Endangered Plants and Ecosystems - Ecosystems Approaches To Conservation

Many environmentalists are now calling for the protection of entire ecosystems, which they believe will be more effective in preserving biodiversity than focusing on individual endangered species. Ecosystem approaches consider entire communities of species as well as their interactions with the physical environment, and aim to develop integrated plans involving wildlife, physical resources, and sustainable use.

Several federal agencies have produced ecosystem-level analyses of U.S. land areas. The U.S. Forest Service has divided the U.S. into different ecoregions based on vegetation patterns. (See Figure 4.8.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory has identified Level III ecoregions based on various factors including climate and vegetation. Figure 4.9 illustrates the Level III ecoregions for the state of Alaska. The most prominent environmental challenges in each ecoregion have also been identified. The Fish and Wildlife Service has divided the country into a series of fifty-three ecosystem units based on the location of watershed areas. (See Figure 4.10.) Each unit is associated with a team that develops a comprehensive strategy for conservation. Central to ecosystem conservation strategies is the preservation of large, intact areas of habitat.

Ecosystem approaches to conservation sometime require compromise with developers as well. This is the case for several Habitat Conservation Plans developed in recent years. In Southern California developers and environmentalists had long battled over hundreds of thousands of biologically rich acres lying between Los Angeles and Mexico that were home to uncounted species of plants and animals. Developers wanted to build there, while federal regulators wanted to protect the habitat for wildlife. Haggling over small parcels of land had already cost significant time and money and caused frustration on both sides. A compromise resolution permitted developers to develop some large parcels of land while setting aside other large, intact regions as conservation areas. A similar agreement between developers and environmentalists was reached in the Texas Hill Country. The Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan set aside 111,428 acres for ecosystem enhancement while allowing uncontested development of many thousands of acres of land in the central Texas corridor.