What are the risks involved and what can be done to limit these risks?

From the Eighties onward there have been many studies on small populations. The rapid extinction of flora and fauna species, as well as the vanishing of complete ecosystems caused grave concern among conservationists all over the world. The collective outcome of all those studies gives us an answer to the question why it is much harder for a small population to sustainable survive in the wild, and why there is a much higher risk of becoming extinct than is the case with large populations. Only if we are fully aware of all the dangers and risks that may threaten a population, we can be prepared to search for solutions and are we capable of launching effective countermeasures.