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Shortfalls and solutions for meeting national and global conservation area targets

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 19:57 authored by Stuart H M Butchart, Martin Clarke, Robert J Smith, Rachel E Sykes, Jörn P W Scharlemann, Mike Harfoot, Graeme M Buchanan, Ariadne Angulo, Andrew Balmford, Bastian Bertzky, Thomas M Brooks, Kent E Carpenter, Mia T Comeros-Raynal, John Cornell, G. Francesco Ficetola, Lincoln D C Fishpool, Richard A Fuller, Jonas Geldmann, Heather Harwell, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Michael Hoffmann, Ackbar Joolia, Lucas Joppa, Naomi Kingston, Ian May, Amy Milam, Beth Polidoro, Gina Ralph, Nadia Richman, Carlo Rondinini, Dan Segan, Benjamin Skolnik, Mark Spalding, Simon N Stuart, Andy Symes, Joseph Taylor, Piero Visconti, James Watson, Louisa Wood, Neil D Burgess
Governments have committed to conserving =17% of terrestrial and =10% of marine environments globally, especially “areas of particular importance for biodiversity” through “ecologically representative” Protected Area (PA) systems or other “area-based conservation measures,” while individual countries have committed to conserve 3–50% of their land area. We estimate that PAs currently cover 14.6% of terrestrial and 2.8% of marine extent, but 59–68% of ecoregions, 77–78% of important sites for biodiversity, and 57% of 25,380 species have inadequate coverage. The existing 19.7 million km2 terrestrial PA network needs only 3.3 million km2 to be added to achieve 17% terrestrial coverage. However, it would require nearly doubling to achieve, cost-efficiently, coverage targets for all countries, ecoregions, important sites, and species. Poorer countries have the largest relative shortfalls. Such extensive and rapid expansion of formal PAs is unlikely to be achievable. Greater focus is therefore needed on alternative approaches, including community- and privately managed sites and other effective area-based conservation measures.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Conservation Letters

ISSN

1755-263X

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Issue

5

Volume

8

Page range

329-337

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2015-02-05

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2015-02-05

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