Select an area of the above diagram to learn more about our approach to conservation.
Example from the Field
Learn how The Nature Conservancy set priorities in the Sonoran Desert Ecoregion.
Setting Priorities
The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization with the mission of preserving the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.
Learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s conservation process.
The Conservancy sets priorities two ways: through global major habitat type assessments and through ecoregional planning.
Scientific assessments of major habitat types examine Earth’s 30+ major habitat types and help establish our top priorities for conservation at a global scale. Assessments examine biodiversity richness and threats to biodiversity and ecosystems.
The Conservancy also designs portfolios of conservation areas within and across ecoregions. Ecoregional portfolios represent the full distribution and diversity of native species, natural communities and ecosystems.
Designing ecoregion-based portfolios is a complex, iterative process based on five steps:
- Identifying the species, communities and ecosystems in an ecoregion;
- Setting specific goals for the number and distribution of these conservation targets to be captured in the portfolio;
- Assembling information and relevant data on the location and quality of conservation targets;
- Designing a network of conservation areas that most effectively meets the goals; and
- Identifying the highest priority conservation areas, wide-ranging targets and pervasive threats for conservation action.
Learn about how we use conservation area planning to develop strategies.
Join The Nature Conservancy on