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Williams BA, Grantham HS, Watson JEM, Shapiro AC, Plumptre AJ, Ayebare S, Goldman E, Tulloch AIT. Reconsidering priorities for forest conservation when considering the threats of mining and armed conflict. AMBIO 2022; 51:2007-2024. [PMID: 35397773 PMCID: PMC9287519 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01724-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many threats to biodiversity can be predicted and are well mapped but others are uncertain in their extent, impact on biodiversity, and ability for conservation efforts to address, making them more difficult to account for in spatial conservation planning efforts, and as a result, they are often ignored. Here, we use a spatial prioritisation analysis to evaluate the consequences of considering only relatively well-mapped threats to biodiversity and compare this with planning scenarios that also account for more uncertain threats (in this case mining and armed conflict) under different management strategies. We evaluate three management strategies to address these more uncertain threats: 1. to ignore them; 2. avoid them; or 3. specifically target actions towards them, first individually and then simultaneously to assess the impact of their inclusion in spatial prioritisations. We apply our approach to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and identify priority areas for conserving biodiversity and carbon sequestration services. We found that a strategy that avoids addressing threats of mining and armed conflict more often misses important opportunities for biodiversity conservation, compared to a strategy that targets action towards areas under threat (assuming a biodiversity benefit is possible). We found that considering mining and armed conflict threats to biodiversity independently rather than simultaneously results in 13 800-14 800 km2 and 15 700-25 100 km2 of potential missed conservation opportunities when undertaking threat-avoiding and threat-targeting management strategies, respectively. Our analysis emphasises the importance of considering all threats that can be mapped in spatial conservation prioritisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A Williams
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, USA.
| | - Hedley S Grantham
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, USA
| | - James E M Watson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, USA
| | - Aurélie C Shapiro
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität-zu-Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrew J Plumptre
- Key Biodiversity Areas Secretariat, c/o BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, UK
- Conservation Science Group, Zoology Department, Cambridge University, Pembroke St, Cambridge, UK
| | - Samuel Ayebare
- Albertine Rift Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 7487, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Ayesha I T Tulloch
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, 10460-1068, USA
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
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2
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Hickisch R, Hodgetts T, Johnson PJ, Sillero-Zubiri C, Tockner K, Macdonald DW. Effects of publication bias on conservation planning. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:1151-1163. [PMID: 30957293 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Conservation planners need reliable information on spatial patterns of biodiversity. However, existing data sets are skewed because some ecosystems, taxa, and locations are underrepresented. We determined how many articles have been published in recent decades on the biodiversity of different countries and their constituent provinces. We searched the Web of Science catalogues Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) for biodiversity-related articles published from 1993 to 2016 that included country and province names. We combined data on research publication frequency with other provincial-scale factors hypothesized to affect the likelihood of research activity (i.e., economic development, human presence, infrastructure, and remoteness). Areas that appeared understudied relative to the biodiversity expected based on site climate likely have been inaccessible to researchers for reasons, notably armed conflict. Geographic publication bias is of most concern in the most remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Our provincial-scale model may help compensate for publication biases in conservation planning by revealing the spatial extent of research needs and the low cost of redoing this analysis annually.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Hickisch
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - T Hodgetts
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - P J Johnson
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - C Sillero-Zubiri
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, OX13 5QL, U.K
- Born Free Foundation, Horsham, RH12 4QP, U.K
| | - K Tockner
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587, Berlin, Germany
- Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Sensengasse 1, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstraße 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - D W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, OX13 5QL, U.K
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3
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Xiao H, McDonald-Madden E, Sabbadin R, Peyrard N, Dee LE, Chadès I. The value of understanding feedbacks from ecosystem functions to species for managing ecosystems. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3901. [PMID: 31467273 PMCID: PMC6715698 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11890-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological systems are made up of complex and often unknown interactions and feedbacks. Uncovering these interactions and feedbacks among species, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services is challenging, costly, and time-consuming. Here, we ask: for which ecosystem features does resolving the uncertainty about the feedbacks from ecosystem function to species improve management outcomes? We develop a dynamic value of information analysis for risk-neutral and risk-prone managers on motif ecosystems and explore the influence of five ecological features. We find that learning the feedbacks from ecosystem function to species does not improve management outcomes for maximising biodiversity, yet learning which species benefit from an ecosystem function improves management outcomes for ecosystem services by up to 25% for risk-neutral managers and 231% for risk-prone managers. Our general approach provides useful guidance for managers and researchers on when learning feedbacks from ecosystem function to species can improve management outcomes for multiple conservation objectives. Value of information analyses are a promising approach to decision-making in conservation. Here the authors develop a dynamic approach to show that knowing which species benefit from an ecosystem function improves ecosystem service and biodiversity management, particularly for risk-prone managers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Xiao
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia. .,CSIRO, EcoSciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia.
