ESA's Emerging Issues Conference kicked off yesterday and continues through this Thursday: Developing Ecologically-Based Conservation Targets under Global Change http://www.esa.org/emergingissues/conference.php
Ecosystems are shifting under pressure from human activities, invasive species, and a changing climate, presenting us with hard philosophical and practical choices on conservation strategy. Should we preserve parkland as time capsules of past and current wilderness, or embrace changing species ranges and demographics to encourage new diversity as new ecosystems form? Eighty scientists, policy makers and resource managers are meeting to challenge assumptions and explore potential solutions at the Ecological Society of America's second conference on Emerging Issues, Developing Ecologically-Based Conservation Targets under Global Change. How do we protect species when their ranges are changing? Ecological research predicts that climatic change will reshape the competitive landscape for wildlife and drive species to seek out new territory, shaking up existing community structures and relationships. "Climate change throws a wrench into traditional conservation planning efforts. We really need to step back and ask what we should be trying to conserve. What should our goals be? How do we achieve them?" asked conference organizer Dov Sax, professor of biology at Brown University. It's a question he wants to put before the conservation community, and society at large. "The question we want to answer is how can we achieve keeping all the parts, as Aldo Leopold said, while not keeping all the parts in the places where they are now?" said co-organizer Bernd Blossey, professor of natural resources at Cornell University. See the full ESA press release at: http://www.esa.org/pao/pressreleases.php?uid=121311 Follow us on Twitter at #ecoissues2012 ESA EcoTone blog: http://www.esa.org/esablog/research/conservation/symposium-i-of-esa%E2%80%99s-emerging-issues-conference/ ESA Facebook: www.facebook.com/esa.org Nadine Lymn Director of Public Affairs Ecological Society of America 1990 M Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington DC 20036 202.833.8773 ext. 205 ---------------------------------------------- www.facebook.com/esa.org: "Like" the new ESA Facebook page, ask friends/colleagues to do the same. http://twitter.com/#!/esa_org: "Follow" ESA on Twitter. ESA eStore: Now available: "An Ecologist's Guidebook to Policy Engagement."
