Scientific foundations of fauna conservation - a glance at the present day

21 cm ; bibliografia na stronach 13-15

ISSN 0009-6172

Nature conservation is an ideology and a kind of human activity of not only practical but also cognitive character. It is based on elementary sciences, and particularly on the ecology. Recently, nature conservation has been considered as a new science of an interdisciplinary and complex character. In United States this scientific discipline develops under the name of "conservation biology" and it is limited to the conservation of living nature, and especially to the problems of biological diversity. The most important concepts and scientific theories in the scope of animal conservation are shown in this paper. In the author's opinion the most constructive theoretical works, important for fauna conservation, are focused on such problems as (1) estimation of minimum viable populations, (2) consequences of a genetic drift (and phenomenon named "genetic bottleneck") initial populations, (3) determination of spatial conditions and a minimum area sufficient to support threatened animal populations, (4) evaluation of the effect of habitat fragmentation on animal populations and communities, (5) concept of conservation in relation to metapopulation, (6) concept of biological diversity, particularly at genetic and species levels, (7) the role of species in ecosystems and their ecological relations of a type "predator-prey", and some other problems. In the light of these leading in the world scientific specializations, the contribution of Poland is only slightly marked in theory but clearly greater in field and experimental studies, and in implementation works. Most of these works are of a regional, documentation, or diagnostic character. The greatest success of Polish nature conservation were studies on the restitution of vanishing species such as the European bison, the European beaver, and some large predators. Important and original achievements of Polish science are also studies on genetic erosion in the European bison, on the functioning of populations exhibiting primitive features, as well as methodological proposals concerning the estimates of the numbers of birds and some mammals. The development of theory and methodology is particularly important for creative protection of animals, as well as for organizational and practical solutions in this respect. New scientific achievements influence international standards and initiatives in the scope of animal conservation (conventions and other agreements), taken also in Poland.