A new window for conservation biogeography

Abstract

<p>Classic biogeography provides the context for understanding why large-scale patterns of biodiversity occur where they do. However, over the past half century, human activities have greatly changed biogeographic patterns and caused accelerating loss of biodiversity on the earth. In spite of the Launch of Conservation Biogeography a couple of decades ago, there has been no concerted effort to implement conservation practices for regional biodiversity by integrating ecology and evolution over geographical space and time. This paper presents lessons and experiences from biodiversity protection of the Yangtze River, demonstrating an urgent need for biogeography-based solutions that cannot be easily deduced from current conservation biogeography. We aim to open a new window for conservation biogeography by providing a new cross-level paradigm and a new definition, seeking for biogeographic strategies for the long-lasting preservation of regional biodiversity. We believe that this paper makes a concise conceptual advance in conservation biogeography.</p>