Conserving Biodiversity in a Complex Biological and Social Setting: The Case of Colombia

Background 

Colombia is known for its immense biological diversity and complexity. This article examines three of the primary causes of these characteristics, including history, geogrpahy, and evolution along with the context of the country's conservation efforts. The auhors then identified threats based on trends that emerged from these themes.

Conclusions & Methods

The authors identify several threats that can largely fall into two general categories: (1) territorial issues and current development models; and (2) threats specific to the different ecoregions. The authors call attention both the insufficient protected area system and environmental legislation of Colombia, arguing that there needs to be a significant paradigm shift that aims for development with minimum environmental impact within the country in order to prevent a significant biodiversity loss.