Global 200
The Global 200 refers to a selection of 238 critical ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as essential for preserving global biodiversity. Established in response to rising concerns about species extinction in 1961, the WWF is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental conservation, headquartered in Gland, Switzerland. The Global 200 includes 142 terrestrial, 53 freshwater, and 43 marine ecoregions, chosen from a broader survey of 867 ecoregions based on their unique species groupings and environmental conditions.
These ecoregions are crucial for maintaining the wide variety of plants and animals found across the planet, representing all major habitat types and ecosystems. Each ecoregion is assigned a conservation status—critical, vulnerable, or stable—reflecting its level of threat, with over half classified as critical. The WWF actively collaborates with local leaders, nonprofit organizations, and businesses globally to implement more than 1,300 conservation projects. Additionally, initiatives like the Living Planet Campaign encourage individuals and governments to mitigate human impacts on these vital areas, emphasizing the importance of preserving the Global 200 for future generations.
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Global 200
The Global 200 are ecoregions that have been designated for conservation in order to preserve the Earth’s biological diversity. This group of ecoregions contains a diverse collection of plants, animals, and sea life.
Definition
In 1961, a group of individuals became alarmed at the increasing rate of species extinction. The group formed the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to work toward of biological diversity (biodiversity) by fostering methods. WWF is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Gland, Switzerland, that has become one of the largest environmental organizations in the world. The tropical rain forests contain half of the world’s plant and animal species and are the focus of many conservation groups. However, WWF realized that the other half of the species also needed to be protected.
Overview
The Global 200 is actually 238 ecoregions, containing most of the world’s plant and animal species. An ecoregion is a large area of land or water that contains a distinct grouping of species that interact in the same environmental conditions. The 238 ecoregions were chosen from a total of 867 ecoregions. The 238 ecoregions comprise 142 terrestrial, 53 freshwater, and 43 marine ecoregions. The Global 200 were selected as the most critical ecoregions to be preserved if the world’s is to be saved.
The classification process divides the Earth’s landmass into eight realms (kingdoms or ecozones) based on the grouping of animals and plants. The biome system divides the world into ecosystems based on and vegetation. Ecoregions are parts of biomes (major habitat types) that are distinct because of their plants, animals, or climate. The Global 200 were chosen to encompass the widest selection of the world’s plants and animals. They contain all major habitat types, each of the different ecosystems, and species from every major habitat type.
WWF assigns a conservation status to each ecoregion in the Global 200. The three levels of status are critical (endangered), vulnerable, and stable. More than one-half of the Global 200 are rated as critical. The WWF has more than thirteen hundred conservation projects in progress around the world and finds partners around the world to work on local projects. The partners include local leaders, nonprofit organizations, regional governments, and businesses. All are encouraged to protect and preserve the Global 200. WWF produces informational materials on conservation of species and habitats. The foundation also works with government leaders to initiate projects of conservation. One major research topic concerns invasive species and how their invasions can be stopped. WWF started the Living Planet Campaign in the late 1990’s to encourage people, businesses, and governments to protect the Global 200 by reducing humankind’s impact on natural habitats. As part of the campaign, the ship Odyssey has visited some of the Global 200.