Halting Biodiversity Loss: Fundamentals and Trends of Conservation Science and Action

1. Culture vs. nature? Biodiversity loss and conservation as facets of human culture and evolution 1.1. Humans as drivers of biodiversity loss—evolutionary roots of conservation problems 1.2. From nature protection to biodiversity conservation—origins of conservation, changes of motivation and terminology 2. Dimensions, causes and consequences of biodiversity loss 2.1. Biodiversity loss and extinction in the evolutionary past 2.2. The sixth extinction and the Anthropocene 2.3. Stresses, sources and underlying causes of biodiversity loss 2.4. Biodiversity loss as a self-enhancing process, the Earth’s biological capacity and humankind’s ecological footprint 3. Halting biodiversity loss conservation planning and implementation 3.1. Targets and visions of biodiversity conservation: conserving structure, patterns or function? Current manifestations or evolution? 3.2. Strategic conservation planning and implementation 3.3. How to conserve: ex situ or in situ, protect or manage? Glossary Bibliography Biographical Sketches