenges associated with large-scale conservation. The
chapters within offer such an approach and define key terms, bring
challenges to light and employ case studies to offer concrete practical
and strategic recommendations to help those who are engaged in the
interactive tasks of promoting sustainability and human dignity. This
book is intended for a broad audience, including students and professors
new to the field of large-scale conservation, experienced field-based
practitioners in science and management and decision and policy makers
who set specific and strategic direction for large landscapes.
Professors can use this book to introduce students to the challenges of
successful large-scale conservation design and implementation and to
teach interdisciplinarity as a framework, concept and tool.
Professionals will find this book offers a new way of using science,
management and policy to make decisions. Finally, this volume can be
used as a guide to set up workshops, seminars, or projects involving
diverse people and perspectives.
