Habitat Conservation

Africa

Atlantic Forest

Original Extent: 1,233,875 km²

Remaining Habitat: 99,944 km²

Habitat Remaining: 8%

Cape Floristic Region

Original Extent: 293,804 km²

Remaining Habitat: 73,451 km²

Habitat Remaining: 25%

Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa

Original Extent: 291,250 km²

Remaining Habitat: 29,125 km²

Habitat Remaining: 10%

Eastern Afromontane

Original Extent: 1,017,806 km²

Remaining Habitat: 106,870 km²

Habitat Remaining: 10%

Guinean Forests of West Africa

Original Extent: 620,314 km²

Remaining Habitat: 93,047 km²

Habitat Remaining: 15%

Horn of Africa

Original Extent: 1,659,363 km²

Remaining Habitat: 82,968 km²

Habitat Remaining: 5%

Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands

Original Extent: 600,461 km²

Remaining Habitat: 60,046 km²

Habitat Remaining: 10%

Maputaland - Pondoland - Albany

Original Extent: 274,136 km²

Remaining Habitat: 67,163 km²

Habitat Remaining: 24%

Succulent Karoo

Original Extent: 102,691 km²

Remaining Habitat: 29,780 km²

Habitat Remaining: 29%

Asia

Himalaya

Original Extent: 741,706 km²

Remaining Habitat: 185,427 km²

Habitat Remaining: 25%

Indo - Burma

Original Extent: 2,373,057 km²

Remaining Habitat: 118,653 km²

Habitat Remaining: 5%

Irano - Anatolian

Original Extent: 899,773 km²

Remaining Habitat: 134,966 km²

Habitat Remaining: 15%

Japan

Original Extent: 373,490 km²

Remaining Habitat: 74,698 km²

Habitat Remaining: 20%

Mountains of Central Asia

Original Extent: 863,362 km²

Remaining Habitat: 172,672 km²

Habitat Remaining: 20%

Mountains of Southwest China

Original Extent: 262,446 km²

Remaining Habitat: 20,996 km²

Habitat Remaining: 8%

Philippines

Original Extent: 297,179 km²

Remaining Habitat: 20,803 km²

Habitat Remaining: 7%

Sundaland

Original Extent: 1,501,063 km²

Remaining Habitat: 100,571 km²

Habitat Remaining: 7%

Wallacea

Original Extent: 338,494 km²

Remaining Habitat: 50,774 km²

Habitat Remaining: 15%

Western Ghats and Sri Lanka

Original Extent: 189,611 km²

Remaining Habitat: 43,611 km²

Habitat Remaining: 23%

Australia

East Melanesian Islands

Original Extent: 99,384 km²

Remaining Habitat: 29,815 km²

Habitat Remaining: 30%

New Zealand

Original Extent: 270,197 km²

Remaining Habitat: 59,443 km²

Habitat Remaining: 22%

Polynesia - Micronesia

Original Extent: 47,239 km²

Remaining Habitat: 10,015 km²

Habitat Remaining: 21%

Southwest Australia

Original Extent: 356,717 km²

Remaining Habitat: 107,015 km²

Habitat Remaining: 30%

Europe

Caucasus

Original Extent: 532,658 km²

Remaining Habitat: 143,818 km²

Habitat Remaining: 27%

Mediterranean Basin

Original Extent: 2,085,292 km²

Remaining Habitat: 98,009 km²

Habitat Remaining: 5%

New Caledonia

Original Extent: 18,972 km²

Remaining Habitat: 5,122 km²

Habitat Remaining: 27%

North America

California Floristic Province

Original Extent: 293,804 km²

Remaining Habitat: 73,451 km²

Habitat Remaining: 25%

Taxonomic Groups

Plants

Species: 3,488

Endemic Species: 2,124

Percent Endemism: 60.9

Birds

Species: 340

Endemic Species: 4

Percent Endemism: 2.4

Mammals

Species: 157

Endemic Species: 5

Percent Endemism: 11.5

Reptiles

Species: 69

Endemic Species: 4

Percent Endemism: 5.8

Amphibians

Species: 46

Endemic Species: 25

Percent Endemism: 54.3

Fresh Water Fishes

Species: 73

Endemic Species: 15

Percent Endemism: 20.5

Extinct Species: 2

Human Population Density: 121 people/km²

Conservation

Area Protected: 108,715 km²

Area Protected in Categories I-IV: 30,002 km²

Caribbean Islands

Original Extent: 229,549 km²

Remaining Habitat: 22,955 km²

Habitat Remaining: 10%

Madrean Pine - Oak Woodlands

Original Extent: 461,265 km²

Remaining Habitat: 92,253 km²

Habitat Remaining: 20%

Mesoamerica

Original Extent: 1,130,019 km²

Remaining Habitat: 226,004 km²

Habitat Remaining: 20%

South America

Cerrado

Original Extent: 2,031,990 km²

Remaining Habitat: 438,910 km²

Habitat Remaining: 22%

Chilean Winter Rainfall - Valdivian Forests

Original Extent: 397,142 km²

Remaining Habitat: 119,143 km²

Habitat Remaining: 30%

Tropical Andes

Original Extent: 1,542,644 km²

Remaining Habitat: 385,661 km²

Habitat Remaining: 25%

Tumbes - Choc

Original Extent: 274,597 km²

Remaining Habitat: 65,903 km²

Habitat Remaining: 24%

The Ocean

Threats

Overfishing

Climate Change

Development

Invasion of plants/animals

Pollution

A land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
worldwildelife.org

The Nature Conservancy
nature.org

Conservation International
conservation.org

Wildlife Conservation Society
wcs.org

RARE Conservation
rareconservation.org

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
iucn.org

Red List

LC- Least Concern

Highland Brush Mouse

Papua New Guinea

There appear to be no significant threats to this species.

