Conserving the World’s Megafauna and Biodiversity:  The Fierce Urgency of Now

W.J. Ripple; Guillaume  Chapron; José Vicente  López-Bao; Sarah M.  Durant; D.W. Macdonald; Peter A. Lindsey; Elizabeth L.  Bennett; Robert L.  Beschta; Jeremy T.  Bruskotter; Ahimsa  Campos-Arceiz; Richard T.  Corlett; Chris T.  Darimont; Amy J.  Dickman; Rodolfo  Dirzo; Holly T.  Dublin; James A.  Estes; Kristoffer T.  Everatt; Mauro  Galetti; Varun R.  Goswami; Matthew Hayward; Simon  Hedges; Michael  Hoffmann; Luke T. B.  Hunter; Graham I. H.  Kerley; Mike  Letnic; Taal  Levi; Fiona  Maisels; John C.  Morrison; Michael Paul  Nelson; Thomas M. Newsome; Luke  Painter; Robert M.  Pringle; Christopher J.  Sandom; John  Terborgh; Adrian  Treves; Blaire  Van Valkenburgh; John A. Vucetich; Aaron J.  Wirsing; Arian D.  Wallach; Christopher  Wolf; Rosie  Woodroffe; Hillary  Young; L. Zhang

Conserving the World’s Megafauna and Biodiversity: The Fierce Urgency of Now

W.J. Ripple
, Guillaume Chapron
, José Vicente López-Bao
, Sarah M. Durant
, D.W. Macdonald
, Peter A. Lindsey
, Elizabeth L. Bennett
, Robert L. Beschta
, Jeremy T. Bruskotter
, Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz
, Richard T. Corlett
, Chris T. Darimont
, Amy J. Dickman
, Rodolfo Dirzo
, Holly T. Dublin
, James A. Estes
, Kristoffer T. Everatt
, Mauro Galetti
, Varun R. Goswami
, Matthew Hayward

Simon Hedges, Michael Hoffmann, Luke T. B. Hunter, Graham I. H. Kerley, Mike Letnic, Taal Levi, Fiona Maisels, John C. Morrison, Michael Paul Nelson, Thomas M. Newsome, Luke Painter, Robert M. Pringle, Christopher J. Sandom, John Terborgh, Adrian Treves, Blaire Van Valkenburgh, John A. Vucetich, Aaron J. Wirsing, Arian D. Wallach, Christopher Wolf, Rosie Woodroffe, Hillary Young, L. Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

126 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In their critique of our call to save the world’s terrestrial megafauna (Ripple et al. 2016), Ford et al. argue that we undermine broader efforts to conserve biodiversity. Their main arguments are that (1) megafauna conservation does not conserve other species; (2) megafauna already receives enough attention; (3) megafauna does not play a compelling enough ecological role to justify increased conservation efforts; (4) megafauna conservation is counterproductive by taking too big a share of conservation resources; and (5) megafauna is less imperiled than other species and over-shadows their declines.

Here we acknowledge that all aspects of biodiversity are important and that efforts to conserve megafauna are unlikely to be enough in isolation to conserve all species. We agree with Ford et al. that stronger and varied conservation approaches are necessary to conserve the earth’s biodiversity. However, we deem it necessary to respond to Ford et al.’s critique by highlighting several important factors for consideration

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	197-200
Journal	BioScience
Volume	67
Issue number	3
Early online date	13 Jan 2017
Publication status	Published - Mar 2017

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

Carnivora
Conservation
Megafauna

Access to Document

Conserving_Megafauna_12_17_16Accepted author manuscript, 496 KB

Saving the World's Terrestrial Megafauna
Ripple, W. J., Chapron, G., López-Bao, J. V., Durant, S. M., Macdonald, D. W., Lindsey, P. A., Bennett, E. L., Beschta, R. L., Bruskotter, J. T., Campos-Arceiz, A., Corlett, R. T., Darimont, C. T., Dickman, A. J., Dirzo, R., Dublin, H. T., Estes, J. A., Everatt, K. T., Goswami, V. R., Galetti, M. & Hayward, M. & 23 others, Hedges, S., Hoffmann, M., Hunter, L. T. B., Kerley, G. I. H., Letnic, M., Levi, T., Maisels, F., Morrison, J. C., Nelson, M. P., Newsome, T. M., Painter, L., Pringle, R. M., Sandom, C. J., Terborgh, J., Treves, A., Van Valkenburgh, B., Vucetich, J. A., Wirsing, A. J., Wallach, A. D., Wolf, C., Woodroffe, R., Young, H. & Zhang, L., 1 Oct 2016, In: BioScience. 66, 10, p. 807-812
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
234 Downloads (Pure)

