Focusing On The Conservation of Ecosystems, Habitats & Wildlife
With threatened and degraded habitats on every continent, conservation organizations face a daunting task. Their strategy is to focus on key areas.
Conservational International has identified a number of “biodiversity hotspots” which have a high density of different species, a large number of endemic species, and have lost at least 70 percent of their original habitat. Although these hotspots, in total, comprise less than 2 percent of the Earth’s land surface, they contain around 44 percent of all vascular plant species and 35 percent of terrestrial vertebrates.
Ecological conservation cannot be imposed by external organizations or even by national governments. It requires the cooperation of those living and working in the area, many of whom depend on the very activities the conservation groups are trying to stop. So, the emphasis now is on training, education and the promotion of sustainable industries.