Meaning & use
conservation biology
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablebiology
The scientific study of how to protect species, habitats and ecosystems from extinction and damage caused by human activity.
Grammar: Uncountable and takes a singular verb: conservation biology is a young science.
Patterns
- study conservation biology
- a conservation biology program
She studied conservation biology to help protect rainforest birds.
Conservation biology combines ecology, genetics and policy.
The university has a new degree in conservation biology.
Common combinations
- study conservation biology
- Several students chose to study conservation biology.
- conservation biology research
- Conservation biology research showed that the frog population was shrinking.
- a conservation biologist
- A conservation biologist surveyed the wetland.
- field of conservation biology
- Habitat loss is a major concern in the field of conservation biology.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ecology
- Ecology studies how living things relate to their environment, while conservation biology applies that knowledge to protect species.
- environmental science
- Environmental science is broader and includes pollution and climate, not only living species.
Word family
- conservation noun
- protection of nature or resources
- conservationist noun
- a person who works to protect the environment
- conserve verb
- to protect or use carefully
- biologist noun
- a scientist who studies living things
Commonly confused: conservation biology or preservation?
conservation biology vs preservation
Preservation means keeping something exactly as it is, while conservation biology also involves managing and restoring nature.
Practice
Which activity would a conservation biologist most likely do?
Choose one answer.
Conservation biology is about protecting species and habitats. Repairing a church is heritage conservation, not biology.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conservation biology”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.