11.9: Review

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Page ID: 32797

Melissa Ha and Rachel Schleiger
Yuba College & Butte College via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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Summary

After completing this chapter you should be able to...

Describe the legislative framework for conservation, providing and describing examples of national and state laws and international agreements.
Summarize the role of non-profit organizations in conservation.
Discuss species-level conservation in terms of its success and shortcomings.
Provide specific examples of species-level conservation, including the name of the species and the strategies used.
Explain the importance of protected areas and distinguish between different types of protected areas.
Describe principles of preserve design.
Identify examples of the effects of ecosystem restoration, remediation, reclamation, and mitigation.
Explain how economic factors influence conservation efforts.
Identify actions that individuals can take to preserve biodiversity.

There is a legislative framework for biodiversity protection. In the United States, the Endangered Species Act protects listed species but is hampered by procedural difficulties and a focus on individual species. International treaties such as CITES regulate the transportation of endangered species across international borders. The non-profit sector is also very active in funding and organizing conservation efforts.

Conservation involves a variety of approaches, and many factors influence the success of conservation efforts. Species-level conservation may include captive breeding and reintroduction, vaccinations, and habitat restoration. Presently, 14.7 percent of Earth’s land surface is protected in some way. Preserves are a major tool in conservation efforts, and large, interconnected preserves favor biodiversity. The U.S. government maintains wilderness areas, national and state parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges, which differ in their levels of protection. Ecosystem restoration promotes biodiversity, improves conditions for native species, and reinstates ecosystem services. Debt-for-nature swaps and ecotourism assist conservation efforts economically. Through choosing products that minimize environmental harm and resource conservation, individuals play an important role in preserving biodiversity.

Attributions

Modified by Melissa Ha from the following sources:

Conservation & Biodiversity from Environmental Biology by Matthew R. Fisher (licensed under CC-BY)
Preserving Biodiversity from General Biology by OpenStax (licensed under CC-BY)