Ch. 4— Interventions To Maintain Biological Diversity • 95 



devote their attention exclusively to maintain- 

 ing certain agricultural crops, while others fo- 

 cus on specific wild species — e.g., whales or 

 migratory waterfowl. The result is that much 

 of the work is done in isolation, and the scope 

 and effectiveness of overall diversity mainte- 

 nance effort becomes difficult to monitor. And 

 while particular concerns may be well-addressed, 

 other concerns receive little or no attention. 



Institutional problems that impede overall 

 maintenance of biological diversity include: 



• overlap and interinstitutional or intra- 

 institutional competition, 



• gaps between goals and the human and 

 financial resources available to achieve 

 them, and 



• lack of complementariness or cooperation 

 between initiatives (4). 



Institutional links can identify common in- 

 terests, strengths, and weaknesses of various 

 organizations as well as gaps and opportuni- 

 ties to address overall concerns. Not all activi- 

 ties should be operationally linked, however. 

 A diversity of approaches in conservation activ- 

 ities is beneficial, and interaction should oc- 

 cur principally with those programs closest in 

 purpose and approach (4). 



Useful technologies emerge through a series 

 of steps. Basic research provides an under- 

 standing of the nature of biological systems. 

 Drawing on this knowledge, researchers define 

 requirements and develop techniques to man- 

 age ecosystems, species, or genetic resources. 

 Once the techniques are developed, however, 

 researchers must synthesize techniques into 

 technologies, then transfer and apply the tech- 

 nologies to site-specific circumstances. 



In practice, the process of technology devel- 

 opment is impeded by institutional constraints. 

 Research is undertaken by scientists in many 

 institutions, including universities, botanic 

 gardens, zoological institutions, and govern- 

 ment agencies responsible for natural re- 

 sources. These scientists commonly emphasize 

 the theoretical. At the other end of the spec- 

 trum are resource managers who apply particu- 

 lar techniques. Although the transfer of basic 



research to applied research is a problem in 

 developing useful technologies, the principal 

 weakness seems to be the failure of institutions 

 to support synthesis of scientific information 

 into useful m.anagement tools. 



The problem of technology development is 

 more pronounced for onsite than for offsite 

 maintenance. This difference perhaps reflects 

 the more pragmatic nature of offsite mainte- 

 nance, where institutions (most with agricul- 

 tural interests) emphasize research and devel- 

 opment. Focus on technology development is 

 commonly lacking in onsite maintenance. In- 

 stitutions may deter scientists from translating 

 research into practical techniques (8). To ap- 

 ply ecological studies to onsite maintenance, 

 greater emphasis needs to be placed on com- 

 parative and predictive science, which implies 

 less emphasis on descriptive studies (4). 



Forces working against diversity are largely 

 social and economic. Therefore, human dimen- 

 sions need to be included in the scientific in- 

 vestigations, and natural and social sciences 

 must be involved in conservation initiatives. 

 There is, however, a paucity of social science 

 research for the development of technologies 

 to conserve biological diversity. This lack is 

 partly because of the complexity and difficulty 

 of such work, and partly because the potential 

 for social science to make important contribu- 

 tions has been overlooked. 



Greater support is needed for inventory and 

 monitoring of diversity in natural systems and 

 in agricultural systems. Some of this informa- 

 tion is already available, but most of it has not 

 been assimilated or made available to decision- 

 makers. 



Finally, science needs to be applied to pro- 

 vide policymakers and the general public with 

 better information on the scope and ramifica- 

 tions of diversity loss. Such information needs 

 to be accurate, compelling, and digestible by 

 a lay audience. To produce such information, 

 scientists and scientific institutions need to be- 

 come more directly involved and accommodat- 

 ing within the public policymaking process (9). 

 At the same time, the information they provide 



