Preface

Humankind is an important but only a small part of the biosphere; the human race is just one of the many millions of species living on our planet. The existence of our species and the functionality and sustainability of our society, economy, and culture depend on the ecosystem services provided by the rest of the biosphere.

The biosphere's state of health and its ability to provide services depend on the extent of the living communities of natural and near-natural habitats, their biomass, productivity, biological activity, and the high biodiversity that ensures their reliability and flexibility.

The process of the historical unfolding of the global ecological crisis, at different stages, necessitated nature conservation activities of different levels and types (species, habitat, and biodiversity protection, in situ and ex-situ approaches, and passive or active management tools).

In the maintenance and conservation of our planet's biodiversity and ecosystem services, knowledge of current ecological and biogeographical patterns, changes in flora, fauna, and human society have outstanding importance.

This book, "New Insights into Protected Area Management and Conservation Biology", gives a useful report about this important applied scientific area. As such, it is sure to be a valuable resource for readers looking to gain some insight into the recent problems of conservation efforts.

> **Levente Hufnagel** Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Ecotheology, John Wesley Theological College, Budapest, Hungary

**1**

Section 1

Protected Area Management

Section 1
