Two effective methods of habitat conservation

Pollution, urban sprawl, the expansion of agricultural land and the harvesting of wood have all contributed to the destruction of many habitats. This, in turn, has led to large numbers of plant and animal species becoming endangered or extinct. Here are two ways that governments and environmentalists try to protect and restore habitats which are at risk of being destroyed:

The establishment and management of national parks

Many people view national parks as mere tourist attractions. Whilst it is true that these areas of natural beauty do play a role in a country's tourist industry, they also serve another very important purpose. National Parks are protected spaces, which are designed to conserve areas in which large numbers of plant and wildlife species reside.

The species inside these parks are often closely monitored; this ensures that any changes to their general health or population numbers can be identified and addressed before any problems begin to put these species at risk.

Environmentally harmful activities such as logging (which destroys many bird and insect species' habitats) and wildlife hunting (which contributes to the endangerment of certain animal species) are banned in most national parks. Even in instances where these activities are permitted, the groups carrying out these tasks are supervised, so as to ensure that they do not have a significant impact on the health of the habitats that lie within the boundaries of the park.

Bush regeneration

Bush regeneration is a term used to describe an activity which aims to restore sections of bushland habitats whose biodiversity has been negatively affected by things like erosion, bush fires and the introduction of invasive species of plants.

Bush regeneration has been shown to have a very positive impact on the bushland habitats; in addition to stopping erosion in its tracks, it can also help to reduce water contamination (and thus prevent wildlife who drink this water from being poisoned) and lead to the development of more vegetation corridors (these corridors make it easier for wildlife to move around and access food and water).

This activity has been practiced for more than five decades and focuses primarily on the removal of invasive weeds, the creation of weed fronts and the regeneration of existing native plant species. All bush regeneration activities are performed in a gentle manner (meaning that much of the work is carried out manually and gradually), so as to minimise the amount of disturbance the work causes to the habitat.