The role of culture in conservation planning for small or endangered populations.

The role of culture in population structuring has received much recent attention (e.g., Slabbekoorn & Smith 2002; Freeberg 2004); for example, the 2005 International Mammal Congress (http://www.imc9.jp/) had a full symposium on the topic. The idea that culturally significant units (CSUs) should be considered in conservation planning is recent (Whitehead et al. 2004). But how generalizable is this idea? To what extent is culture measurable? Where does it fit in the current language of conservation planning? I address some of these questions and provide suggestions for accommodating culture in current conservation rubrics.