Question

In your first meeting as a conservation manager at a global conservation NGO, your colleagues present the plan for a new campaign focused on conservation in two of the world’s ‘mega-diverse’ (i.e. most species rich) countries. a) What are the merits of their proposal? (2 pts), b) What two other factors do you urge them to consider, and in taking these factors into consideration how might the plan be modified? (3 pts) Explain your answers. It is not sufficient to simply list terms we discussed in class. You must demonstrate understanding of the concepts (refer back to the readings).

Answer 1

a) The values of the mega diverse countries:

• Direct values: May be consumptive, productive, non consumptive in nature. This includes food, fuel, timber, farming etc.
• Indirect values: Includes ecological processes, drugs etc.
• Social values: religious sentiments.

Other values include ecosystem services, medicine, biotechnology etc.

The merits of the proposal includes:

• Conservation of the species richness of the nations; preventing them from exploitation.
• Help to prevent chain extinctions.
• Promote sustainable use of resources and saving them for future generations.
• Promote reduction of global warming to a certain extent.
• The conservation of mega diverse countries would provide greater scope for medicinal research; to cope up with challenges like climate change etc.

b) The other factors that might be taken into consideration while focussing on the mega diverse countries includes to understand the pattern of degeneration of biological diversity i.e whether species richness becomes lesser on islands or main lands and the reasons for the same, So, this would help us to understand the influence of climates, man made activities etc on the species richness and elucidate ways to prevent the same.

Also, the conservation of the mega diverse countries can be done through ecodevelopment whereby local communities are entrusted upon to preserve the precious biodiversity. It also includes developing alternative resources in place of the currently exploited ones so as to prevent the diversity.

Other actions can be taken as in formation of Forestry Action programmes and Wildlife Action Plans nationally; Identification of biogeographic zones for establishing a network of protected areas, management plans for wetlands, coral reefs, formulation of River Action Plans etc.