New Delhi, Feb. 26 -- A 25-year study has uncovered that the majority of global conservation funding is directed towards larger, more 'charismatic' species, leaving critically important animals and plants significantly underfunded.

The research revealed that out of the $1.963 billion allocated to conservation initiatives worldwide, 82.9 per cent was dedicated to vertebrates. Plants and invertebrates each received just 6.6 per cent of the funding, while fungi and algae were almost entirely overlooked, securing less than 0.2 per cent.

Conducted by Guenard and a team at the University of Hong Kong, the study examined 14,566 conservation projects carried out between 1992 and 2016. It found stark disparities even within vertebrate groups, wi...