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Conservation Biology for the Biodiversity Crisis

Conservation Biology for the Biodiversity Crisis In a recent editorial, Whitten et al. (2001) lament the loss of Sumatran lowland rainforests and encourage conservation biologists to reexamine their efforts to save nature. The Sumatran rain forests are one of a number of critically endangered terrestrial ecoregions of outstanding biological value. Other examples are the Philippines moist forests and the dry forests of New Caledonia—areas characterized by extraordinary levels of endemism—where we need to fight for every scrap left and begin restoration immediately. In these places, recommending new biological surveys or more refined reserve‐selection algorithms is akin to fiddling while Rome burns. For many other places on Earth, however, where substantial natural habitat still remains and the best course of action for protecting biodiversity is less obvious, conservation biology has a critical role in identifying what needs to be accomplished and in what order of priority. Well‐designed conservation landscapes—with representative systems of conservation areas of sufficient size, condition, and connectivity to maintain even the most sensitive species and ecological processes—are an essential foundation of any conservation strategy, whether they be for the vast forests of New Guinea or the vanishing fragments of lowland Sumatra. The kind of information required to design conservation landscapes is precisely http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Conservation Biology Wiley

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References (3)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0888-8892
eISSN
1523-1739
DOI
10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.01612.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

In a recent editorial, Whitten et al. (2001) lament the loss of Sumatran lowland rainforests and encourage conservation biologists to reexamine their efforts to save nature. The Sumatran rain forests are one of a number of critically endangered terrestrial ecoregions of outstanding biological value. Other examples are the Philippines moist forests and the dry forests of New Caledonia—areas characterized by extraordinary levels of endemism—where we need to fight for every scrap left and begin restoration immediately. In these places, recommending new biological surveys or more refined reserve‐selection algorithms is akin to fiddling while Rome burns. For many other places on Earth, however, where substantial natural habitat still remains and the best course of action for protecting biodiversity is less obvious, conservation biology has a critical role in identifying what needs to be accomplished and in what order of priority. Well‐designed conservation landscapes—with representative systems of conservation areas of sufficient size, condition, and connectivity to maintain even the most sensitive species and ecological processes—are an essential foundation of any conservation strategy, whether they be for the vast forests of New Guinea or the vanishing fragments of lowland Sumatra. The kind of information required to design conservation landscapes is precisely

Journal

Conservation BiologyWiley

Published: Feb 1, 2002

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