A Mesofilter Conservation Strategy to Complement Fine and Coarse Filters

• Published in: Conservation biology Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 1025 - 1029
• Main Author: HUNTER JR, MALCOLM L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 350 Main Street , Malden , MA 02148 , USA , and 9600 Garsington Road , Oxford OX4 2DQ , UK Blackwell Publishing, Inc 01.08.2005; Blackwell Science; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Agricultural management; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biodiversity; Biodiversity conservation; Biological and medical sciences; coarse-filter conservation; conservación de filtro fino; conservación de filtro grueso; Conservation; Conservation biology; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Ecosystem management; Ecosystems; Environmental conservation; Essays; fine-filter conservation; Forest conservation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Habitat conservation; manejo de ecosistemas; manejo de matriz; matrix management; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Protected areas; Species; Wildlife conservation; coarse-filter conservation; ecosystem management; Ecosystem; Strategy; fine-filter conservation; matrix management; Environmental protection
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00172.x

Setting aside entire ecosystems in reserves is an efficient way to maintain biodiversity because large numbers of species are protected, but ecosystem conservation constitutes a coarse filter that does not address some species. A complementary, fine-filter approach is also required to provide tailored management for some species (e.g., those subject to direct exploitation). Mesofilter conservation is another complementary approach that focuses on conserving critical elements of ecosystems that are important to many species, especially those likely to be overlooked by fine-filter approaches, such as invertebrates, fungi, and nonvascular plants. Critical elements include structures such as logs, snags, pools, springs, streams, reefs, and hedgerows, and processes such as fires and floods. Mesofilter conservation is particularly appropriate for seminatural ecosystems that are managed for both biodiversity and commodity production (e.g., forests managed for timber, grasslands managed for livestock forage, and aquatic ecosystems managed for fisheries) and is relevant to managing some agricultural and urban environments for biodiversity.