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How is Biodiversity Conserved?

The conservation of biodiversity operates at thegene, organism and ecological level.

There may be overlap between these approaches, with the traditional focus on the species linked closely to the need to identify and preserveparticular areas.

Habitat protection may remain the best way of conserving biodiversity at alllevels.

Conservationprogrammes may be in or ex situ, should balance local and global issues, and be multi-disciplinary in theirapproach.

The giant panda is a flagship species

Species Conservation

The species is often the conceptual, biological and legal focus of biodiversity conservation.

Traditional emphasis has been on saving individual "flagship" species, such as the giant panda, Aliuropoda melanoleuca.

Sustainability and Conservation

• Can everything be conserved?

There is an ever rising human population exploiting limited global resources.

This suggests there must be some trade off between exploitation of the environment for basic human needs and conservation of biodiversity.

• Can this balance be met through sustainable use of natural resources?