Integrating animal behavior and conservation biology: a conceptual framework

Abstract

Conservation behavior is a relatively new interdisciplinary field aimed at investigating how proximate and ultimate aspects of animal behavior can be of value in preventing the loss of biodiversity. This new discipline's usefulness in promoting practical conservation-matters is subject to debate, with some scientists arguing that the importance of behavior in conservation practice is overemphasized. Here, we propose a conceptual model that identifies the key linkages between animal behavior and conservation biology. The model is a simply structured, hierarchical, and parsimonious framework that will help bridge the gap between the 2 disciplines and establish a common ground on which the field of conservation behavior can evolve and from which paradigms can be developed.