Abstract
Biodiversity research needs to broaden its scope by incorporating human well-being elements if it is to attract public attention and thus affect conservation policy. Emphasizing the invaluable link between biodiversity conservation and human well-being will likely change the current, apathetic public perceptions about biodiversity conservation—the results of which are evident in the lack of urgency in tackling the crisis of biodiversity loss.
References
Díaz S, Fargione J, Chapin FS III, Tilman D (2006) Biodiversity loss threatens human well-being. PLoS Biol 4:1300–1305
Kaimowitz D, Sheil D (2007) Conserving what and for whom? why conservation should help meet basic human needs in the tropics. Biotropica 39:567–574
Larigauderie A, Mooney HA (2010) The Intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services: moving a step closer to an IPCC-like mechanism for biodiversity. Curr Opin Environ Sust 2:1–6
MEA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment) (2005). Ecosystems and human well-being: biodiversity synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington DC
Naeem S et al (2009) Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human wellbeing: an ecological and economic perspective. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Rands MRW et al (2010) Biodiversity conservation: challenges beyond 2010. Science 329:1298–1303
Robertson DP, Hull RB (2001) Beyond biology: toward a more public ecology for conservation. Conserv Biol 15:970–979
Sachs JD et al (2009) Biodiversity conservation and the millennium development goals. Science 325:1502–1503
Swaisgood RR, Sheppard JK (2010) The culture of conservation biologists: show me the hope! Bioscience 60:626–630
Vitousek PM et al (1997) Human domination of Earth’s ecosystems. Science 277:494–499
Watson RT (2005) Turning science into policy: challenges and experiences from the science–policy interface. Phil Trans R Soc B 360:471–477
Acknowledgments
Michelle Hamer, Veli-Matti Pakanen and Alex Mokori provided valuable comments on the earlier drafts. Financial assistance from Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation is greatly appreciated.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mlambo, M.C. The urgent need for human well-being elements in biodiversity research. Biodivers Conserv 21, 1149–1151 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-012-0237-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-012-0237-y