To effectively conserve ecosystems, scientists document and monitor their extent (mapped areas where they occur) and conservation status over time. Combining trends in extent with degree of protection helps to accurately assess the effectiveness of conservation actions. This is what an international research team led by NatureServe and iDiv has illustrated for conservation planning in the most biologically diverse area on the planet, the Tropical Andes. Using pre-industrial and recent maps for ecosystems in the Tropical Andes, the team measured long-term ecosystem loss to intensive land uses. They then quantified the representation of ecosystem types in the region within current protected areas and additional representation offered by protecting Key Biodiversity Areas.
Click here for original story, Informing future conservation priorities for ecosystems in the Tropical Andes
Source: Phys.org