{"id":784,"date":"2024-08-19T17:49:24","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T17:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dimensionfx.net\/?p=784"},"modified":"2024-08-28T11:24:17","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T11:24:17","slug":"new-study-shows-the-positive-impacts-conservation-has-on-biodiversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dimensionfx.net\/index.php\/2024\/08\/19\/new-study-shows-the-positive-impacts-conservation-has-on-biodiversity\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Shows the Positive Impacts Conservation has on Biodiversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was the early evening when we spotted our first jaguar, a male named Timb\u00f3, who was lounging in the tall grass of <\/span>Brazil\u2019s Pantanal<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, waiting for night to fall. We watched him closely from the safety of our safari transport, a vehicle that Timb\u00f3 hardly noticed. <\/span>This<\/span> was thanks to the ongoing efforts of On\u00e7afari. <\/span>This conservation initiative aims to promote ecotourism and wildlife watching within several Brazilian biomes, and in the case of jaguars\u2014transforming the image of this keystone species from one that people might hunt for profit into a <\/span>source of<\/span> sustainable tourism and income.<\/span> By the time our safari was through, we\u2019d spotted six <\/span>jaguars<\/span><\/a><\/strong> in less than three days. I\u2019d say their efforts are working.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"jaguar<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Helder Brand\u0101o de Oliveira (Nat Hab Expedition Leader)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A new study <\/span>published<\/span><\/a><\/strong> in the journal <\/span>Science<\/span><\/em> this April shows just how successful conservation efforts can be when it comes to protecting and maintaining biodiversity. In this first-of-its-kind meta-analysis to see the effects of conservation action overall, scientists from research institutes around the globe reviewed 655 implemented conservation measures that spanned more than a century and target different levels of biodiversity, including a variety of species, ecosystems, and genetics. After evaluating the changes to <\/span>biodiversity<\/span><\/a><\/strong> that these measures have led to, compared to what would have happened without them, the results show that in two out of every three cases, the results were positive. At the very least, they slowed declines in biodiversity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThis new analysis is the best evidence to date that conservation interventions make a difference, slowing the loss of species\u2019 populations and habitats and enabling them to recover,\u201d says Stuart Butchart, the study\u2019s co-author and chief scientist at<\/span> BirdLife International<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, protecting avian species worldwide. \u201cIt provides strong support for scaling up investments in nature to meet the commitments countries have signed up to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Butchart is likely referring in part to the <\/span>United Nations Biodiversity Conference<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, a nearly two-week gathering of governments from around the globe in Montreal in December 2022. Here, nations are committed to several new global goals and targets that <\/span>will be achieved<\/span> by 2030. These include protecting 30% of the planet\u2019s lands, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans, emphasizing areas of particular importance ecosystem functioning and services, as well as biodiversity\u2014which the U.N. calls \u201cour strongest natural defense against climate change.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Baobob<\/p>\n

Baobob trees of Madagascar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

How Biodiversity Loss Affects Us\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Biodiversity supports healthy ecosystems, including everything from clean air and fresh water to <\/span>the pollination of crops<\/span>. In turn, healthy ecosystems reduce the effects of climate change by acting as natural carbon sinks and <\/span>both<\/span> absorbing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.<\/span> Such ecosystems also allow species and organisms to work together to build strength, support life, and thrive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Declines in biodiversity also threaten wildlife. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature\u2019s <\/span>Red List of Threatened Species<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, more than 44,000 species are at risk of becoming extinct, including critically endangered wildlife like the orangutans viewable on Nat Hab\u2019s <\/span>Wilds of Borneo Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong> and African forest elephants that live in the Congo and West Africa. The loss of such species would have a ripple effect, not only changing the dynamics among area wildlife but disturbing everything from the stability of an ecosystem to the livelihood of the people who depend on it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Orangutans,<\/p>\n

Orangutans, Borneo \u00a9 Brad Josephs (Nat Hab Expedition Leader)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Some Success Stories<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

A few things that have been working to improve the state of biodiversity include establishing<\/span> and managing protected areas, eradicating <\/span>invasive species<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, and restoring habitats while sustainably managing ecosystems.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the study, the ongoing idea is to up the ante on such conservation interventions, which would go a long way toward stopping<\/span>\u2014as well as<\/span> reversin<\/span>g\u2014b<\/span>iodiversity loss.<\/span> Some concrete examples of successful conservation efforts include Central Africa\u2019s Congo Basin, home to some of the largest tropical rainforests on Earth. Here, <\/span>deforestation was 74% lower<\/span><\/a><\/strong> in lands set aside for logging operations under a Forest Management Plan (FMP), which promotes sustainable timber extraction practices, compared with concessions without an FMP. Another is central Idaho\u2019s Salmon River basin, where the captive breeding and release of Chinook salmon boosted the natural population of the basin\u2019s fish <\/span>exponentially<\/span><\/a><\/strong> with minimal negative impacts on its wild population.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Grizzly<\/p>\n

Grizzly bear fishing for salmon, Katmai National Park, Alaska<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When conservation efforts work, they can <\/span>really<\/span> do a lot of good. In July 2023, Nat Hab even rounded up some of the most <\/span>amazing<\/span> conservation wins<\/span><\/a><\/strong> worldwide to showcase this <\/span>very<\/span> point. One is the more-than-doubling of wild tiger populations in <\/span>India<\/span><\/a><\/strong> that\u2019s occurred since 2010 (up from 1,411 to 3,167), thanks to rigorous conservation efforts from the country\u2019s central and state governments, support from scientific institutions and NGOs and the involvement of local communities. Another is Australia\u2019s practicing of effective conservation strategies, including policy changes and enhanced management of fishing vessels, which have led to the elimination of gill nets (walls of netting that can entail and harm, or even kill, marine mammals like bottlenose dolphins and sea turtles) in the <\/span>Great Barrier Reef<\/span><\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although conservation efforts aren\u2019t always successful, those implementing the programs have been able to learn from their experiences and refine their methods accordingly. There are even cases in which an effort might prove unsuccessful for the species it was targeting but unintentionally beneficial for another form of life instead. For instance, while the population of seahorses in protected sites is lower than in non-protected areas, the number of seahorse predators\u2014including octopus\u2014has become much higher.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"River<\/p>\n

Aerial view of river and ocean meeting in Australia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What Does This All Mean?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In essence, \u201cConservation matters!\u201d says Gernot Segelbacher, co-author <\/span>of the study<\/span> and professor and co-chair of the Conservation Genetic Specialist Group (part of the larger <\/span>International Union for Conservation of Nature<\/span><\/a><\/strong>). \u201cWhile we <\/span>so<\/span> often hear about species declining or going extinct, this study shows that we can make a difference.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Some methods of doing so include continuing to <\/span>invest in nature<\/span><\/a><\/strong> in sustainable ways, such as focusing on the long-term benefits for people, nature, and the local economies rather than making short-term, financially based decisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another is <\/span>in<\/span> funding the effective management of protected areas, which safeguard critical habitats for species.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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