30th Macaulay Lecture - 10th November 2006

Lessons For Ecology, Conservation And Society From The Serengeti

Professor Tony Sinclair
University of British Columbia

Tony Sinclair’s career has focused on what makes ecosystems work. He has carried out field experiments in all corners of the globe, and he has applied his findings to both wildlife conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.These studies have now covered over 40 years and have been brought together in four books on the Serengeti ecosystem. Until recently, Tony was Director of the Centre for Biodiversity Research, University of British Columbia, Canada.

Abstract

The most serious problem facing human society today is that the ecosystems in which we live are becoming unsustainable.Species are being lost and resources are being consumed at unprecedented rates-but just how much can we lose? The Serengeti ecosystem in East Africa has been well studied for nearly 50 years. Protected areas such as these act as ecological baselines where human-induced change is kept to a minimum. Lessons from these baselines are vital in understanding other areas of the world.In this talk Professor Sinclair will draw on almost half a century of his own research, demonstrating its relevance to the way society must manage their own systems for long-term sustainability.

Lecture

The lecture is presented in Adobe Acrobat format or Microsoft PowerPoint format.