Increasingly, conservation scientists are recognising that achieving conservation impact, or avoiding loss that would otherwise have occurred, is a fundamental goal of planning. Many of our current conservation targets and techniques for achieving them are means to this end goal. But how effective are those means? In a recent paper, Ed Sacre showed that the … Continue reading Investing against threats gives better conservation impact than prioritising with costs or representation
The impact of terrestrial protected areas on vegetation extent and condition: a systematic review protocol
Protected areas (PAs) are one of the most important and globally applicable approaches to halt biodiversity loss. Since the campaign to expand PAs began at the World’s Park Congress in 1982, nations have strived to increase the extent of land under protection (see figure below). Calls to further increase the global PA estate have been … Continue reading The impact of terrestrial protected areas on vegetation extent and condition: a systematic review protocol
New paper: A global comparative analysis of impact evaluation methods in estimating the effectiveness of protected areas
In a new paper from PhD research by Luiz Ribas, we tried to answer the question: how do different methods of impact evaluation estimate the effectiveness of protected areas in avoiding deforestation? This study is a systematic review that searched for quantitative measurements of protected areas’ (PAs') effectiveness around the world. Until recently in ecology … Continue reading New paper: A global comparative analysis of impact evaluation methods in estimating the effectiveness of protected areas
New paper: A spatial approach to identifying small-scale fishers’ vulnerability to restrictions from marine protected areas
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have the potential to support small-scale fishers in managing their resources. However, when the varying levels of fishers' vulnerability to restrictions are not considered, MPAs can, often unintentionally, result in adverse impacts on livelihoods. In a recent paper from Meira’s PhD research in Myanmar, we took a spatial approach to identifying … Continue reading New paper: A spatial approach to identifying small-scale fishers’ vulnerability to restrictions from marine protected areas
New paper: How much do we know about the conservation impacts of marine protected areas in the South Pacific?
Marine protected areas (MPAs) in the South Pacific have a long history. In a recent article led by Patrick Smallhorn-West and published in Biodiversity and Conservation, we reviewed what is currently known about the impacts of MPAs in this region. Impact evaluation involves quantifying the effects of an intervention over and above the counterfactual of no … Continue reading New paper: How much do we know about the conservation impacts of marine protected areas in the South Pacific?
New paper: Incentivizing co-management for conservation impact
The expansion of coastal marine protected areas can suffer from two key drawbacks: (a) the difficulty of incentivizing local communities to manage areas for conservation when their livelihoods also depend on resource use; and (b) the frequent placement of protected areas where extractive uses pose little threat or in locations with limited value for either … Continue reading New paper: Incentivizing co-management for conservation impact
New paper: Predicting and managing island invasions
Ecosystem invasion by non-native species represents one of the biggest threats to biodiversity. Non-native species management on offshore islands is especially challenging and resource demanding for conservation. Non-native plants increase the extinction risk of native plants and animal populations. Identifying ways of improving the cost-effectiveness of managing them is therefore critical for positive conservation outcomes. … Continue reading New paper: Predicting and managing island invasions
New paper: Scalar capital as ingredient of success in conservation governance: evidence from Melanesia
Problems of scale abound in the governance of complex social-ecological systems. The governance of these systems typically occurs at a single scale (e.g. local, national), but needs to inform governance and actions at other scales to be truly effective at achieving social and ecological outcomes across multiple scales. This process of integrating conservation planning across … Continue reading New paper: Scalar capital as ingredient of success in conservation governance: evidence from Melanesia
Implementing a social-ecological systems framework for conservation monitoring: lessons from a multi-country coral reef program
Recently Georgina's work on integrated social-ecological systems monitoring and evaluation for coral reef management with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was published in Biological Conservation. Featured previously in the Conservation Planning Blog, the work has been ongoing since 2016. To learn more, see the following media release from WCS (the original version can be found … Continue reading Implementing a social-ecological systems framework for conservation monitoring: lessons from a multi-country coral reef program