Biodiversity

Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity conservation represents one of the three Permian Global mission priorities.

At the project level, this means protecting habitats; delivering programs that improve opportunities for high conservation value (HCV) species, keystone species, and ecosystem networks; and designing community programs that halt illegal poaching, whilst encouraging local support for biodiversity monitoring and developing conservation opportunities like eco-tourism.

More broadly, with the help of our in-house biologists, ecologists, and conservation experts, along with external academic partners, Permian Global is adding to all areas of tropical biodiversity research.

Our Mission to Improve Biodiversity

Intact tropical forests are some of the most complex, species-rich environments on the planet. Many of them are distinct biomes, home to endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.

The protection of these ecosystems is correlated to enhanced carbon storage. Through photosynthesis, tropical forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide and thus playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change.

Permian Global is committed to designing projects that apply the best scientific knowledge to creating conservation programs that ensure species and habitats are able to thrive.

Tropical forests contribute significantly to the Earth’s biodiversity, providing habitat and sustenance to a diversity of plant and animal species. They also influence regional and global weather patterns, helping to regulate temperature and precipitation levels. Among the ecological functions that contribute to this are seed dispersal and pollination. Seed dispersal, facilitated by various fauna, ensures that trees spread across a wide area, fostering a continual growth-cycle, which is integral for carbon storage. Seed dispersal is an imperative and intertwined element of conservation; without the agents of seed dispersal, there would be fewer trees, resulting in the sequestration of less carbon. Thus, the more biodiversity within the ecosystem, the more carbon is stored as a result.

Protecting as much threatened tropical forest as possible will be a determining factor in the fight against climate change.

Ecosystem Services

Healthy tropical forests provide many benefits, such as filtering air and water, controlling climate, preventing flooding and soil erosion, and providing food and fuel for local people. These benefits have been shown to be significantly enhanced in tropical forest areas compared to areas where forests have been destroyed or degraded.

When forests are kept intact, the interaction of different species helps maintain healthy ecosystems, making them more robust and resilient to shocks. Ecosystems thrive where there is greater biodiversity, where different species exist together in a balance of competition, predation and symbiosis. Carefully designed conservation can help to maintain this balance, especially in areas that have experienced degradation.

Disruption of these ecosystems can have devastating consequences that extend far beyond the immediate area. For example, problems like ‘monkey malaria’ in Malaysia have been linked to deforestation, showing that destruction can have harmful effects. On the other hand, stopping harmful activities like logging can improve water quality and increase fish populations, which are beneficial to local communities. Eliminating destructive activities and allowing tropical forests to remain standing provides immense benefits, extending beyond the ecosystems and local communities – the enhanced carbon sequestration is of global interest.

Deforestation due to logging, agriculture expansion, and urbanization is disrupting the ecological balance and endangering the species that depend on these habitats. The loss of biodiversity further hampers seed dispersal and other ecological processes, creating a vicious cycle of degradation.

Biodiversity for People

Moreover, local communities that depend on healthy forests for sustenance are also severely affected, which can lead to increased poverty and exacerbates the threats to the forest environment.

It is imperative to prioritize conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests to preserve their intrinsic value so that wildlife and people can continue reaping the environmental benefits they provide. Tropical forest conservation needs to be prioritized as part of the plan to address climate change, as it is the only way for their capacity to absorb and store carbon to be fully realized.

For Permian Global, the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis are part of the same planetary anthropogenic crisis. By addressing one we can help address the other, whilst also supporting the people living in and around a forest area.