The Conservation Landscape: Finding Success at the Intersection of Ecological, Social, and Institutional Dimensions

Authors: Rollie White, Jason Dunham, Chris Allen, Bruce Marcot, Dan Shively

Year: 2018

Abstract

The recent book Reintroduction of Fish and Wildlife Populations (Jachowski et al. 2016), included a chapter titled The Reintroduction Landscape: Finding Success at the Intersection of Ecological, Social and Institutional Dimensions. The authors of the chapter, representing the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, coin a new phrase - the reintroduction landscape - that encompasses the integration of human and ecological factors. The chapter authors submit that it is these factors, expressed as ecological, social and institutional dimensions, and the interactions among them, that determine the relative success of species reintroductions. We will examine the various factors within the ecological, social and institutional dimensions and demonstrate the importance of meeting these factors to achieve an appropriate reintroduction landscape. We also note that such considerations can be useful beyond species reintroductions, and apply broadly to important conservation and species recovery actions as a whole.