Opening with a consideration of ecology and conservation as a science, and the notion of different processes happening at different scales, the primer goes on to discuss the importance of populations and life histories. It also emphasises interactions between different species, a key area of understanding for getting to grips with ecology. With a step up in scale, it then introduces the idea of ecosystem services, and the dependence of human life and well-being on these services. The long history of the impact of humans on the landscape leads to a discussion of myths such as the 'balance of nature' and 'pristine environments'. These concepts are crucial to understanding modern ideas of the right way to conserve our world.

Using the South Sinai in Egypt as a case study throughout, the primer explores explore the issues of how indigenous people can maintain their traditions in the modern world, and the relationship between their traditions and biodiversity. These form the key to understanding how humans can live sustainably with the natural world.