The Amateur Outdoorsman

Monitor Lizard( Varanus albigularis ) in Kruger   The word “biodiversity” was first coined in the 1980’s and is, quite obviously, a contraction of “biological diversity”. Interestingly, the topic- as a stand alone- didn’t catch mainstream academic and societal attention until the 1990’s, by which time it was already considered to be a crisis discipline. While definitions for biodiversity vary, a generally accepted example would be “The diversity of life in all its forms and at all levels of organization; & the processes that link them with each other and the abiotic environment”. A broad, encompassing definition which brings together the 3 accepted branches of biodiversity: Genetics, Species and Ecosystems (ESA 1997). With the defining of biodiversity as a concept came the need for its application, and understanding of its relevance, to the human species. Some argued that biodiversity has value completely separate to the human context (Soule 1985)- intrinsic value- while others...

Conservation is a complex and dynamic endeavour encompassing economics, human relations, agriculture and much more. For the most part, conservation has traditionally been more about preservation- keeping things as they were. However, a general change in thinking has brought about a shift in practices- potentially a good omen for communities and biodiversity alike. In order for conservation efforts to be successful, they need to satisfy 3 key requirements: They must be financially and logistically viable They must positively impact those individuals or communities most affected They must benefit the ecosystems/biodiversity in question I’d argue that if these three requirements are met, it is likely that the conservation effort will be largely successful. Further, I’m of the opinion that, when done correctly, utilization conservation (UC) satisfies all three of these requirements in major ways. It’s my goal to show this in a quantitative and scientific manner. Implemented correctly, it’s...