On the tree of evolution, some species are twigs. Others are branches.
Losing a keystone species means changing an ecosystem beyond recognition.
Hotspots
A few small regions on the planet support an extraordinary wealth of species that can’t be found anywhere else. They are the most important areas of the biosphere.
Underfunded
Most charities support humans, not nature. Of those that do support conservation, most focus on charismatic species of the mega-fauna. Small, uncharismatic critters are at least as important, yet they receive few funds.
Grasshopper yellow and gray lichens on coastal rock. Eastern Crimea, Ukraine.
