Conservation Biology but Make it Iconic

Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I know what you’re thinking: “gosh, I wish I could be as cool as a giant panda, or maybe even a Bengal tiger!” Well trust, it’s not easy. These charismatic megafauna earned their reputation after thousands of years of courageously protecting their habitats from the threats of ecological instability. But how exactly do they do this? Let’s go a little more in-depth into what makes these species so iconic (ecology pun, get it??).

First, a broad overview of how conservation policy is formulated and how whole ecosystems are considered. Conservationists may have a variety of goals for policy, including protecting a specific species that may be endangered or protecting a whole ecosystem that has valuable biodiversity. Policy may therefore fund efforts or outline plans to protect a single species, such as Alan Rabinowitz’s research inspiring jaguar corridors in South America, or wider-reaching goals such as the establishment and maintenance of a protected area for a region with high biodiversity. However, a very important aspect of policy infrastructure is ensuring community support so the policy gets passed, and with conservation specifically, people are willing to help with efforts needed to successfully implement the policy. Therefore, one strategy that conservationists will use to gather support for their policies and broader conservation projects is to represent their conservation goals with a so-called “charismatic megafauna” species (also known as an “iconic species” if you are a cool ecologist or an “umbrella species” if you are not cool). The idea behind charismatic megafauna is to get people excited about conservation, as people are a lot more likely to get excited about saving the majestic Bengal tiger than red sandalwood trees, even though both are endangered. There is also significance to the distinction of iconic species being megafauna as well. These species usually require very large habitat ranges, so protecting them allows for entire ecosystems to be protected as well. Therefore, even though conservation efforts may not market protecting red sandalwood trees as their main focus, these trees may still be protected by a conservation project that focuses on Bengal tigers, as Bengal tigers need extensive ranges that are likely to have these trees. 

As global biodiversity is threatened by global warming and human development, effective conservation is increasingly important. Gathering public support for conservation via public-facing conservation efforts utilizing charismatic megafauna is one great way to ensure better public awareness and protection of entire ecosystems, allowing us to protect our natural resources for generations to come.