Conservation Implications

The UN-sponsored Millennium Ecosystem Assessment identifies the five main anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity loss: habitat loss and degradation, invasive alien species, introduced pathogens, overexploitation, and climate change. While habitat loss could still be the strongest driver currently, it is widely expected to be soon overridden by the impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Some immediate implications of the theory might be useful for the purposes of assessing, modelling, or managing biodiversity. These are summarized in this chapter. Shifting attention in conservation and research from questions about the causes of speciations, invasions, or extirpations towards better understanding the inherent mechanisms regulating species richness within communities might therefore help fostering and preserving biodiversity. The chapter talks about assessing biodiversity, modelling ecological communities, and managing biodiversity.