3 – Developing a New Conceptual Foundation for Salmon Conservation

This chapter synthesizes relatively recent knowledge pertinent to the conservation of salmonid populations. Ecosystems supporting salmonid species are dynamic rather than static systems, experiencing changes in state or structure that are driven by biological and physical processes operating at a variety of spatial scales. These natural processes create spatially and temporally diverse habitats with a high degree of connectivity among habitat patches. Habitat variation in space and time creates a template for development of diverse life histories and complexes of locally adapted populations that may be genetically and demographically linked by movement of individuals among populations. Life history and population diversity, both being distinguishing features of salmonid species, are essential for sustaining productivity of the salmonid species within a geographic region. Salmonid conservation should be directed at protection and restoration of both the physical processes that create diverse habitats and the biological processes that allow individuals, populations, and population complexes to persist in those habitats. A dynamic view of the ecosystems also suggests that restoration should not be directed at attempting to maintain the ecosystems in a particular state defined by a specific set of performance attributes or standards.