Habitat conservation

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The remaining fragmented habitats of the African Elephant.

Habitat conservation is 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.^[1] It is a priority of many groups that cannot be easily characterized in terms of any one ideology.

Importance

Most of the species extinctions from 1000 AD to 2000 AD are due to human activities, in particular destruction of plant and animal habitats. Raised rates of extinction are being driven by human consumption of organic resources, especially related to tropical forest destruction.^[3] While most of the species that are becoming extinct are not food species, their biomass is converted into human food when their habitat is transformed into pasture, cropland, and orchards. It is estimated that more than a third of the Earth's biomass^[4] is tied up in only the few species that represent humans, livestock and crops. Because an ecosystem decreases in stability as its species are made extinct, these studies warn that the global ecosystem is destined for collapse if it is further reduced in complexity. Factors contributing to loss of biodiversity are: overpopulation, deforestation, pollution (air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination) and global warming or climate change, driven by human activity. These factors, while all stemming from overpopulation, produce a cumulative impact upon biodiversity.

Conservation movement

Some of the conservation movement's goals are to protect habitats and promote continued recreational opportunities for people such as hiking, birdwatching, fishing and hunting.^{[citation needed]}

Ecology movement

The global ecology movement is based upon environmental protection, and is one of several new social movements that emerged at the end of the 1960s. As a values-driven social movement, it should be distinguished from the pre-existing science of ecology. Aspects of the ecology movement view wild species as possessing natural life-rights to exist based upon the importance of maintaining and preserving biodiversity. Another argument for the preservation of species is based upon species competition: species tend to compete most intensely with their own kind, so therefore any cessation of competition between humans must be presaged by cessation of competition between humans and other species.^{[citation needed]}

See also

	Environment portal
	Ecology portal
	Earth_sciences portal
	Biology portal
	Sustainable Development portal

References

External links

• The Nature Conservancy - a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving habitat around the world
• The American Land Conservancy - Founded in 1990, American Land Conservancy is a national non-profit land conservation organization that conserves landscapes for the benefit of people and wildlife.
• The Wildlife Habitat Council - The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) is a nonprofit, nonlobbying 501c3 group of corporations, conservation organizations, and individuals dedicated to restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat. Created in 1988, WHC helps large landowners, particularly corporations, manage their unused lands in an ecologically sensitive manner for the benefit of wildlife. More than 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km²) in 48 states, Puerto Rico, and 16 other countries are managed for wildlife through WHC assisted projects.
• Youcanchangetheplanet.org - A non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable conservation and the rehabilitation of damaged ecosystems.
• Sand County Foundation - Advancing the use of ethically sound land management practices and partnerships for the benefit of people and the ecological landscape.
• Economics of Habitat Protection & Restoration NOAA Economics
• Trust for Sustainable Forestry
• NJ Conservation Foundation - The mission of New Jersey Conservation Foundation is to preserve New Jersey’s land and natural resources for the benefit of all.

Habitat conservation is good for cheetahs