In the previous section we saw how the behavioral responses of animals to anthropogenic activities, and in particular, the level of behavioral plasticity or flexibility an animal can express in response to these activities, influence the fitness of individuals, and by extension, the persistence of wildlife populations. The flip side of the coin is that understanding animal behavior may allow us to predict their responses to anthropogenic changes and to design management protocols that will minimize the risks to wild populations and maximize their fitness under the given conditions.

In one of the first contributions to the emerging field of conservation behavior, Clemmons and Buchholtz’ edited volume on behavioral approaches to conservation, Steve Beissinger lists the seven “tools” that have emerged from the development of conservation biology and that can be applied to conserve biological diversity (Beissinger 1997). The tools are: (1) Reserve and landscape design. (2) Ecosystem management (i.e. management of non-protected areas). (3) Population Viability Analysis (PVA). (4) Sustainable development. (5) Field recovery of endangered species. (6) Captive breeding and reintroduction. (7) Ecosystem restoration (which is nowadays usually considered to include reintroductions of species). While the field of conservation biology has substantially developed and grown in complexity over the last two decades, these seven tools or approaches still compellingly encompass the essence of what conservation management is all about.

The chapters in this section aim to address the seven tools and expand on them from a behavioral point of view. Chapter 7 challenges the traditional spatial approach to reserve and landscape design, within and outside protected areas. Chapters 8 and 10 discuss captive breeding and reintroductions from two perspectives, respectively – the behavioral-sensitive management approach and the behavioral modification approach (see Chapter 1 for more details on these approaches), and Chapter 9 explores the use of behavior ecology in wildlife population modeling, including PVAs and models of sustainable harvesting.

One of the most notable trends of the past few years is the growing interest and rapid increase in research on sensory ecology (Blumstein & Berger-Tal 2015). Advancing technologies and the novel insights they have led to have transformed the understanding of sensory mechanisms into a vital tool in the conservationist's toolbox, shedding light on how animals make decisions and suggesting ways of manipulating these decisions.