Science Snacks: Designing protected area networks

Paper Title: Designing protected area networks that translate international conservation commitments into national action

Micro-podcast: If you would rather listen to the summary, check out episodes of our micro-podcast, Science Snacks, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Paper Summary:

Like many areas of Amazonia, Guyana is characterized by a combination of high biodiversity and low economic development. In recent years, activities that threaten biodiversity conservation have increased, and therefore protected areas have become increasingly critical. The researchers took a novel, cost-effective approach to planning protected areas in Guyana to bring the country’s total protected terrestrial area to 17% to reach the Aichi target, up from the previous 8.5%. To do so, they conducted stakeholder-led spatial conservation prioritisation based on biodiversity targets for vegetation types and vertebrate species, while minimising costs for forestry, mining, agriculture and urbanisation.  The analysis in this study identified 3 million ha of priority areas for conservation, which helped to inform government plans to double the current protected area network in Guyana. They also developed a new technique to prioritise engagement with local communities whose lands are identified as important to conservation. This provides a scientifically robust and politically acceptable protected area expansion strategy for Guyana, as well as illustrating the importance of conservation planning at the country-scale to convert international commitments into national action.

Authors: Jake E.Bicknell, Murray B.Collins, Rob S.A.Pickles, Niall P.McCann, Curtis R.Bernard, Damian J.Fernandes, Mark G.R.Miller, Samantha M.James, Aiesha U.Williams, Matthew J.Struebig, Zoe G.Davies, Robert J.Smith

Journal: Biological Conservation

Year: 2017

Read the full paper

If you would rather listen to the summary, check out episodes of our micro-podcast, Science Snacks, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Opwall’s Science Snacks is where we share our conservation biology knowledge with you, in the form of tasty little snacks! You’ll find summaries of research paper and micropodcasts about our most exciting tid-bits.