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Warfare in Biodiversity Hotspots
Citation
Hanson, T and Brooks, TM and Fonseca, GAB and Hoffmann, M and Lamoreux, JF and Machlis, G and Mittermeier, CG and Mittermeier, RA and Pilgrim, JD, Warfare in Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation Biology, 23, (3) pp. 578-587. ISSN 0888-8892 (2009) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
The definitive published version is available online at: http://interscience.wiley.com
DOI: doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01166.x
Abstract
Conservation efforts are only as sustainable as the social and political context within which they
take place. The weakening or collapse of sociopolitical frameworks during wartime can lead to habitat
destruction and the erosion of conservation policies, but in some cases, may also confer ecological benefits
through altered settlement patterns and reduced resource exploitation. Over 90% of the major armed conflicts
between 1950 and 2000 occurred within countries containing biodiversity hotspots, and more than 80% took
place directly within hotspot areas. Less than one-third of the 34 recognized hotspots escaped significant conflict
during this period, and most suffered repeated episodes of violence. This pattern was remarkably consistent
over these 5 decades. Evidence from the war-torn Eastern Afromontane hotspot suggests that biodiversity
conservation is improved when international nongovernmental organizations support local protected area
staff and remain engaged throughout the conflict. With biodiversity hotspots concentrated in politically volatile
regions, the conservation community must maintain continuous involvement during periods of war, and
biodiversity conservation should be incorporated into military, reconstruction, and humanitarian programs
in the world’s conflict zones.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | biodiversity conservation, biodiversity hotspots, conflict, protected areas, war, warfare ecology |
| Research Division: | Environmental Sciences |
| Research Group: | Environmental Science and Management |
| Research Field: | Environmental Science and Management not elsewhere classified |
| Objective Division: | Environment |
| Objective Group: | Ecosystem Assessment and Management |
| Objective Field: | Ecosystem Assessment and Management not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Brooks, TM (Dr Thomas Brooks) |
| ID Code: | 63859 |
| Year Published: | 2009 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 102 |
| Deposited By: | Geography and Environmental Studies |
| Deposited On: | 2010-06-04 |
| Last Modified: | 2013-10-08 |
| Downloads: | 5 View Download Statistics |
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