Conservation news can be depressing with yet another new species heading toward extinction seemingly every week. Does any of the money and effort for biodiversity actually save anything?
The short answer is yes.
A recent study published in Nature verified that biodiversity was threatened less in countries that spent more money on conservation efforts. For example, over time in South America, Brazil is facing less biodiversity threats than Chile, which been investing less on saving biodiversity.
Policy makers can also benefit from this research since the models can predict the most efficient ways for conservation funding to be spent.
Through the analysis of historical data, the international research team also found that over half of the world’s biodiversity loss comes from seven countries – Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, U.S., India, China and Papua New Guinea.
However, seven other countries experienced biodiversity improvements – Mauritius, Seychelles, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Poland, and Ukraine.
Here’s some more positive headlines to remember that efforts do make a difference:
- Bighorn Sheep Thriving In Southern Arizona
- Wildlife Officials Find Evidence of Rare Australian Bird
- 101 Pangolins Destined for Black Market Rescued from Fishing Boat
- MD Striped Bass Survey Shows Healthy Population Growth
- First black-footed ferrets born in the wild near Meeteetse in over 30 years
- Slow and Steady, a Tortoise Is Winning Its Race With Extinction
Source: Simon Fraser University
