Conservation is the protection of Earth’s natural resources. This includes air, minerals, plants, soil and water; wildlife; and the ecosystems that support them. It includes maintaining diversity of species, genes and ecosystems; and preserving important environmental processes such as nutrient cycling.
Historically, conservation was an ethical movement; people felt a moral responsibility to preserve the environment for future generations – especially since they could clearly see how industrial activities were damaging the world around them. These days, however, the emphasis is on preventing further damage; rather than simply restoring the status quo.
Some of the most famous examples of conservation success involve animals; for example, saving a nation’s symbol of freedom, the Bald Eagle, from near-extinction after years of logging, hunting and DDT pollution. Land conservation is also becoming increasingly important; for example, the ability to store carbon in plants and soils can help mitigate climate change and create more resilient landscapes.
In terms of archaeological conservation, this is the study of cultural artefacts to ensure that they can be repaired and restored if necessary in order to continue to function as intended; for example, replacing rotten cotton threads on a tapestry with new material to restore it to its original state. This is similar to the work of restoration which, although less common in nature (at least, so far), aims to return an ecosystem to its former state. Both rely on science to do their work but this differs slightly between conservation and preservation; the former encourages human use of natural resources while the latter opposes all uses of the environment and believes that nature should be kept pristine for its own sake.