Making choices to conserve the world’s species: what, where and when? May 19, 2009

Chair: Sir John Lawton CBE FRS

Speakers:
Professor Georgina Mace FRS (Director of the NERC Centre for Population Biology at Imperial College London)
Dr Jonathan Baillie (ZSL)
Professor Hugh Possingham (University of Queensland)
Dr Mark Avery (RSPB)

Conserving species is becoming more urgent as the pressures on natural areas intensify. There are increasing numbers of threatened species facing different problems in habitats all over the world. Unfortunately, there are many more problems than can be solved with the limited resources available to conservation bodies. So how do conservation biologists go about choosing what to focus on first, or where to invest most conservation funding?

There are both scientific and personal answers to this question. Scientifically-based methods can help to optimally allocate resources given a clearly stated desired endpoint or goal. But there are several alternative kinds of possible goals for species conservation that are not necessarily convergent. This meeting will bring together conservation science professionals from a range of organizations to debate the issues and see if there can be a shared species conservation science.

This panel discussion is FREE - no ticket or advanced booking required.

Doors open at 5.45pm and seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

This panel discussion will be webcast LIVE at royalsociety.org/live and available to view on demand within 48 hours of delivery.

Official Website: http://royalsociety.org/event.asp?id=8362&month=5,2009