The conservation of species aims to ensure their survival.
From the Latin word conservatĭo , conservation is the action and effect of preserving (maintaining, caring for or saving something, continuing a customary practice). The term has applications in the fields of nature , food and biology , among others.
Environmental conservation or species conservation , for example, refers to the protection of animals, plants and the planet in general. This conservation aims to ensure the subsistence of human beings, fauna and flora, avoiding pollution and the depletion of resources.
Protection of animals and plants
The creation of protected areas (such as nature reserves or national parks) is one of the most common policies for environmental conservation. In such spaces, human activity is restricted. In addition to governments, there are numerous organizations that work for nature conservation , such as Greenpeace or WWF .
Conservation status is an indicator that reflects the probability that a species will continue to exist in the short or long term. It is based on the characteristics of the current population and the trends exhibited over time.
Conservation of artistic works
However, we cannot overlook the fact that the term in question is also fundamental within the field of art. Specifically, it is used to refer to the task in which experts carry out the maintenance of all types of works and are responsible for carrying out the necessary restoration tasks.
The fundamental objective is to carry out conservation and restoration work that, therefore, operates with all of the cultural heritage of a country, in order to ensure that future generations can fully enjoy sculptures or paintings, for example.
To achieve this goal, professionals in the sector undertake the analysis of the works of art, the relevant documentation on them, the care of all of them and the collections to which they belong, as well as the pertinent treatment deemed appropriate to correct cracks or to remove accumulated dirt, among other functions.
There are different methods to promote food preservation.
Prevention, healing and restoration
In this sense, we could establish that there are three types of conservation within this area:
• Preventive, which, as its name indicates, is responsible for undertaking certain actions to prevent the work in question from suffering subsequent damage.
• The curative one, which is the one that is developed to stop the damage that an artistic work is suffering and also to reinforce it.
• Restoration, which is intended to allow any work to be appreciated and understood in a much better way.
Food preservation
Food preservation , on the other hand, involves various techniques to prolong the life and availability of food for humans or animals. Dehydration, pasteurization, adding salt, smoking and freezing are some of the most common procedures.
Food preservation is the result of a food handling process that allows it to be preserved in good condition for a long period of time. Thanks to this process, the action of microorganisms that can alter the sanitary conditions of the food is avoided.