Abstract
Environmental change and biodiversity loss are but two of the complex challenges facing conservation practitioners and policy makers. Relevant and robust scientific knowledge is critical for providing decision-makers with the actionable evidence needed to inform conservation decisions. In the Anthropocene, science that leads to meaningful improvements in biodiversity conservation, restoration and management is desperately needed. Conservation Physiology has emerged as a discipline that is well-positioned to identify the mechanisms underpinning population declines, predict responses to environmental change and test different in situ and ex situ conservation interventions for diverse taxa and ecosystems. Here we present a consensus list of 10 priority research themes. Within each theme we identify specific research questions (100 in total), answers to which will address conservation problems and should improve the management of biological resources. The themes frame a set of research questions related to the following: (i) adaptation and phenotypic plasticity; (ii) human–induced environmental change; (iii) human–wildlife interactions; (iv) invasive species; (v) methods, biomarkers and monitoring; (vi) policy, engagement and communication; (vii) pollution; (viii) restoration actions; (ix) threatened species; and (x) urban systems. The themes and questions will hopefully guide and inspire researchers while also helping to demonstrate to practitioners and policy makers the many ways in which physiology can help to support their decisions.
Highlights
Humans have become such a dominant agent in global ecosystems that we have entered the ‘Anthropocene’—a distinct geological epoch where human activity has a dominant influence on climate and the environment (Vitousek et al, 1997; Crutzen, 2006)
The utility of conservation physiology lies in its ability to reveal cause-and-effect relationships (Cooke and O’Connor, 2010), which in turn allow predictions to be made of how organisms, populations and ecosystems will respond to environmental change (Seebacher and Franklin, 2012)
Because conservation physiology is a nascent discipline, many questions remain to be tackled by the research community
Summary
Humans have become such a dominant agent in global ecosystems that we have entered the ‘Anthropocene’—a distinct geological epoch where human activity has a dominant influence on climate and the environment (Vitousek et al, 1997; Crutzen, 2006). Efforts to identify the broadly relevant research questions that, if addressed, have great potential to improve conservation policy and practice and have become a popular strategy to ensure that scientific efforts are focused appropriately (Sutherland et al, 2006, 2009). The utility of conservation physiology lies in its ability to reveal cause-and-effect relationships (Cooke and O’Connor, 2010), which in turn allow predictions to be made of how organisms, populations and ecosystems will respond to environmental change (Seebacher and Franklin, 2012) As this area of study matures and evolves (Cooke et al, 2020), more success stories in conservation physiology are becoming apparent (Madliger et al, 2016; Madliger et al, 2021). The team that generated the 10 priority areas and 100 research questions included diverse conservation physiology experts, as well as established and emerging leaders from 8 countries whose research spans all continents and relevant taxa
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