Political ecology aims to understand how politics and power influence both social and ecological dynamics. Conservation biologists and political ecologists tackle many of the same pressing environmental problems, but from quite different perspectives. In this Viewpoint, five political ecologists discuss their views on how the field can understand and tackle the biodiversity crisis.
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Acknowledgements
J.D.L. receives support from the Australian Research Council (DE230100553).
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Bram Büscher is a Professor and Chair of Sociology of Development and Change at Wageningen University and visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg. He published widely on the relations between conservation, biodiversity and capitalist development.
Jessica Dempsey is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Her research examines the political economy of ecological degradation and conservation.
Jacqueline Lau is a DECRA senior research fellow in the College of Arts, Society and Education at James Cook University. Her research draws on feminist political ecology, environmental justice and human geography to inform more equitable and effective environmental governance in marine and coastal contexts.
Jared Margulies is an associate professor of political ecology in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Alabama. His research uses a political ecology approach to the study of human–wildlife relations, conflicts and legal and illegal wildlife trade.
Kate Massarella is a lecturer in the School of Humanities and Digital Sciences at Tilburg University in The Netherlands. Her research and teaching focuses on the dynamics of knowledge, policies and interventions related to forest and biodiversity conservation.
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Related links
Convivial Conservation: https://www.convivialconservation.com
Extinction Paradox: https://www.extinctionparadox.org
IPBES Transformative Change assessment: https://www.ipbes.net/transformative-change-assessment
Scientist Rebellion: https://scientistrebellion.org/
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Büscher, B., Dempsey, J., Lau, J. et al. The value of political ecology in biodiversity conservation. Nat. Rev. Biodivers. 1, 622–626 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00085-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00085-2
