Conservation and restoration is a concept which deals with the preservation of the physical environment, along with improving facets of the natural world. The topic of conservation and restoration is very multidisciplinary and tightly connected to other scientific disciplines such as the subjects of biology and ecology.
In the context of conservation and restoration, the physical environment extends beyond dealing with the organisms which exist within it, but also considers the ecosystem services which they provide. Ecosystem services seem to be often overlooked, which is problematic because these services are essential to human life. For example, pollination services provided by insects are essential for the development of various fruits, such as almonds and apples, and on an economic scale have a yearly value of $217 billion1.
Clearly both conservation and restoration are essential to natural ecosystem management. In addition, both conservation and restoration are closely correlated to the topics of sustainable development, environmental protection and managing anthropogenic impacts. Anthropogenic impacts in particular can have a strong impact on the environment, both negative and positive, and it is these positive impacts which need to be amplified. For example, human actions such as tree planting, recycling or using public transit are all behaviours which can impact the environment in a beneficial manner.
Furthermore, one of the main objectives of conversation and restoration involves maintaining the health of the environment so that the needs of future generations can be met. In this regard, conservation and restoration extends beyond solely maintaining the landscape’s environmental health, but also aims at protecting its cultural, economic and social integrity. This will ensure that future citizens will be able to access and enjoy the natural world in the same manner as their predecessors.
References:
1. Nature Education. (2013). Conservation and Restoration. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/conservation-and-restoration-13228126
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