Conservation research, policy and practice

Conservation research is essential for advancing knowledge but to make an impact scientific evidence must influence conservation policies, decision making and practice. This raises a multitude of challenges. How should evidence be collated and presented to policymakers to maximise its impact? How can effective collaboration between conservation scientists and decision-makers be established? How can the resulting messages be communicated to bring about change?

Emerging from a successful international symposium organised by the British Ecological Society and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, Conservation Research, Policy and Practice is the first book to practically address these questions across a wide range of conservation topics.

Contributions from renowned practitioners and academics guide readers through global case studies and their own experiences, offering honest and critical overviews of how science and policy work. The book breaks down the components of policy making and testing, empowering ecologists and conservationists to help develop scientifically informed policy, and understand the outcomes of policies when they are implemented.

A must-read for practitioners, researchers, graduate students and policymakers wishing to enhance the prospect of their work ‘making a difference’. The book is open access and can be read on Cambridge Core.

Conservation Research, Policy and Practice, edited by edited by William J. Sutherland (University of Cambridge), Peter N. M. Brotherton (Natural England), Zoe G. Davies (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent), Nancy Ockendon (University of Cambridge), Nathalie Pettorelli (Zoological Society of London) and Juliet A. Vickery (RSPB). is published 16 April 2020.

The book is part of the British Ecological Society’s Ecological Reviews series published with Cambridge University Press, which aims to be a source of ideas and inspiration for ecologists at all career levels. Conservation Research, Policy and Practice is open access. Paperback copies can be brought directly from Cambridge University Press (£39.99, ISBN 9781108714587). BES members get 25% off all Ecological Reviews titles.