As in the human kingdom, so in the animal kingdom – the most photogenic causes attract the greatest amount of sympathy and funding. Down to Earth says “A 25-year study has uncovered that the majority of global conservation funding is directed towards larger, more ‘charismatic’ species, leaving critically important animals and plants significantly underfunded….
Conducted by Benoit Guénard and a team at the University of Hong Kong, the study examined 14,566 conservation projects carried out between 1992 and 2016. It found stark disparities even within vertebrate groups, with 85 per cent of resources going to birds and mammals, while amphibians received a mere 2.8 per cent of the funding.
The research revealed that out of the $1.963 billion allocated to conservation initiatives worldwide, 82.9 per cent was dedicated to vertebrates. Plants and invertebrates each received just 6.6 per cent of the funding, while fungi and algae were almost entirely overlooked, securing less than 0.2 per cent.….
The bias was particularly pronounced among large-bodied mammals, such as elephants and rhinoceroses. Despite representing only a third of their group, these species were the focus of 84 per cent of conservation projects and received 86 per cent of the funding. In contrast, smaller mammals like rodents, bats, kangaroos, and wallabies remained severely underfunded, despite being classified as endangered.
Benoit Guénard, the study’s lead author, stated, “Nearly 94 per cent of species identified as threatened and at direct risk of extinction received no support. Protecting these neglected groups, which play vital roles in ecosystems and represent unique evolutionary strategies, is essential if we are to preserve biodiversity.”
Alice Hughes, a coordinating lead author of the research, added, “Our understanding of what is threatened is often narrow, leading to a situation where a handful of large mammal species receive more funding than nearly 12,000 reptile species combined.”
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