ABSTRACT
To achieve conservation results that are ecologically viable, it is necessary to conserve networks of key sites, migration corridors, and the ecological processes that maintain healthy ecosystems. Species living in these regions do not need the broad characteristics necessary for coping with varying conditions and adapt and diversify to suit local conditions. Biodiversity is assessed in terms both of the number of species in a given area, and their abundance. A forest with one dominant species of tree and a handful of individuals of other tree species is considered to have a lower biodiveristy than a forest with the same number of tree species occurring in roughly equal numbers. Ecological conservation cannot be imposed by external organizations or even by national governments. It requires the cooperation of those living and working in the area, many of whom depend on the very activities the conservation groups are trying to stop.
