We humans have single-handedly (as a species) changed the ecology of the planet; we are also learning why this, in the long term, is a terrible idea. As we grapple with the fallouts of increasing urbanization, deforestation, loss of wildlife, and human–wildlife conflict, we are beginning to realize that conservation must use every tool available to protect what is left of our natural world. Since molecular ecology—a hybrid field of molecular biology and ecology—is an invaluable tool in understanding how genetics affect animal populations, it has often been used to inform conservation efforts. Wildlife conservation has and will continue to depend heavily on molecular ecology to make predictions on species survival, decisions regarding conservation practices, and monitoring of conservation efforts. The influences of molecular biology-based techniques and tools on various aspects of conservation, namely, population genetics and health, taxonomy, wildlife disease management, climate change, and changing landscapes, will be broadly examined in this article.

我们人类单枪匹马（作为一个物种）改变了地球的生态；从长远来看，我们还在学习为什么这是一个糟糕的主意。当我们努力应对日益严重的城市化，森林砍伐，野生动植物的丧失以及人类与野生生物之间的冲突的后果时，我们开始认识到，保护必须利用一切可用的手段来保护我们自然界的剩余物。由于分子生态学是分子生物学和生态学的混合领域，是了解遗传学如何影响动物种群的宝贵工具，因此它经常被用于保护工作。野生动物保护已经并且将继续严重依赖分子生态学来预测物种的生存情况，做出有关保护实践的决定以及监测保护工作。