The preservation of Natural Resources encompasses a broad range of topics, from soil to waters, from air to animals. The origin of what we consider Conservation efforts seems to have its beginings with Germany and France during the 17th and 18th centurys regarding 'scientific forestry methods'. Not long after these ideas were being implemented, occurances in India would inspire a more solid foundation for the conservation effort.
Sir Dietrich Brandis worked with the British government in India and introduced scientific forest management. Brandis was superintendent of the teak forests in eastern Burma. Credited with the introduction of the Taungya system, in which villagers provided labour for initial upkeep of the teak plantations and were allowed to plant crops for the first years of growth of the teak trees. Once the forests grew enough to block the sunlite and reduce crop production, the villagers were moved to new lands and the clearing, planting, and weeding of the new teak plantations would begin again and crops were introduced between the rows of trees.
Brandis' work included determination of teak volume, rate of growth, identifying rate of harvest, developing forest protection plans againsts pests and fire. He also introduced timber purchase rules, clearing rules and the establishment of managed teak areas called conservancies with officers who were appointed as Conservators.
Brandis documented the sacred groves in Rajputana and Kans (woodlands) of Mysore, the Garo and Khasia hills which he visited in 1879, the Devarakadus of Coorg in 1868, and the hill ranges of the Salem district in the Madras Presidency in 1882, the Swami Shola on the Yelagiris, the sacred grove at Pudur on the Javadis and several sacred forests on the Shevaroys. He was among the earliest in India to formally link forest protection with local peoples.
More on Brandis here