Conservation Research, Policy and Practice

Conservation research is essential for advancing knowledge but to make an impact scientific evidence must influence conservation policies, decision making and practice. This raises a multitude of challenges. How should evidence be collated and presented to policymakers to maximise its impact? How can effective collaboration between conservation scientists and decision-makers be established? How can the resulting messages be communicated to bring about change? Emerging from a successful international symposium organised by the British Ecological Society and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, this is the first book to practically address these questions across a wide range of conservation topics. Well-renowned experts guide readers through global case studies and their own experiences. A must-read for practitioners, researchers, graduate students and policymakers wishing to enhance the prospect of their work ‘making a difference’. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Contents: Introduction and Scene Setting: 1. Making a difference in conservation: linking science and policy William J. Sutherland, Nancy Ockendon, Nathalie Pettorelli, Juliet A. Vickery, Peter N. M. Brotherton and Zoe G. Davies; 2. Working in government: conservation research, policy and practice Ian Boyd; Part I. Identifying Priorities and Collating the Evidence: 3. Scanning horizons in research, policy and practice Bonnie C. Wintle, Mahlon C. Kennicutt, II and William J. Sutherland; 4. Generating, collating and using evidence for conservation John D. Altringham, Anna Berthinussen and Claire F. R. Wordley; 5. Understanding local resource users’ behaviour, perspectives and priorities to underpin conservation practice E. J. Milner-Gulland, Harriet Ibbett, Paulo Wilfred, Hans Cosmas Ngoteya and Peni Lestari; 6. Mobilisation of indigenous and local knowledge as a source of useable evidence for conservation partnerships Pernilla Malmer, Vanessa Masterson, Beau Austin and Maria Tengoe; 7. Informing conservation decisions through evidence synthesis and communication Andrew S. Pullin, Samantha H. Cheng, Steven J. Cooke, Neal Haddaway, Biljana Macura, Madeleine C. Mckinnon and Jessica J. Taylor; 8. Aligning evidence for use in decisions: mechanisms to link collated evidence to the needs of policymakers and practitioners Lynn V. Dicks, Barbara Livoreil, Rebecca K. Smith, Heidi Wittmer and Juliette Young; Part II. Influencing and Making Decisions: 9. The use of evidence in decision-making by practitioners Malcolm Ausden and Jessica C. Walsh; 10. Effective engagement of conservation scientists with decision makers David C. Rose, Megan C. Evans and Rebecca M. Jarvis; 11. Conservation decisions in the face of uncertainty Robert P. Freckleton; 12. The natural capital approach to integrating science, economics and policy into decisions affecting the natural environment Ian Bateman, Amy Binner, Brett Day, Michela Faccioli, Carlo Fezzi, Alex Rusby and Greg Smith; 13. Working with government: innovative approaches to evidence-based policy-making Edith Arndt, Mark Burgman, Karen Schneider and Andrew Robinson; 14. Approaches to conflict management and brokering between groups Juliette Young, Clive Mitchell and Steve Redpath; 15. Conservation goals in international policies Aletta Bonn, Marianne Darbi, Hyejin Kim and Elisabeth Marquard; Part III. Communicating the Message: 16. Citizens and science: media, communication and conservation Libby Lester and Kerrie Foxwell-Norton; 17. Campaigning to bring about change Cathy Dean and Amy Hinsley; 18. Behavioural insights for conservation and sustainability Toby Park; 19. Social marketing and conservation Robert J. Smith, Gabby Salazar, Joseph Starinchak, Laura A. Thomas-Walters and Diogo Verissimo; Conclusion: 20. Successfully translating conservation research into practice and policy: concluding thoughts Nathalie Pettorelli, Peter N.M. Brotherton, Zoe G. Davies, Nancy Ockendon, William J. Sutherland, Juliet A. Vickery; Index.

Author Biography: William J. Sutherland is Miriam Rothschild Chair in Conservation Biology, University of Cambridge. He is an Honorary Member and previous President of the British Ecological Society. He is involved in horizon scanning, agenda setting and improving practice. Peter N. M. Brotherton is a Director at Natural England, the official nature conservation agency for England. He has a particular interest in the interface between conservation science, policy and practice. He was lead advisor to the UK government on the England Biodiversity Strategy (2011) and co-authored the influential ‘Making Space for Nature’ report. Zoe G. Davies is Professor of Biodiversity Conservation, University of Kent. She has worked on applied projects in the UK, across Europe, Chile, Guyana, Kenya, Madagascar, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Her research involves integrating natural and social science disciplines to answer important questions regarding how we should conserve the natural environment. Nancy Ockendon is the Science Coordinator of the Endangered Landscapes Programme, Cambridge Conservation Initiative, where she aims to ensure the more effective use and generation of scientific evidence in conservation projects. She is also interested in improving communication between scientists, practitioners and policy makers. Nathalie Pettorelli is Senior Research Fellow, Zoological Society of London. She has published four books and over 150 articles on the topic of biodiversity monitoring and wildlife management. She is a senior editor for Journal of Applied Ecology, the UK representative to GEO Programme Board, and a member of the British Ecological Society Policy Committee. Juliet A. Vickery is Head of International Research, RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Bedfordshire. She is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Conservation Science Group, University of Cambridge; Chair of the Policy Committee of the British Ecological Society; and President of the British Ornithologists’ Union.