Conserving Biodiversity Efficiently
Author Information
Author(s): W. Kerrie A. Wilson, Emma C. Underwood, Scott A. Morrison, Kirk R. Klausmeyer, William W. Murdoch, Belinda Reyers, Grant Wardell-Johnson, Pablo A. Marquet, Phil W. Rundel, Marissa F. McBride, Robert L. Pressey, Michael Bode, Jon M. Hoekstra, Sandy Andelman, Michael Looker, Carlo Rondinini, Peter Kareiva, M. Rebecca Shaw, Hugh P. Possingham
Primary Institution: The Ecology Centre, School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland
Hypothesis
How can we allocate conservation funds effectively to protect biodiversity in Mediterranean ecoregions?
Conclusion
Investing in targeted conservation actions can protect more species than simply acquiring land for protected areas.
Supporting Evidence
- Conservation priority-setting schemes have not yet combined geographic priorities with a framework for funding allocation.
- The new framework allows for investment in actions that provide the most cost-effective outcomes for biodiversity conservation.
- Investing in a sequence of conservation actions targeted towards specific threats can protect more species than land acquisition alone.
Takeaway
If we want to save plants and animals, we should spend money on specific actions like controlling invasive species instead of just buying land.
Methodology
A framework was developed and applied to 17 Mediterranean ecoregions to determine the most cost-effective conservation actions.
Potential Biases
Potential overestimation of species protected due to assumptions about the effectiveness of actions.
Limitations
The framework assumes that each conservation action will be fully effective and does not account for the likelihood of success for each action.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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