A practical guide to merging behavior and conservation

Abstract

Like Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burns, behavioral ecologists have been accused of focusing predominantly on theoretical concerns without contributing substantially to scientific endeavors addressing the current biodiversity crisis [1]. Conservation behavior, the application of behavioral knowledge to conservation and management, seeks to bridge the gap between the basic and applied scientific communities. Over the past decade, however, the number of research studies focusing on conservation behavior has increased at a disappointingly slow rate [2].