Meaning & use
conservation science
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablebiology
The scientific study of how to protect wildlife, habitats and natural resources from damage, loss or extinction.
Grammar: Uncountable: she studies conservation science, not a conservation science.
Patterns
- study conservation science
- conservation science research
She is studying conservation science so she can help protect coral reefs.
Conservation science shows that restoring wetlands can bring back many bird species.
The university offers a master's degree in conservation science.
noununcountablespecialist
The use of scientific methods to protect and preserve cultural objects such as paintings, books and buildings.
Grammar: Uncountable; in museums it is often a department name.
Patterns
- conservation science laboratory
The museum's conservation science team studies how pigments fade over centuries.
Conservation science helped experts decide how to clean the old manuscript safely.
Advances in conservation science allow tiny samples to reveal how a statue was made.
Common combinations
- conservation science research
- Conservation science research tracks changes in forest cover.
- study conservation science
- He chose to study conservation science after a trip to Kenya.
- conservation science degree
- A conservation science degree can lead to a job at a national park.
- apply conservation science
- Rangers apply conservation science to manage fragile habitats.
- field of conservation science
- The field of conservation science has grown quickly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- conservation biology
- Conservation biology is narrower and deals only with living species and ecosystems, while conservation science can also include soil, water and cultural items.
- environmental science
- Environmental science studies the whole natural environment, while conservation science is focused on protecting it.
- ecology
- Ecology studies how living things relate to their surroundings, whereas conservation science uses that knowledge to protect them.
Word family
- conservation noun
- protection of nature or objects from loss or damage
- conservationist noun
- a person who works to protect nature
- conserve verb
- to protect or use carefully
- conservator noun
- a person who repairs and protects works of art
Commonly confused: conservation science or preservation?
conservation science vs preservation
Preservation means keeping something unchanged, while conservation allows careful, managed use alongside protection.
Practice
A researcher uses satellite data to decide where to create a new reserve for endangered tigers. Her work is part of ___.
Choose one answer.
Studying how to protect an endangered species and its habitat is conservation science. The other fields have nothing to do with protecting wildlife.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conservation science”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.