A review of a decade of environmental citizen science – where the general public are involved in science as researchers – concludes that its benefits to science and society far outweigh concerns over data quality. Challenges can be overcome through volunteer training and should not be used to devalue citizen science programmes, say the researchers.

A proactive approach to biodiversity loss – where conservation of a species starts before it becomes endangered – could save millions of euros compared to the cost of recovering a population already in serious decline, according to new research.
Conservation usually involves restoring populations to previous numbers with reactive measures, such as captive breeding programmes, relocation or predator control. However, proactive steps to preserve habitat, such as setting up conservation areas or banning property development, can prevent a vulnerable species from ever reaching critical status.
 

Scientists have evaluated two decades of research into declining biodiversity and concluded unequivocally that loss of species richness leads to a reduction in how well ecosystems function. The researchers evaluated the evidence for key biodiversity theories and predicted that scientific progress in the next five to ten years will provide the information we need to efficiently conserve certain ecological processes.

The public can help assess the human impact on wild birds through amateur 'citizen science' networks, according to new research. Scientists evaluated the suitability of data collected by amateur bird-watchers for long-term monitoring of European bird populations. Their findings suggest that citizen data may significantly improve the accuracy of existing official survey methods, as well as help increase public awareness of wild bird conservation.

Conservation efforts should focus on species that have recently declined in number, are harmless or are perceived as high value, according to a European public survey. Participants also felt that disappearing habitats should be targeted for protection. The results suggest that, by choosing different criteria that more closely match the public's values and criteria, conservationists could improve public support for their work.

One-fifth of the world's mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish are threatened with extinction, according to a recent report. The study notes that there have been many conservation success stories, but far greater long-term resources are needed to improve the outlook for the world's threatened vertebrate species.

Biodiversity is of great cultural and economic importance for human society, but ecosystems can collapse if key individual species become extinct. Species found on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species are classified into eight categories, according to how close they are to becoming extinct. Species listed as 'Critically Endangered', 'Endangered' or 'Vulnerable' are collectively known as 'Threatened species'.

A new international body aimed at catalyzing a global response to the loss of biodiversity and world's economically-important forests, coral reefs and other ecosystems was established at the end of 2010 by governments at the United Nations 65th General Assembly (UNGA). The adoption, by the UNGA plenary, was the last approval needed for setting up an Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Governments gave a green light to its establishment in June at a meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea, coordinated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), but this required a resolution to be passed at the UNGA.