Cite this

Ripple, W. J., Chapron, G., López-Bao, J. V., Durant, S. M., Macdonald, D. W., Lindsey, P. A., Bennett, E. L., Beschta, R. L., Bruskotter, J. T., Campos-Arceiz, A., Corlett, R. T., Darimont, C. T., Dickman, A. J., Dirzo, R., Dublin, H. T., Estes, J. A., Everatt, K. T., Galetti, M., Goswami, V. R., ... Zhang, L. (2017). Conserving the World’s Megafauna and Biodiversity: The Fierce Urgency of Now. BioScience, 67(3), 197-200.

@article{3b62a5eec19342e2a2ffab212943bd0f,

title = "Conserving the World{\textquoteright}s Megafauna and Biodiversity: The Fierce Urgency of Now",

abstract = "In their critique of our call to save the world{\textquoteright}s terrestrial megafauna (Ripple et al. 2016), Ford et al. argue that we undermine broader efforts to conserve biodiversity. Their main arguments are that (1) megafauna conservation does not conserve other species; (2) megafauna already receives enough attention; (3) megafauna does not play a compelling enough ecological role to justify increased conservation efforts; (4) megafauna conservation is counterproductive by taking too big a share of conservation resources; and (5) megafauna is less imperiled than other species and over-shadows their declines. Here we acknowledge that all aspects of biodiversity are important and that efforts to conserve megafauna are unlikely to be enough in isolation to conserve all species. We agree with Ford et al. that stronger and varied conservation approaches are necessary to conserve the earth{\textquoteright}s biodiversity. However, we deem it necessary to respond to Ford et al.{\textquoteright}s critique by highlighting several important factors for consideration ",

keywords = "Carnivora, Conservation, Megafauna",

author = "W.J. Ripple and Guillaume Chapron and L{\'o}pez-Bao, \{Jos{\'e} Vicente\} and Durant, \{Sarah M.\} and D.W. Macdonald and Lindsey, \{Peter A.\} and Bennett, \{Elizabeth L.\} and Beschta, \{Robert L.\} and Bruskotter, \{Jeremy T.\} and Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz and Corlett, \{Richard T.\} and Darimont, \{Chris T.\} and Dickman, \{Amy J.\} and Rodolfo Dirzo and Dublin, \{Holly T.\} and Estes, \{James A.\} and Everatt, \{Kristoffer T.\} and Mauro Galetti and Goswami, \{Varun R.\} and Matthew Hayward and Simon Hedges and Michael Hoffmann and Hunter, \{Luke T. B.\} and Kerley, \{Graham I. H.\} and Mike Letnic and Taal Levi and Fiona Maisels and Morrison, \{John C.\} and Nelson, \{Michael Paul\} and Newsome, \{Thomas M.\} and Luke Painter and Pringle, \{Robert M.\} and Sandom, \{Christopher J.\} and John Terborgh and Adrian Treves and \{Van Valkenburgh\}, Blaire and Vucetich, \{John A.\} and Wirsing, \{Aaron J.\} and Wallach, \{Arian D.\} and Christopher Wolf and Rosie Woodroffe and Hillary Young and L. Zhang",

year = "2017",

month = mar,

language = "English",

volume = "67",

pages = "197--200",

journal = "BioScience",

issn = "1525-3244",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "3",

}

Ripple, WJ, Chapron, G, López-Bao, JV, Durant, SM, Macdonald, DW, Lindsey, PA, Bennett, EL, Beschta, RL, Bruskotter, JT, Campos-Arceiz, A, Corlett, RT, Darimont, CT, Dickman, AJ, Dirzo, R, Dublin, HT, Estes, JA, Everatt, KT, Galetti, M, Goswami, VR, Hayward, M, Hedges, S, Hoffmann, M, Hunter, LTB, Kerley, GIH, Letnic, M, Levi, T, Maisels, F, Morrison, JC, Nelson, MP, Newsome, TM, Painter, L, Pringle, RM, Sandom, CJ, Terborgh, J, Treves, A, Van Valkenburgh, B, Vucetich, JA, Wirsing, AJ, Wallach, AD, Wolf, C, Woodroffe, R, Young, H & Zhang, L 2017, 'Conserving the World’s Megafauna and Biodiversity: The Fierce Urgency of Now', BioScience, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 197-200.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Conserving the World’s Megafauna and Biodiversity

