Journal Article

The Global 200: A Representation Approach to Conserving the Earth's Most Biologically Valuable Ecoregions

Dinerstein, Eric, Olson, David M.

1998

Overview

Funding for conservation action to preserve vanishing species is limited, so finances have to be targeted at areas that are richest in biodiversity. The representation approach to biodiversity conservation, in which examples of all ecosystem and habitat types are preserved, is promoted. The Global 200 ecoregions represent terrestrial, freshwater, and marine major habitat types in each biogeographic realm. A detailed list of these regions summarized their approximate location and current conservation status. The boundaries of these regions are derived from intensive regional analyses of biodiversity patterns. Each ecoregion is rated in one of four categories of biological distinctiveness as well. Island ecoregions are projected to experience a wave of extinctions in the next 20 yr because of their fragility, sensitivity to competition from introduced species, and endemicity. The Global 200 list is an effective strategy for targeting biodiversity units and promoting ecosystem-level representation on a global scale, because it broadens the focus from species diversity to habitat diversity, ecological processes, evolutionary phenomena, and adaptations.

• Publisher: Blackwell Science Inc,Blackwell Scientific Publications,Blackwell
• Subject: Afromontane forests / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Applied ecology / Biodiversity conservation / Biological and medical sciences / Conservation biology / Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife / Ecoregions / Environmental conservation / Forest conservation / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Habitat conservation / Issues in International Conservation / Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking / Tropical forests / Tropical rain forests / Wildlife conservation