| | - Eve McDonald-Madden
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia.,ARC Centre for Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Régis Sabbadin
- MIAT, UR 875, Université de Toulouse, INRA, Castanet-Tolosan, F-31320, France
| | - Nathalie Peyrard
- MIAT, UR 875, Université de Toulouse, INRA, Castanet-Tolosan, F-31320, France
| | - Laura E Dee
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Iadine Chadès
- CSIRO, EcoSciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia.,ARC Centre for Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
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Hodgetts T, Burnham D, Dickman A, Macdonald EA, Macdonald DW. Conservation geopolitics. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:250-259. [PMID: 30324667 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We reviewed recent work concerning the impact of geopolitics on wildlife conservation (and vice versa) and identified future priorities in conservation geopolitics research. Geopolitics is understood as both an analytical focus on geopolitical practices (especially concerning the behavior) of countries with respect to territory and national security and a set of theories developed to explain and predict those behaviors. We developed a typology of core geopolitical practices of relevance to conservation: territorial practices of colonization and the management of migrations and borders, and security practices relating to military, economic, and environmental security. We identified research that considers how these practices affect conservation situations and outcomes, noting the recent emergence of conceptual developments such as "environmental geopolitics" and "geopolitical ecology" that draw on multiple fields within the social sciences to theorize the links between geopolitics and environmental management. We defined a "geopolitical perspective" as a focus on geopolitical practices combined with an explicit engagement with geopolitical theory and identified conservation situations where this perspective could contribute to analytical clarity. We suggest the most pressing questions in conservation research to which the geopolitical perspective might contribute are how political and economic differences between countries affect biodiversity outcomes, how geopolitical practices to address those differences facilitate or frustrate conservation efforts, how national borders and human and wildlife movements can be better managed for the benefit of both, and how the most effective conservation strategies can be best selected to suit existing (and future) geopolitical realities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Hodgetts
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - Dawn Burnham
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - Amy Dickman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - Ewan A Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K
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5
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Allan JR, Levin N, Jones KR, Abdullah S, Hongoh J, Hermoso V, Kark S. Navigating the complexities of coordinated conservation along the river Nile. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaau7668. [PMID: 30949575 PMCID: PMC6447383 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau7668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The river Nile flows across 11 African countries, supporting millions of human livelihoods, and holding globally important biodiversity and endemism yet remains underprotected. No basin-wide spatial conservation planning has been attempted to date, and the importance of coordinated conservation planning for the Nile's biodiversity remains unknown. We address these gaps by creating a basin-wide conservation plan for the Nile's freshwater fish. We identify priority areas for conservation action and compare cross-boundary collaboration scenarios for achieving biodiversity conservation targets, accounting for river connectivity. We found that collaborative conservation efforts are crucial for reducing conservation costs, saving 34% of costs compared to an uncoordinated, business-as-usual scenario. While most Nile basin countries benefit from coordinating conservation planning, costs and benefits are unequally distributed. We identify "hot spots" consistently selected as conservation priority areas across all collaboration scenarios, and provide a framework for improving return on conservation investment for large and complex river systems globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. R. Allan
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - N. Levin
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- Department of Geography, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
| | - K. R. Jones
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
| | - S. Abdullah
- School of Economics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - J. Hongoh
- School of Political Science and International Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - V. Hermoso
- Centre de ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya, Crta. Sant Llorenc de Morunys, Km 2, 25280 Solsona, Lleida, Spain
| | - S. Kark
- Biodiversity Research Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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6
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Fagua JC, Baggio JA, Ramsey RD. Drivers of forest cover changes in the Chocó‐Darien Global Ecoregion of South America. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. Camilo Fagua
- RS/GIS Laboratory Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona 86011 USA
- CIAF Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi Bogotá Distrito Capital Colombia
| | - Jacopo A. Baggio
- Department of Political University of Central Florida Orlando Florida 32816 USA
- Sustainable Coastal Systems Cluster National Center for Integrated Coastal Research University of Central Florida Orlando Florida 32816 USA
| | - R. Douglas Ramsey
- RS/GIS Laboratory Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84322 USA
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7
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Stalmans ME, Massad TJ, Peel MJS, Tarnita CE, Pringle RM. War-induced collapse and asymmetric recovery of large-mammal populations in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212864. [PMID: 30865663 PMCID: PMC6415879 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
