What's happening: There's been broad support for conservation and stewardship for a long time, but the way we protect endangered species is changing.
How so?: Much of North American conservation has been built on the idea that the best way to manage wildlife is to sustain things where they are, as they are. But that's not always possible "in an era of changing climate and disturbance regimes,” says Jonathan Coop, a forest ecologist at Western Colorado University.
Why it matters: Preserving endangered species has myriad benefits. For example, losing the Southwestern ponderosa pine would lead to losing plants that deer and elk feed on. Losing the sub-globose snake pyrg would mean losing an important filter for spring water. Other species are culturally important to indigenous communities.
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