What are we doing to protect our protected spaces?
An international team of researchers, including University of Northern British Columbia Ecosystem Science and Management Associate Professor Dr. Oscar Venter, took a global view of protected spaces in a study published today in the prestigious journal Science. They found that one-third of the land within Earth’s terrestrial protected area estate has been severely modified by human activities.
The researchers found that the degree of human activity within protected areas compromises their ability to conserve biodiversity and stop extinctions.
“The most basic idea behind our parks is to maintain some land in a natural state. It was staggering to see the extent that we have failed in this task, with crops, pasture lands, even entire cities severely degrading protected spaces across the planet” says Venter.
Continue reading at University of Northern British Columbia.
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