1. Introduction: the amount of biological diversity 2. Diversity in ecosystems 2.1. African wildlife systems 2.2. Australian arid grazing systems 3. Measures of biodiversity 3.1. Species richness 3.2. Shortcuts to monitoring biodiversity: indicators, umbrellas, flagships, keystones, and functional groups 4. Biodiversity loss: the great extinction spasm 5. Causes of biodiversity loss: the " evil...

Conservation and management tend to emphasize immediate demographic concerns, such as reversing population declines or maximizing productivity. These concerns have long been addressed by reference to ecological processes, but recent work has increasingly pointed to the additional importance of considering evolutionary processes. From the standpoint of conservation, adaptation might influence th...

The participation of local communities and other stakeholders in managing forestry and conservation projects can help to improve forest productivity, alleviate poverty, enhance environmental sustainability, and make rules governing forest access more enforceable. Introducing participatory management depends on government commitment; and it requires time and resources to develop consensus among ...

Farming imposes unenthusiastic externalities upon society. It effects by differ‐ ent sources such as loss of biodiversity, land erosion, nutrient overflow, more water usage and pesticides. Optimistic externalities include respect of nature, independence, free enterprise, and the quality of air. Natural methods decrease some of these costs. It has been proposed that organic farming can reduce th...

Integration of conservation partnerships across geographic, biological, and administrative boundaries is increasingly relevant because drivers of change, such as climate shifts, transcend these boundaries. We explored successes and challenges of established conservation programs that span multiple watersheds and consider both social and ecological concerns. We asked representatives from a diver...

Conservation is defined as the management of natural resources in a way that is positive, embracing preservation, maintenance, sustainable utilisation, restoration and enhancement of the natural environment. This broader concept of conservation will only be realised if applied at all levels of social organisation and at all scales across the landscape – real conservation cannot be achieved in s...

– Freshwater and terrestrial turtles are among the most imperiled biota on the planet, with nearly half of all extant taxa threatened with extinction. Active science-based management is required for the persistence of many species. Evolutionary genetic principles are often overlooked in the development of conservation and management plans, yet genetic data and theory can be critical to program ...