How do large-mammal communities reassemble after being pushed to the brink of extinction? Few data are available to answer this question, as it is rarely possible to document both the decline and recovery of wildlife populations. Here we present the first in-depth quantitative account of war-induced collapse and postwar recovery in a diverse assemblage of large herbivores. In Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, we assembled data from 15 aerial wildlife counts conducted before (1968-1972) and after (1994-2018) the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992). Pre-war total biomass density exceeded 9,000 kg km-2, but populations declined by >90% during the war. Since 1994, total biomass has substantially recovered, but species composition has shifted dramatically. Formerly dominant large herbivores-including elephant (Loxodonta africana), hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), zebra (Equus quagga), and wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)-are now outnumbered by waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) and other small to mid-sized antelopes. Waterbuck abundance has increased by an order of magnitude, with >55,000 individuals accounting for >74% of large-herbivore biomass in 2018. By contrast, elephant, hippo, and buffalo, which totaled 89% of pre-war biomass, now comprise just 23%. These trends mostly reflect natural population growth following the resumption of protection under the Gorongosa Restoration Project; reintroductions (465 animals of 7 species) accounted for a comparatively small fraction of the total numerical increase. Waterbuck are growing logistically, apparently as-yet unchecked by interspecific competition or predation (apex-carnivore abundance has been low throughout the post-war interval), suggesting a community still in flux. Most other herbivore populations have increased post-war, albeit at differing rates. Armed conflict remains a poorly understood driver of ecological change; our results demonstrate the potential for rapid post-war recovery of large-herbivore biomass, given sound protected-area management, but also suggest that restoration of community structure takes longer and may require active intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc E. Stalmans
- Department of Scientific Services, Beira, Sofala Province, Mozambique
| | - Tara J. Massad
- Department of Scientific Services, Beira, Sofala Province, Mozambique
| | - Mike J. S. Peel
- ARC-Animal Production Institute, Rangeland Ecology Group, Nelspruit, South Africa
| | - Corina E. Tarnita
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
| | - Robert M. Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
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8
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Vasconcelos R, Razgour O, Tarroso P, Fasola M, Carranza S, Alves PC. Combining molecular and landscape tools for targeting evolutionary processes in reserve design: An approach for islands. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200830. [PMID: 30040840 PMCID: PMC6057638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of targeting ecological and evolutionary processes in reserve design has been widely acknowledged in the literature but rarely implemented on islands. Using Socotran reptiles as models, we aim to relate richness of widespread and restricted-range species directly with landscape variables and to compare the impact of setting conservation targets for lineages versus species. Socotra Island is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, containing high levels of endemism in relation to its area, especially of reptiles, the vertebrates with the most comprehensive available genetic data. We predicted the occurrences of reptile species using distribution models and used a novel approach to interpolate maps of spatial phylogenetic patterns. Patterns of intra and interspecifc diversity and differences between spatial outputs of lineage and species richness were related to eco-geographic variables. We evaluated differences in target achievement for each conservation unit within protected areas (PAs) under the current Zoning Plan (ZP) using gap and reserve design analyses. Although intraspecific richness was strongly correlated with interspecific richness, differences in their spatial distribution reached ~30% in some areas. Differences were more pronounced for wide-ranging than restricted-range taxa. Gap analysis indicates that most conservation units are under-represented in sanctuaries and that intra and interspecific richness were significantly higher outside PAs. This work will guide local-scale conservation planning as the ZP is due to be re-evaluated. This is one of the few studies on islands using genetic data from an entire class of vertebrates to incorporate lineage diversity in reserve design. This study provides an alternative methodological framework for supporting the use of landscape and genetic tools in reserve design, circumventing the use of phylogenetic distances and deterministic spatial interpolation of lineage diversity that can be widely applied to other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Vasconcelos
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas- Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Orly Razgour
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Life Sciences Building, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro Tarroso
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas- Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mauro Fasola
- Dipartimento Scienze della Terra e dell’Ambiente, Università degli studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas- Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paulo Célio Alves
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Hanson T. Biodiversity conservation and armed conflict: a warfare ecology perspective. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1429:50-65. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Law EA, Bennett NJ, Ives CD, Friedman R, Davis KJ, Archibald C, Wilson KA. Equity trade-offs in conservation decision making. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:294-303. [PMID: 28861904 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Conservation decisions increasingly involve multiple environmental and social objectives, which result in complex decision contexts with high potential for trade-offs. Improving social equity is one such objective that is often considered an enabler of successful outcomes and a virtuous ideal in itself. Despite its idealized importance in conservation policy, social equity is often highly simplified or ill-defined and is applied uncritically. What constitutes equitable outcomes and processes is highly normative and subject to ethical deliberation. Different ethical frameworks may lead to different conceptions of equity through alternative perspectives of what is good or right. This can lead to different and potentially conflicting equity objectives in practice. We promote a more transparent, nuanced, and pluralistic conceptualization of equity in conservation decision making that particularly recognizes where multidimensional equity objectives may conflict. To help identify and mitigate ethical conflicts and avoid cases of good intentions producing bad outcomes, we encourage a more analytical incorporation of equity into conservation decision making particularly during mechanistic integration of equity objectives. We recommend that in conservation planning motivations and objectives for equity be made explicit within the problem context, methods used to incorporate equity objectives be applied with respect to stated objectives, and, should objectives dictate, evaluation of equity outcomes and adaptation of strategies be employed during policy implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Law