Hoop Pine

Australia (New South Wales, Queensland); Indonesia (Irian Jaya); Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea (main island group))

Deforestation

Agriculture

Pastoralism

Invasion by other plants/Animals

Drought

Fire

NT- Near Threatened

Bedriaga's Fringe-fingered Lizard

Algeria

Fragmented habitat

Dwarf Cypress

Australia (Western Australia)

Fire

VU- Vulnerable

Leopard Fringe-fingered Lizard

Egypt; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Agriculture

Overgrazing

Development

Quarrying

Habitat Loss

Round-leaved Chaff Flower

United States (Hawaiian Is.)

Development

Infestation of other plants/animals

Fire

EN- Endangered

Gierra's Blind Snake

Tanzania

Agriculture

Deforestation

Himalayan Yew

Bhutan; China (Sichuan, Tibet [or Xizang], Yunnan); India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh); Indonesia; Myanmar; Nepal; Pakistan; Philippines; Viet Nam

Medicinal Resources

Deforestation

Agriculture

CR- Critically Endangered

Mekong Giant Salmon Carp

Lao People's Democratic Republic; Cambodia; Thailand

Overfishing

Development

Climate Change

Greenflower Indian Mallow

United States (Hawaiian Is.)

Overgrazing

Infestation of plants/animals

Fire

EW- Extinct in the Wild

Wyoming Toad

United States

Infestation of plant/animals

Disease

Pesticides

Drought

Predators

Bastard Gumwood

Saint Helena

Firewood Resource

Infestation of plant/animal

EX- Extinct

Coosa Elktoe

United States (Alabama)

Development

Hawaii Chaff Flower

United States (Hawaiian Is.)

Development

Infestation of plant/animal

The value of insects in the biosphere is enormous because they outnumber all other living groups in measure of species richness. The greatest bulk of biomass on land is found in plants, which is sustained by insect relations.

Fungi are essential for sustainability of forests.

Definition: the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction.

Systematic conservation planning

1. Compile data on the biodiversity of the planning region
2. Identify conservation goals for the planning region
3. Review existing conservation areas
4. Select additional conservation areas
5. Implement conservation actions
6. Maintain the required values of conservation areas

Conservation Approaches

In-situ conservation

On-site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plant or animal species, such as forest genetic resources in natural populations of tree species. It is the process of protecting an endangered plant or animal species in its natural habitat, either by protecting or cleaning up the habitat itself, or by defending the species from predators. It is applied to conservation of agricultural biodiversity in agroecosystems by farmers, especially those using unconventional farming practices.

Ex-situ conservation

The process of protecting an endangered species of plant or animal outside of its natural habitat; for example, by removing part of the population from a threatened habitat and placing it in a new location, which may be a wild area or within the care of humans. While ex-situ conservation comprises some of the oldest and best known conservation methods, it also involves newer, sometimes controversial laboratory methods.

Status of oceans and reefs

By 2000, 27% of the world's coral reef ecosystems had effectively collapsed.

90% of all of the large, open ocean tuna, billfishes, and sharks in the ocean are reportedly gone.

Human Impacts

The 6th Extinction

Conservation biologists are dealing with and have published evidence from all corners of the planet indicating that humanity may be causing the sixth and greatest planetary extinction event.

The global extinction rate may be approximately 100,000 times higher than the natural background extinction rate

It is estimated that two-thirds of all mammal genera and one-half of all mammal species weighing at least 44 kilograms (97 lb) have gone extinct in the last 50,000 years.

The Global Amphibian Assessment[26] reports that amphibians are declining on a global scale faster than any other vertebrate group, with over 32% of all surviving species being threatened with extinction

23% of all mammals and 12% of all birds are Red Listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning they too are threatened with extinction.

Impacts

Hunting/Fishing

Pollution

Pesticides

Killing honey bees

Increased CO2

Acidification or ocean: Killing marine animals

The extinction threat is estimated to range from 15 to 37 percent of all species by 2050,[42][43] or 50 percent of all species over the next 50 years.

Pastoralism

Overgrazing

Mass Agriculture

Slash & Burn Agriculture

Anthropogenic Climate Change

Deforestation

Human Settlements

Negative Reactions

Killing of "unpleaseant" creatures

Natural Impacts

Climate Change

Warming of Oceans

Coral Bleaching: Killing coral reefs

Killing honey bees

Catastrophic Events

Interactions of invasive and non-invasive species

The IPAT Formual

I = P × A × T

Where: I = Environmental impact, P = Population, A = Affluence (level of consumption), T = Technology (impact per unit of resource)

Deserts

Freshwater

Grasslands

Oceans

Rain Forests

Tundra

Urban