LONDON, Feb. 15 -- Could restoring the environment in one place - say by turning farmland in Europe into a nature reserve - harm plants and animals on the other side of the planet?
An international team of researchers on Thursday said these types of unintended consequences from well-meaning conservation efforts are more common than thought, yet are rarely considered or even properly understood.
In a new study, they warn that reducing farming and forestry in wealthy countries to meet local conservation goals can heap pressure on poorer regions to produce more food and timber.
The burden often falls on biodiversity hotspots rich in plant and animal species to make up this shortfall, said the study's lead author, Andrew Balmford.
These cou...