How our researchers are supporting conservation around the world

Protecting the forests

This is where Dr Lees’ work has had a significant impact, providing an evidence baseline for a change in the law affecting secondary forests that cover more than a million hectares in the eastern Amazon.

“Our research has been fundamental in shaping forest policy because we have been able to show what age that secondary forest should be legally protected to protect biodiversity and carbon stocks.

“In this case, secondary forests are forests that are regrown from historical clearcutting, so a forest which perhaps was once a field with cattle in it was then abandoned and has then started regrowing. Quite often these forests are cut down. Our work, especially on secondary forests, has also been fundamental in providing the targets for the state governments to meet their own climate goals, with essentially these forests stocking carbon to offset emissions elsewhere.”

Government policy has a key role to play in preserving biodiversity, according to Dr Lees. “Policy is often isolated from its impact on the environment. We need to see the intersection between conserving biodiversity, maintaining ecosystem services, and ensuring development.

So often we just we chase economic goals without thinking about the costs to the environment, and that comes back to haunt us.

 Fundamentally, we need a different kind of governance that understands the value of biodiversity and values that by protecting it.”

Humanity and biodiversity

For Julia Fa, Professor of Biodiversity and Human Development at Manchester Met, there can be no separation between humans and the natural world.

Professor Fa’s work focuses on emerging issues that impinge significantly upon the long-term future of global biodiversity, such as defaunation of tropical rainforests, the impact of loss of wildlife on people dependent on it, climate change, and the impact of diseases on wildlife and humans.

Her previous projects include working with 900,000 indigenous people in the Congo basin, where improving people’s prosperity, literacy and livelihood went hand in hand with promoting biodiversity.

“We worked on strategies with the Baka Pygmies in remote villages in south-eastern Cameroon to develop ways of managing natural resources sustainably, and generating food and income from subsistence and cash crops,” she says.

“Ultimately, it’s about integrating research on biodiversity with human development: the future of both people and animals is strongly intertwined.”

“Together with the Baka communities themselves, we came up with ways of securing these peoples’ way of life and safeguarding their food security at the same time as helping them become custodians of the biodiversity that surrounds them.

“Ultimately, it’s about integrating research on biodiversity with human development: the future of both people and animals is strongly intertwined.”

Experience wild nature

In terms of our own relationship with nature, Dr Lees is passionate about the connection between humans and the environment we live in.

“We need to connect people with nature more to make sure that everyone, no matter their age, has more experience of wild nature and therefore becomes more invested in its conservation,” he says.

“That’s a big societal challenge that I don’t think we do well enough because most children show an innate love for nature, but so often they’re not exposed to it. From schools to universities, offering more opportunities to spend time in wild nature, understand it and value it is something we need to pursue.”