Whither Conservation Biology Research?
Whither Conservation Biology Research?
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保护生物学研究何去何从？
DOI：
10.1046/j.1523-1739.2001.0150041187.x
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发表时间：
2001
影响因子：
6.3
通讯作者：
M. Soulé
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
G. Orians;M. Soulé
保护生物学的诞生是科学界对当前地球上发生的大规模环境变化的一种反应。它的主要任务是提供知识和技术工具，使社会能够预测，预防和减少生态破坏，并产生科学信息，有效的保护政策可以设计和实施。为了有效地执行这些任务，保护生物学家需要定期评估他们当前研究的方向和重点，以确定他们的研究是否真正服务于管理者，决策者和保护倡导者的需求，因此我们寻求保护的无数物种。保护生物学学会（SCB）的第一次努力，以确定主要的，令人信服的研究优先事项是在1988年4月召开了一个研讨会。讲习班参加者集中讨论了确定下一个十年科学研究的优先领域。尽管与会者确定了许多重要的研究课题，但他们就以下五个最优先领域达成了共识：（1）一个广泛调查和绘图的应急方案，以确定对保护自然和遗传资源至关重要的地区，因为这些地区具有高度的生物多样性或高度的特有性，或因为重要或不寻常的生境和/或生物多样性即将遭到破坏;（2）在热带地区建立少量的研究点，以发展一个协调的方案，对相对不受干扰和安全的情况下的种群、群落和生态系统进行比较研究;（3）在所有空间尺度上进行研究，以评估对生态系统的影响的种类、机制和程度;（4）加强对研究的支持，重点是生理学，生殖，行为，生态相互作用，以及个体，种群和物种的生存能力，特别是关于具有关键生态或经济重要性的物种;（5）加强对基础科学家和自然资源管理人员的培训，特别是在热带发展中国家。在该讲习班成果发表后的12年中，在每个优先领域都取得了很大进展。仍有许多工作要做，但1988年讲习班与会者确定的最优先研究课题仍然是议程上的优先项目。然而，这些年来人类活动的种类和强度发生了重大变化。人口从50亿增长到60多亿，而且还在继续增加。此外，全球贸易也急剧增加。保护活动现在发生在一个更加拥挤和更加紧密联系的星球上，大大增加了对生态系统和荒地的压力。因此，SCB的领导人认为，现在是研究界重新审视其研究成就和未来需求的时候了。因此，来自四个国家的26名专家于2000年4月举行会议，为下一个十年开展前一个讲习班为上一个十年开展的工作。在讲习班之前委托编写了讨论文件，并向指定的答复者提供了对各章的书面评论。因此，与会者能够将大部分时间用于讨论文稿，所有文稿都经过了大幅修改。在大多数情况下，答复者和其他讲习班与会者被列为最后版本的共同作者。该讲习班的成果“保护生物学：未来十年的研究重点”最近由岛屿出版社出版，可在夏威夷举行的2001年SCB会议上购买。本书的作者是出于一种紧迫感，但他们也认识到需要更多的信息;对于许多问题，仍然有时间来产生它。本书各章中确定的研究重点特别关注被认为对直接解决当前最重要的保护问题有用的数据。虽然该报告侧重于研究，但其作者认识到，研究只是必须成为成功保护工作一部分的各种活动的一个组成部分。这本书的范围和重点是由作者和主题所涵盖的：
Conservation biology was born as one response of the scientific community to the current massive environmental changes occurring on Earth. Its main tasks are to provide the intellectual and technical tools to enable society to anticipate, prevent, and reduce ecological damage and to generate the scientific information upon which effective conservation policies may be designed and implemented. To carry out these tasks effectively, conservation biologists periodically need to assess the directions and emphases of their current research to determine whether their studies are really serving the needs of managers, decisionmakers, and conservation advocates, and hence of the myriad species we seek to protect. The first effort of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) to identify major, compelling research priorities was to convene a workshop in April 1988. Workshop participants concentrated on identifying priority areas for scientific research for the subsequent decade. Although participants identified many important research topics, they reached consensus on the following five areas of highest priority: (1) a crash program of extensive surveys and mapping to identify areas critical for the protection of natural and genetic resources because of their high biotic diversity or high levels of endemism or because of imminent destruction of critical or unusual habitats and/or biotas; (2) establishment of a small number of research sites in the tropics to develop a coordinated program of comparative research on populations, communities, and ecosystems in relatively undisturbed and secure situations; (3) studies at all spatial scales to assess the kinds, mechanisms, and magnitude of effects on ecological systems; (4) enhanced support for research that focuses on the physiology, reproduction, behavior, ecological interactions, and viability of individuals, populations, and species, especially with regard to species of critical ecological or economic importance; and (5) increased training for both basic scientists and naturalresource managers, particularly in tropical developing countries. During the 12 years since publication of the results of that workshop, much progress has been made in each of those priority areas. Much more remains to be done, but the top-priority research topics identified by workshop participants in 1988 are still high on the agenda. Nonetheless, there have been significant changes in the kinds and intensity of human activities during those years. The human population has grown from 5 billion to more than 6 billion, and it continues to increase. In addition, global commerce has dramatically increased. Conservation activities now take place on a more crowded and more intensely connected planet, greatly increasing pressures on ecological systems and wildlands. Therefore, leaders of the SCB judged that it was time for the research community to take a fresh look at its research accomplishments and future needs. Accordingly, 26 experts from four countries met in April 2000 to do for the next decade what the previous workshop did for the last. Discussion papers were commissioned and prepared in advance of the workshop, and designated respondents were provided written commentaries on the chapters. Therefore, participants were able to spend most of their time discussing the manuscripts, all of which were substantially revised. In most cases, respondents and other workshop participants were added as coauthors of the final versions. The product of that workshop, “Conservation Biology: Research Priorities for the Next Decade,” was recently published by Island Press and is available for purchase at the 2001 meeting of the SCB in Hawaii. Its authors are motivated by a sense of urgency, but they also recognize that more information is needed; for many problems, there is still time to generate it. The research priorities identified in the chapters of the book focus specifically on data judged to be useful to directly address the most important current conservation problems. Although the report focuses on research, its authors recognize that research is only one component of the diverse array of activities that must be a part of the successful conservation effort. The scope and emphasis of the book are indicated here by the authors and topics covered: