Culture, conservation, and the Anthropocene

In the Anthropocene epoch, pressures from climate change and land degradation are magnifying the already rapid rate of species loss, which are also causing the transformation of highly valued landscapes – socially, economically, and ecologically. Many of these landscapes are transforming into novel ecosystems where new species, interactions, and ecological functions are creating ecosystems unlike anything seen before. Whilst these landscapes can be managed to provide multiple values, doing so requires us stepping outside of conservative notions embedded in biodiversity policy and conservation practice, which anchor objectives to preserving ‘ideal’ historical states. There is palpable anxiety around ecosystem transformation, with many raising questions not only about the science, but also around who decides, how we should act, who is responsible, and even why we take action. At the opposite end of the spectrum are authors who feel this debate is mostly irrelevant, particularly in parts of the world where cultural landscapes are central to conservation policy and practice. This essay explores the connection between culture and conservation, arguing that shifting baselines are so prevalent that they will inevitably challenge the norms underpinning conservation, whether they are based on pre-human settlement ideals or connected to long-standing human activities. Although cultural resistance to change in society at large has received a great deal of attention, the cultural resistance of experts may indeed be keeping the conservative in conservation.