Shortfalls and solutions for meeting national and global conservation area targets

Butchart, SHM; Clarke, M; Smith, RJ; Sykes, RE; Scharlemann, JPW; Harfoot, M; Buchanan, GM; Angulo, A; Balmford, A; Bertzky, B; Brooks, TM; Carpenter, KE; Comeros-Raynal, MT; Cornell, J; Ficetola, GF; Fishpool, LDC; Fuller, RA; Geldmann, J; Harwell, H; Hilton-Taylor, C; Hoffmann, M; Joolia, A; Joppa, L; Kingston, N; May, I; Milam, A; Polidoro, B; Ralph, G; Richman, N; Rondinini, C; Segan, DB; Skolnik, B; Spalding, MD; Stuart, SN; Symes, A; Taylor, J; Visconti, P; Watson, JEM; Wood, L; Burgess, ND

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Shortfalls and solutions for meeting national and global conservation area targets

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Butchart, SHM and Clarke, M and Smith, RJ and Sykes, RE and Scharlemann, JPW and Harfoot, M and Buchanan, GM and Angulo, A and Balmford, A and Bertzky, B and Brooks, TM and Carpenter, KE and Comeros-Raynal, MT and Cornell, J and Ficetola, GF and Fishpool, LDC and Fuller, RA and Geldmann, J and Harwell, H and Hilton-Taylor, C and Hoffmann, M and Joolia, A and Joppa, L and Kingston, N and May, I and Milam, A and Polidoro, B and Ralph, G and Richman, N and Rondinini, C and Segan, DB and Skolnik, B and Spalding, MD and Stuart, SN and Symes, A and Taylor, J and Visconti, P and Watson, JEM and Wood, L and Burgess, ND, Shortfalls and solutions for meeting national and global conservation area targets, Conservation Letters, 8, (5) pp. 329-337. ISSN 1755-263X (2015) [Refereed Article]

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DOI: doi:10.1111/conl.12158

Abstract

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.

Item Details

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Aichi Targets, Alliance for Zero Extinction, Convention on Biological Diversity, Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, IUCN Red List, Key Biodiversity Areas, protected areas
Research Division:	Environmental Sciences
Research Group:	Environmental management
Research Field:	Conservation and biodiversity
Objective Division:	Environmental Management
Objective Group:	Management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments
Objective Field:	Assessment and management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems
UTAS Author:	Brooks, TM (Dr Thomas Brooks)
ID Code:	105739
Year Published:	2015
Web of Science^® Times Cited:	262
Deposited By:	Geography and Environmental Studies
Deposited On:	2016-01-13
Last Modified:	2017-10-31
Downloads:	166 View Download Statistics

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