T2 - The Fierce Urgency of Now

AU - Ripple, W.J.

AU - Chapron, Guillaume

AU - López-Bao, José Vicente

AU - Durant, Sarah M.

AU - Macdonald, D.W.

AU - Lindsey, Peter A.

AU - Bennett, Elizabeth L.

AU - Beschta, Robert L.

AU - Bruskotter, Jeremy T.

AU - Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa

AU - Corlett, Richard T.

AU - Darimont, Chris T.

AU - Dickman, Amy J.

AU - Dirzo, Rodolfo

AU - Dublin, Holly T.

AU - Estes, James A.

AU - Everatt, Kristoffer T.

AU - Galetti, Mauro

AU - Goswami, Varun R.

AU - Hayward, Matthew

AU - Hedges, Simon

AU - Hoffmann, Michael

AU - Hunter, Luke T. B.

AU - Kerley, Graham I. H.

AU - Letnic, Mike

AU - Levi, Taal

AU - Maisels, Fiona

AU - Morrison, John C.

AU - Nelson, Michael Paul

AU - Newsome, Thomas M.

AU - Painter, Luke

AU - Pringle, Robert M.

AU - Sandom, Christopher J.

AU - Terborgh, John

AU - Treves, Adrian

AU - Van Valkenburgh, Blaire

AU - Vucetich, John A.

AU - Wirsing, Aaron J.

AU - Wallach, Arian D.

AU - Wolf, Christopher

AU - Woodroffe, Rosie

AU - Young, Hillary

AU - Zhang, L.

PY - 2017/3

Y1 - 2017/3

N2 - In their critique of our call to save the world’s terrestrial megafauna (Ripple et al. 2016), Ford et al. argue that we undermine broader efforts to conserve biodiversity. Their main arguments are that (1) megafauna conservation does not conserve other species; (2) megafauna already receives enough attention; (3) megafauna does not play a compelling enough ecological role to justify increased conservation efforts; (4) megafauna conservation is counterproductive by taking too big a share of conservation resources; and (5) megafauna is less imperiled than other species and over-shadows their declines. Here we acknowledge that all aspects of biodiversity are important and that efforts to conserve megafauna are unlikely to be enough in isolation to conserve all species. We agree with Ford et al. that stronger and varied conservation approaches are necessary to conserve the earth’s biodiversity. However, we deem it necessary to respond to Ford et al.’s critique by highlighting several important factors for consideration

AB - In their critique of our call to save the world’s terrestrial megafauna (Ripple et al. 2016), Ford et al. argue that we undermine broader efforts to conserve biodiversity. Their main arguments are that (1) megafauna conservation does not conserve other species; (2) megafauna already receives enough attention; (3) megafauna does not play a compelling enough ecological role to justify increased conservation efforts; (4) megafauna conservation is counterproductive by taking too big a share of conservation resources; and (5) megafauna is less imperiled than other species and over-shadows their declines. Here we acknowledge that all aspects of biodiversity are important and that efforts to conserve megafauna are unlikely to be enough in isolation to conserve all species. We agree with Ford et al. that stronger and varied conservation approaches are necessary to conserve the earth’s biodiversity. However, we deem it necessary to respond to Ford et al.’s critique by highlighting several important factors for consideration

KW - Carnivora

KW - Conservation

KW - Megafauna

M3 - Article

SN - 1525-3244

VL - 67

SP - 197

EP - 200

JO - BioScience

JF - BioScience

IS - 3

ER -

Conserving the World’s Megafauna and Biodiversity: The Fierce Urgency of Now

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Saving the World's Terrestrial Megafauna

Cite this