Expanding Conservation Science through Emerging Interdisciplinary STEM Fields

TL;DR

This paper examines the limited integration of emerging interdisciplinary biological fields—physiology, biomechanics, and technology—into conservation science, highlighting opportunities for expanding conservation tools to address biodiversity crises effectively.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of publication trends, case studies, and a framework for integrating new biological disciplines into conservation science to enhance its effectiveness.

Findings

Low publication rates (0-4%) for new interdisciplinary tools.

Only 2.1% of articles used conservation physiology, technology, or biomechanics.

Opportunities exist for greater integration of these fields into conservation efforts.

Abstract

Conservation science is an interdisciplinary field that primarily draws on knowledge from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to inform policy, planning, and practice. Since its formalization as a discipline, conservation science has also increasingly incorporated tools from integrative biological fields, such as animal behavior, genetics, and, more recently, physiology. Given that the biodiversity crisis constitutes one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, with tremendous consequences for global sustainability and human health, creating a diverse conservation toolbox is important for addressing complex conservation threats. To assess the integration of three emerging integrative biological disciplines (physiology, biomechanics, and technology) into recent conservation science research, we queried publications from five broad-scope conservation-focused journals from 2010-2022. We found that the proportion of published articles incorporating these integrative biological techniques was low, ranging from 0-4% per year. With only 2.1% of total articles accessing tools or techniques from conservation physiology, conservation technology, and conservation biomechanics, we propose that there is still a substantial opportunity for further integration. We provide a case study for each integrative field to illustrate the capacity for its tools to contribute to positive conservation outcomes. We further outline how each field promotes novel or reimagined opportunities for collaborations. Finally, we discuss the interconnectedness of the three fields and how they can support the continuing expansion of conservation science as an evidence-based, action-oriented discipline through the application of a Challenge-Mechanism-Partnership framework.