We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Equitable Representation of Ecoregions is Slowly Improving Despite Strategic Planning Shortfalls.
- Authors
Kuempel, Caitlin D.; Chauvenet, Alienor L. M.; Possingham, Hugh P.
- Abstract
Representing all ecosystem types in protected areas (PAs) is central to international conservation agreements (i.e., Aichi Target 11) and ensuring the persistence of biodiversity. In response to these agreements, we have seen rapid growth of PA networks, but we do not know how this affects ecosystem representation. We explored this question by investigating drivers and trends of representation during periods of rapid land acquisition using the protection equality metric. We found that 90.9% of the studied countries have improved protection equality through time. Periods of rapid area expansion resulted in greater increases in protection equality, particularly through multiple, smaller PAs as opposed to fewer, larger PAs. However, observed increases may not be due to strategic planning, as protection equality from random PA allocation was statistically similar to observed values within six country-level simulations. Future international agreements should hold countries accountable to meeting multiple objectives and prioritize conservation outcomes over individual targets.
- Subjects
ECOLOGICAL regions; STRATEGIC planning; CONSERVATION biology; REAL property acquisition; TREATIES
- Publication
Conservation Letters, 2016, Vol 9, Issue 6, p422
- ISSN
1755-263X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/conl.12298