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Poverty and biodiversity loss are two of the world’s dire challenges. Claims of conservation’s contribution to poverty alleviation, however, remain controversial. Here, we assess the flows of ecosystem services provided to people by priority habitats for terrestrial conservation, considering the global distributions of biodiversity, physical factors, and socioeconomic context. We estimate the value of these habitats to the poor, both through direct benefits and through payments for ecosystem services to those stewarding natural habitats. The global potential for biodiversity conservation to support poor communities is high: The top 25% of conservation priority areas could provide 56%–57% of benefits. The aggregate benefits are valued at three times the estimated opportunity costs and exceed $1 per person per day for 331 million of the world’s poorest people. Although trade-offs remain, these results show win–win synergies between conservation and poverty alleviation, indicate that effective financial mechanisms can enhance these synergies, and suggest biodiversity conservation as a fundamental component of sustainable economic development.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	ecosystem service flows, poverty alleviation, biodiversity conservation priorities, natural capital, valuation
Research Division:	Environmental Sciences
Research Group:	Environmental management
Research Field:	Environmental management not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Environmental Management
Objective Group:	Other environmental management
Objective Field:	Other environmental management not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Brooks, TM (Dr Thomas Brooks)
ID Code:	83453
Year Published:	2012
Web of Science® Times Cited:	111
Deposited By:	Geography and Environmental Studies
Deposited On:	2013-03-14
Last Modified:	2017-10-31
Downloads:	1 View Download Statistics