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Nathan J Bennett
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington, Box 355685, Seattle, WA 98195-5685, U.S.A
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, 99 Pacific Street, Suite 555E, Monterey, CA 93940, U.S.A
| | - Christopher D Ives
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Rachel Friedman
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Katrina J Davis
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
- UWA School of Agriculture & Environment, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009, Australia
| | - Carla Archibald
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Kerrie A Wilson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
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11
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Daskin JH, Pringle RM. Warfare and wildlife declines in Africa’s protected areas. Nature 2018; 553:328-332. [DOI: 10.1038/nature25194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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12
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Factoring economic costs into conservation planning may not improve agreement over priorities for protection. Nat Commun 2017; 8:2253. [PMID: 29269829 PMCID: PMC5740120 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02399-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation organizations must redouble efforts to protect habitat given continuing biodiversity declines. Prioritization of future areas for protection is hampered by disagreements over what the ecological targets of conservation should be. Here we test the claim that such disagreements will become less important as conservation moves away from prioritizing areas for protection based only on ecological considerations and accounts for varying costs of protection using return-on-investment (ROI) methods. We combine a simulation approach with a case study of forests in the eastern United States, paying particular attention to how covariation between ecological benefits and economic costs influences agreement levels. For many conservation goals, agreement over spatial priorities improves with ROI methods. However, we also show that a reliance on ROI-based prioritization can sometimes exacerbate disagreements over priorities. As such, accounting for costs in conservation planning does not enable society to sidestep careful consideration of the ecological goals of conservation. Prioritising areas for conservation is hindered by disagreements over ecological targets. Here, Armsworth et al. combine a simulation approach and case study to test if considering economic return on investment aids in prioritisation, and find that its impact on reaching agreements varies greatly.
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Lim CL, Prescott GW, De Alban JDT, Ziegler AD, Webb EL. Untangling the proximate causes and underlying drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Myanmar. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:1362-1372. [PMID: 28856773 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Political transitions often trigger substantial environmental changes. In particular, deforestation can result from the complex interplay among the components of a system-actors, institutions, and existing policies-adapting to new opportunities. A dynamic conceptual map of system components is particularly useful for systems in which multiple actors, each with different worldviews and motivations, may be simultaneously trying to alter different facets of the system, unaware of the impacts on other components. In Myanmar, a global biodiversity hotspot with the largest forest area in mainland Southeast Asia, ongoing political and economic reforms are likely to change the dynamics of deforestation drivers. A fundamental conceptual map of these dynamics is therefore a prerequisite for interventions to reduce deforestation. We used a system-dynamics approach and causal-network analysis to determine the proximate causes and underlying drivers of forest loss and degradation in Myanmar from 1995 to 2016 and to articulate the linkages among them. Proximate causes included infrastructure development, timber extraction, and agricultural expansion. These were stimulated primarily by formal agricultural, logging, mining, and hydropower concessions and economic investment and social issues relating to civil war and land tenure. Reform of land laws, the link between natural resource extraction and civil war, and the allocation of agricultural concessions will influence the extent of future forest loss and degradation in Myanmar. The causal-network analysis identified priority areas for policy interventions, for example, creating a public registry of land-concession holders to deter corruption in concession allocation. We recommend application of this analytical approach to other countries, particularly those undergoing political transition, to inform policy interventions to reduce forest loss and degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Ling Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Graham W Prescott
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Jose Don T De Alban
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Alan D Ziegler
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117570, Singapore
| | - Edward L Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
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Barnes MD, Craigie ID, Dudley N, Hockings M. Understanding local-scale drivers of biodiversity outcomes in terrestrial protected areas. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1399:42-60. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan D. Barnes
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions; The University of Queensland; St. Lucia Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science; The University of Queensland; St. Lucia Australia
- School of Geography Planning and Environmental Management; The University of Queensland; St. Lucia Australia
| | - Ian D. Craigie
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; James Cook University; Townsville Australia
| | - Nigel Dudley
- School of Geography Planning and Environmental Management; The University of Queensland; St. Lucia Australia
- Equilibrium Research; Bristol United Kingdom
| | - Marc Hockings
- School of Geography Planning and Environmental Management; The University of Queensland; St. Lucia Australia
- UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Cambridge United Kingdom
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