Review of the Primer of Conservation Biology
A Teaching Tool on the Topic of Conservation Biology
Conservation biology is the field that seeks to study and protect the living world and its biological diversity. So says Richard B. Primack at in the prefix of his book called A Primer of Conservation Biology. His intent with that statement is to provide a specific definition of what conservation biology is, and to lay the beginning framework of what the rest of his book is about.
What is Conservation Biology?
Conservation Biology is still a relatively new field, because there hasn't always been a movement to save the Earth. Resources are burnt thorough quite quickly, and in doing so the environment is hurt in more ways than one. No matter what side of the "environmental argument" someone’s on, there is debate that the planet is being harmed more every day. What Primack hopes to do with this book, is to show what is happening, and what people interested in the field can do about it.
Thoughts on Conservation Biology
The first part of the book describes conservation, and why it is needed. Resource management is a huge step in the right direction and the methods to do it are explained with depth. This is a great section about exactly what is being done wrong, and where the mistakes can be fixed if subtle changes are made in the way that people do things. The text relates about extinctions that are taking place all the time, and the rates at which those extinctions are occurring.
From there he goes into discussions about the threats to biological diversity that are beginning to happen as more and more species are threatened. Those aren't just limited to the larger animals that are in the news, but plants, bugs, and even microscopic creatures that depend on other species to keep living. He also gives examples of why these extinctions are happening.
Putting Conservation Biology into Practice
Conservation at the population and species level, and conserving biological communities are what Primack dives into as the book progresses. He shows how designing networks of protected areas, and managing them, along with ecological restoration of those areas that some of these problems can be slowed down. Conservation isn't something that can be implemented right away, and it’s key to take the steps and put the procedures in place so that it can become something that everyone focuses on more.
Through the roles of agencies (both public and private) and through Government programs conservation is becoming something more center-stage to the public. The key here is to learn as much as possible about the field to get involved in helping conservation, and Primack’s book is a good stepping off point.
Primack explains the terms well, and the theories and facts of everything he talks about are phrased so even the most novice reader can understand. The entire book does a great job of telling the reader the basics of conservation, what has been implemented so far, and what still needs to be done for it to all work out. Conservation Biology is an important field that is slowly becoming more popular as people realize just how badly the environment is being treated.
Final Recommendation on the Primer of Conservation Biology
For those interested in anything to do with conservation, this is a great tool to provide knowledge that would be necessary to be active. The book comes in at 320 pages, is paper back, and can be found online or in most bookstores. It is highly recommend it to anyone wanting to read more about conservation biology.
ISBN: 0878937323
The Primer of Conservation Biology
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