When people think of Conservation, they often imagine scientists in a lab or wildlife experts out with animals in their natural habitats. But Conservation is a lot more than that. It includes the active stewardship of land to prevent environmental degradation (fencing forests to stop deer overbrowsing or redesigning trails to prevent erosion) as well as restoring natural processes and ecosystems to damaged landscapes (reforesting a watershed or rehabilitating a wetland).
It also involves teaching people about sustainability and how to live with less impact on the environment. This might involve making literature or leaflets, presenting at events, leading environmental talks, or working with the local community to encourage them to make changes in their own lives. Conservationists may also work with governments and businesses to promote sustainability initiatives.
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is the variety of life on Earth at all levels of organization, including species, populations, ecosystems and genes. Biological conservation aims to protect this variety. This is a vital task, because overexploitation of the planet’s natural resources causes damage that cannot easily be reversed. For example, biodiversity loss in nature can result in reduced food supplies for humans and other animals, as the diverse ecosystems that support them are lost. It can also affect the economy, as companies that depend on nature for resources lose revenue when their products are threatened by biodiversity loss. For example, fishing industries will suffer if they lose fish species that are important for their livelihoods.