Shortfalls and Solutions for Meeting National and Global Conservation Area Targets

Butchart, Stuart H.M., Clarke, Martin, Smith, Robert J., Sykes, Rachel E., Scharlemann, Jörn P.W., Harfoot, Mike, Buchanan, Graeme M., Angulo, Ariadne, Balmford, Andrew, Bertzky, Bastian, and others. (2015) Shortfalls and Solutions for Meeting National and Global Conservation Area Targets. Conservation Letters, 8 (5). pp. 329-337. E-ISSN 1755-263X. (doi:10.1111/conl.12158) (KAR id:48055)

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Official URL: http://doi.org/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 Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1111/conl.12158
Uncontrolled keywords:	Aichi Targets; Alliance for Zero Extinction; Convention on Biological Diversity; Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas; IUCN Red List; Key Biodiversity Areas; protected areas
Subjects:	Q Science > QH Natural history > QH75 Conservation (Biology)
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:	Bob Smith
Date Deposited:	26 Apr 2015 12:46 UTC
Last Modified:	05 Nov 2024 10:31 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/48055 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Smith, Robert J..

Creator's ORCID:	https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1599-9171
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