An operational framework to develop and apply mid-range theory for conservation science

Conservation solutions often lack transferability between contexts, a weakness that stems from a lack of connection between general theories and context-specific research. To address this problem, we propose a methodology for developing middle-range theory in conservation science through the formalised application of an operational conceptual framework. Our approach involves (1) defining a focal conservation problem and system; (2) developing a social-ecological system description using expert knowledge and a standardised grammar and ontology, based on the Coupled Infrastructure Systems framework; (3) identifying key feedbacks and expressing these as a causal loop diagram; (4) translating identified social-ecological system dynamics into a formal model which precisely expresses existing theory by specifying quantitative relationships between variables; and then (5) treating the model as an experimental system that can be explored in silico to advance conceptual understanding and mid-range generalisation. We demonstrate our approach in the context of protected area management, using the example of managing human-wildlife interactions to show how expressing conservation challenges as generalized models can connect scientific enquiry to both more specific theories of practice and more universal theory. Key innovations that facilitated progress included adopting a standard, explicitly social-ecological framework to both describe and connect multiple case studies; focusing on feedbacks; and integrating previous research on social-ecological syndromes and dilemmas. Our approach lays a foundation for the deliberate identification of shared principles and context dependence across locally different instances of similar conservation problems and offers a starting point for the explicit development of mid-range theory and transferable solutions in conservation science.