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Conservation Businesses and Conservation Planning in a Biological Diversity Hotspot

MacMillan, Douglas C. (2013) Conservation Businesses and Conservation Planning in a Biological Diversity Hotspot. Conservation Biology, 27 (4). pp. 808-820. ISSN 1523-1739. E-ISSN 1523-1739. (doi:10.1111/cobi.12048) (KAR id:38293)

Abstract

The allocation of land to biological diversity conservation competes with other land uses and the

needs of society for development, food, and extraction of natural resources. Trade-offs between biological

diversity conservation and alternative land uses are unavoidable, given the realities of limited conservation

resources and the competing demands of society. We developed a conservation-planning assessment for the

South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, which forms the central component of the Maputaland–Pondoland–

Albany biological diversity hotspot. Our objective was to enhance biological diversity protection while promoting sustainable development and providing spatial guidance in the resolution of potential policy conflicts over priority areas for conservation at risk of transformation. The conservation-planning assessment combined spatial-distribution models for 646 conservation features, spatial economic-return models for 28 alternative land uses, and spatial maps for 4 threats. Nature-based tourism businesses were competitive with other land uses and could provide revenues of >US$60 million/year to local stakeholders and simultaneously help meeting conservation goals for almost half the conservation features in the planning region. Accounting for opportunity costs substantially decreased conflicts between biological diversity, agricultural use, commercial forestry, and mining. Accounting for economic benefits arising from conservation and reducing potential policy conflicts with alternative plans for development can provide opportunities for successful strategies that combine conservation and sustainable development and facilitate conservation action.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/cobi.12048
Uncontrolled keywords: biological diversity hotspot, investment, land uses, opportunity costs, sustainable development, Zonation software
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation > DICE (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology)
Depositing User: Douglas MacMillan
Date Deposited: 14 Feb 2014 12:40 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:14 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/38293 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

MacMillan, Douglas C..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2573-5049
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