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Replacing underperforming protected areas achieves better conservation outcomes

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  • Richard A. Fuller

    (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
    CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • Eve McDonald-Madden

    (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
    CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • Kerrie A. Wilson

    (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • Josie Carwardine

    (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
    CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • Hedley S. Grantham

    (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • James E. M. Watson

    (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • Carissa J. Klein

    (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • David C. Green

    (Information Technology Services, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

  • Hugh P. Possingham

    (The Ecology Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia)

Abstract

Conservation: where to save Suggestions that poorly performing conservation areas should lose their protected status, and the money saved used to better effect elsewhere, tend not to go down well with conservationists or local lobby groups. But according to a study of the performance of the nearly 7,000 protected areas in Australia, that may well be the best policy in the long run. The sale of about 70 delisted sites, those yielding the lowest conservation value per assessed land value, could raise about Aus$21 billion (US$17.7 billion). If that money were then reinvested in sites where biodiversity conservation strategies are more likely to prosper, it should be possible to achieve a greater degree of conservation for the same expenditure. And with the rate of new investment in protected areas continuing to decline worldwide, the authors suggest, it is more important than ever that the most valuable and productive sites are retained in the face of rampant land clearances.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard A. Fuller & Eve McDonald-Madden & Kerrie A. Wilson & Josie Carwardine & Hedley S. Grantham & James E. M. Watson & Carissa J. Klein & David C. Green & Hugh P. Possingham, 2010. "Replacing underperforming protected areas achieves better conservation outcomes," Nature, Nature, vol. 466(7304), pages 365-367, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:466:y:2010:i:7304:d:10.1038_nature09180
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09180
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Craig Packer & Stephen Polasky, 2018. "Reconciling corruption with conservation triage: Should investments shift from the last best places?," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(8), pages 1-6, August.
    2. Qiaoqiao Zhan & Katsunori Furuya & Xiaolan Tang & Zhehui Li, 2024. "Policy Development in China’s Protected Scenic and Historic Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-24, February.
    3. Bernard W T Coetzee & Kevin J Gaston & Steven L Chown, 2014. "Local Scale Comparisons of Biodiversity as a Test for Global Protected Area Ecological Performance: A Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-11, August.
    4. Sierra-Altamiranda, Alvaro & Charkhgard, Hadi & Eaton, Mitchell & Martin, Julien & Yurek, Simeon & Udell, Bradley J., 2020. "Spatial conservation planning under uncertainty using modern portfolio theory and Nash bargaining solution," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 423(C).
    5. Jian Chen & Hong Shi & Xin Wang & Yiduo Zhang & Zihan Zhang, 2022. "Effectiveness of China’s Protected Areas in Mitigating Human Activity Pressure," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-16, July.
    6. Gerling, Charlotte & Schöttker, Oliver & Hearne, John, 2022. "Keep it or Leave it - the Role of Reversible Conservation Investments in Optimal Reserve Design under Climate Change," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264058, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Yi Deng & Ziyi Mao & Jinling Huang & Faling Yan & Shenghai Han & Anqi Li, 2022. "Spatial Patterns of Natural Protected Areas and Construction of Protected Area Groups in Guangdong Province," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-25, November.
    8. Zhihao Huang & Yangjing Peng & Ruifeng Wang & Guofa Cui & Bo Zhang & Nachuan Lu, 2021. "Exploring the Rapid Assessment Method for Nature Reserve Landscape Protection Effectiveness—A Case Study of Liancheng National Nature Reserve, Gansu, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-18, April.
    9. Clare Morrison & Clay Simpkins & J Guy Castley & Ralf C Buckley, 2012. "Tourism and the Conservation of Critically Endangered Frogs," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-9, September.
    10. Lissa M Barr & Robert L Pressey & Richard A Fuller & Daniel B Segan & Eve McDonald-Madden & Hugh P Possingham, 2011. "A New Way to Measure the World's Protected Area Coverage," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(9), pages 1-4, September.
    11. Pannell, David J., 2013. "Value for Money in Environmental Policy and Environmental Economics," Working Papers 146501, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    12. Ana Iglesias & David Santillán & Luis Garrote, 2018. "On the Barriers to Adaption to Less Water under Climate Change: Policy Choices in Mediterranean Countries," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 32(15), pages 4819-4832, December.
    13. Fumiko Ishihama & Akio Takenaka & Hiroyuki Yokomizo & Taku Kadoya, 2019. "Evaluation of the ecological niche model approach in spatial conservation prioritization," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Gerling, Charlotte & Schöttker, Oliver & Hearne, John, 2022. "The ”climate adaptation problem” in biodiversity conservation: the role of reversible conservation investments in optimal reserve design under climate change," MPRA Paper 114812, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Weerasena, Lakmali & Shier, Douglas & Tonkyn, David & McFeaters, Mark & Collins, Christopher, 2023. "A sequential approach to reserve design with compactness and contiguity considerations," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 478(C).
    16. Gerling, Charlotte & Schöttker, Oliver & Hearne, John, 2022. "Irreversible and partly reversible investments in the optimal reserve design problem: the role of flexibility under climate change," MPRA Paper 112089, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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