British wildlife & conservation - Essay Example

UK BAP or the UK Biodiversity Action Plan was published in the year 1994 and it highlights the habitats in UK that need special attention and implementation of habitat conservation strategies since scientific literature had proved that habitat alterations was one of the greatest threats posed directly to species and ecosystems. Alteration or change in habitat meant not only habitat destruction but included other linked threats such habitat fragmentation and habitat degradation. Habitat conservation has earned a special focus since successful maintenance of a healthy habitat or ecosystem will automatically pave way for maintaining a viable population of a plant or animal species and prevent them from any threats of extinction or rapid reduction in their numbers. In the U.K loss of wetland habitat was a cause decline in numbers of dragonflies.

However mass education and habitat conservation led to restoration of their numbers in the wild. Habitat conservation strategies have a few advantages as well as disadvantages associated with them. PROS of habitat Conservation: Those “habitats and communities that have suffered greatest losses or are more vulnerable to further losses in the near future” can be saved by through conservation of the natural habitats (Noss et al, 1997, p 9) A careful and well monitored implementation of a habitat conservation plan has some positive impacts and subsequent good results.

The first and most prominent change that habitat conservation brings in is the successful is the recovery of endangered species. Studies have shown that species being conserved with through habitat conservation have higher percentage of recover than those species where habitat conservation has not taken place (Langpap and Kerkvliet, 2012, p14). Habitat conservation enables communities to plan a stable and gradual economic development without posing a threat to threatened or endangered species of either plants or animals.

Next, habitat conservation not only benefits the animals that we want to focus on and help conserve but there may be more than one associated animals which may also remain viable. Since one of the key steps in habitat conservation planning is biological planning according to which we draw up a list of animals that require direct attention while others are not-so-important. This helps to gain an understanding of management (NEAT, 2006, p11-21). Again, conservation of habitat takes care of the direct values, indirect values and passive values associated with that particular environment since habitats provide various ecosystem services.

In the absence of the habitat which renders these substances it would become difficult however if habitat management is done these natural services will be available freely. Benefits of habitat conservation may also be seen in the field of agriculture since manipulation of the environment is done to enhance the survival and growth rate of natural enemies. Agroecosystems sometimes are unsuitable for survival of natural enemies of the plants being grown. However, proper habitat conservation and management will ensure an ambience where the natural enemies will be favoured and biological control of the agricultural system will occur (Landis et al, 2000, p175).

If we are able to implement the measures to ensure a successful habitat conservat