Opinion
Defining biocultural approaches to conservation

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Highlights

  • Biocultural conservation addresses loss of biological and cultural diversity.

  • These approaches sustain dynamic and interdependent social-ecological systems.

  • Biocultural conservation can lead to just, legal, and effective outcomes.

  • We outline eight principles of successful biocultural conservation initiatives.

We contend that biocultural approaches to conservation can achieve effective and just conservation outcomes while addressing erosion of both cultural and biological diversity. Here, we propose a set of guidelines for the adoption of biocultural approaches to conservation. First, we draw lessons from work on biocultural diversity and heritage, social–ecological systems theory, integrated conservation and development, co-management, and community-based conservation to define biocultural approaches to conservation. Second, we describe eight principles that characterize such approaches. Third, we discuss reasons for adopting biocultural approaches and challenges. If used well, biocultural approaches to conservation can be a powerful tool for reducing the global loss of both biological and cultural diversity.

Section snippets

Transcending conservation debates

The methods and scope of biodiversity conservation have been a source of constant debate. Arguments have centered on the role of human communities, particularly ones in close proximity to areas of conservation interest, and the degree to which interests of these people should define conservation 1, 2, 3, 4. These debates have focused on the real or potential impacts that people have on biodiversity, the degree to which benefits and costs of conservation should be shared, across what groups

What are biocultural approaches to conservation?

Biocultural approaches to conservation provide a unique way forward for conservation by drawing lessons from previous work on biocultural diversity and heritage, social–ecological systems theory, and different models of people-centered conservation 6, 11, 12, 13 (see Glossary; Figure 1). The study of biocultural diversity has emphasized the interdependence of biological and cultural diversity via coevolution processes, common threats, and geographic overlap 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Biocultural

Principles of biocultural approaches to conservation

We define eight principles of successful biocultural conservation initiatives (Box 1), and discuss each of them in turn below.

Why biocultural approaches to conservation?

We argue that conservation practitioners should embrace biocultural approaches for social justice, legal, and practical reasons. Most importantly, conservation actions should respect and uphold human rights. This includes laws and regulations set forth by international accords, which include (but are not limited to): Agenda 21, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International

What challenges are faced by biocultural approaches to conservation?

A shift towards biocultural approaches to conservation is likely to face at least four challenges: (i) barriers to meaningful sharing of power across institutional levels; (ii) obstacles to integration of diverse sets of knowledge; (iii) limited funding; and (iv) a struggle to adjust to the dynamic nature of social–ecological systems. Managing human behavior is fundamental to conservation, and institutions, as ‘humanly devised constraints that structure political, economic and social

Concluding remarks

Overall, we contend that the benefits of biocultural approaches to conservation are significant and will outweigh the major challenges that we have noted above. What is now needed is sustained research attention to processes and specific methods for addressing these challenges, backed by long-term and forecasted funding for research and practice of biocultural approaches to conservation. The scientific community has known for decades that cultural and biological diversity are facing numerous,

Acknowledgments

This paper is the result of two different international symposia, one held at the International Congress for Conservation Biology and the other at Colorado State University (funded in part by the Warner College of Natural Resources).

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