Final answer:
Conservation biology emerged as a discipline in the mid-1980s to address the increasing knowledge and expanding demands of protecting and conserving biological diversity. It offered an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to conservation science by synthesizing scientific disciplines and addressing global conservation challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conservation biology emerged as a discipline in the mid-1980s in response to the increasing knowledge and expanding demands of protecting and conserving biological diversity. It offered an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to conservation science by synthesizing scientific disciplines and addressing the global problem of biodiversity conservation. Conservation biology also filled a niche by providing a meeting ground for those with converging interests in the conservation of biological diversity, along with other emerging fields in interdisciplinary conservation research and practice.