A Survey of Conservation Biology

Conservation biology is partly a response to a biological crisis,partly a crystallization of older disciplines drawn apart by specialization and rapid advances in the biological sciences.It is a new stage in the application of sciences to conservation problems,addresses the biology of genes,species,and ecosystems that are perturbed,either directly or indirectly,by human activities or other agents.Its goal is to provide principles and tools for preserving biological diversity,which is a mission-oriented comprising both pure and applied sciences.The new systematics,ecology,biogeography and population biology are important fundament of the theory of conservation biology.The major study contents of biology conservation are:survey and sustainable utilizing the resources of biology;preserve habitat;population viability analysis (PAV) and maintaining genetic diversity;employing biotechnology in kex situ conservation as well as rational political planning for economy development and biodiversity conservation,etc.Conservation biology promises to help us decide what facts of nature to preserve,how to avoid extinctions,and how to restore ecological damage,to find a pattern bridging science and management.As any other young science,the principles of conservation biology are still rudimentary and have far to go.This paper is a summary of the concept,postulates and contents of conservation biology,as well as the strategies and actions of biodiversity protection and general picture of conservation biology in China.