The scientific basis of practical conservation: aims and methods of conservation

Abstract

Most ecosystems in Britain, even though composed largely of native plants and animals, are to some extent subject to human influences and many are, or were, largely stabilized by agricultural and silvicultural treatments of long-standing which have become obsolete in this century. If the object of conservation is to maintain these ecosystems unchanged, then research must aim to identify the stabilizing factors, so that they can be continued. Experimental studies of vegetation form an essential part of this research. The changes in the vegetation of pastures on the mesozoic limestones of southern England following the cessation of grazing were largely predictable from experimental studies made before the first World War. This, however, is to regard conservation as essentially concerned with maintaining a living museum and it is reasonable to ask why a particular state of an ecosystem should be preserved. An understanding of the factors which cause stability implies the ability to regulate change. This offers the possibility of creating ecosystems which are, for example, more favourable for the survival of particular species or more closely resembling natural ecosystems and therefore possibly more resilient and cheaper to maintain.