A New Way to Measure the World's Protected Area Coverage
Author Information
Author(s): Lissa M. Barr, Robert L. Pressey, Richard A. Fuller, Daniel B. Segan, Eve McDonald-Madden, Hugh P. Possingham
Primary Institution: School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland
Hypothesis
The distribution of protected areas can be evaluated using the Gini coefficient to reveal biases in biodiversity protection.
Conclusion
The study found that 73% of countries have inequitably protected their biodiversity, indicating that common measures of protected area coverage do not adequately reveal this bias.
Supporting Evidence
- 73% of countries have inequitably protected their biodiversity.
- Common measures of protected area coverage do not reveal biases in protection.
- The Gini coefficient can provide a better understanding of protection equality.
Takeaway
This study shows that many countries are not protecting their biodiversity fairly, and we need a better way to measure how well they are doing.
Methodology
The study adapted the Gini coefficient to measure the equality of protection across 83 countries' protected areas.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of reservation bias towards areas that are less useful for human activities.
Limitations
The analysis may not reflect finer ecosystem classifications and could underestimate protection in Europe due to data limitations.
Participant Demographics
The study analyzed protected areas across 83 countries.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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