Protected areas and habitats
Many habitats have long been subject to increasing threat, not least due to intensification and increasing uniformity in agriculture. This has led to the current rapid loss of biological diversity. One of the key nature conservation counter-strategies or instruments is the designation of protected areas.
Many habitats also provide vital ecosystem services. For example, intact peatlands serve as important carbon sinks and undeveloped floodplains play an essential role in flood mitigation. In wilderness areas, species flourish that rarely occur in cultural landscapes and the interconnection of habitats enables species to move around and expand the natural migratory paths so vital to their survival. Designation and proper management of protected areas also serves in meeting international nature conservation obligations.