Ban, Natalie C., Kittinger, John N., Pandolfi, John M., Pressey, Robert L., Thurstan, Ruth H., Lybolt, Matt J., and Hart, Simon (2014) Incorporating historical perspectives into systematic marine conservation planning. In: Kittinger, John N., McClenachan, Loren, Gedan, Keryn B., and Blight, Louise K, (eds.) Marine Historical Ecology in Conservation: applying the past to manage for the future. University of California Press, Oakland, CA, USA, pp. 207-233.

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only

Abstract

Historical perspectives are highly relevant to marine conservation, yet rarely integrated into ocean planning efforts. By its nature, marine conservation planning is forward looking-concerned with measures that should be taken in the future. It usually focuses on mitigating anticipated adverse changes caused by current and future human activities, with the implicit assumption that present or recent conditions should be maintained. In this chapter, we show that without incorporating historical data and analysis, such approaches will, in the best case, cause us to aim too low; and in the worst case, they can result in inappropriate targets for planning and management. We review the role that historical perspectives can provide in marine conservation planning, highlight planning exercises in which this has occurred or has been discussed, and provide recommendations for researchers and planning practitioners. Using the systematic conservation planning framework, we show that each planning stage can greatly benefit from a historical perspective and illustrate that failure to consider historical information reduces the effectiveness of marine conservation planning. We posit that historical perspectives may shift the conservation focus from restoring previous ecosystem states to recovering critical ecosystem functions and processes that maintain resilience. Historical perspectives can fundamentally change the conservation vision for a region, providing a window into possibilities for the future.

Item ID:	25275
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-0-520-27694-9
Date Deposited:	26 May 2015 02:14
FoR Codes:	05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity @ 100%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9605 Ecosystem Assessment and Management > 960507 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments @ 100%
Downloads:	Total: 6
	More Statistics