Global biodiversity indicators reflect the modeled impacts of protected area policy change

Costelloe, Brendan, Collen, Ben, Milner-Gulland, E.J., Craigie, Ian D., McRae, Louise, Rondinini, Carlo, and Nicholson, Emily (2016) Global biodiversity indicators reflect the modeled impacts of protected area policy change. Conservation Letters, 9 (1). pp. 14-20.

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Abstract

Global biodiversity indicators can be used to measure the status and trends of biodiversity relating to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) targets. Whether such indicators can support decision makers by distinguishing among policy options remains poorly evaluated. We tested the ability of two CBD indicators, the Living Planet Index and the Red List Index, to reflect projected changes in mammalian populations in sub-Saharan Africa in response to potential policies related to CBD targets for protected areas (PAs). We compared policy scenarios to expand the PA network, improve management effectiveness of the existing network, and combinations of the two, against business as usual. Both indicators showed that more effective management would provide greater benefits to biodiversity than expanding PAs alone. The indicators were able to communicate outcomes of modeled scenarios in a simple quantitative manner, but behaved differently. This work highlights both the considerable potential of indicators in supporting decisions, and the need to understand how indicators will respond as biodiversity changes.

Item ID: 44063
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1755-263X
Keywords: biodiversity indicators, convention on biological diversity, living planet index, protected areas, population decline, red list index
Funders: National Environmental Research Council (NERC), Rufford Foundation, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International, Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Marie Curie Fellowship (MCF), Centenary Research Fellowship, National Environmental Research Council (NERC), United Nations Environment Program - World Conservation Monitoring Centre, (UNEP- WCMC)
Projects and Grants: NERC studentship NER/S/A/2006/14094, UNEP-WCMC CASE support
Date Deposited: 30 Mar 2016 07:33
FoR Codes: 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410404 Environmental management @ 100%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9606 Environmental and Natural Resource Evaluation > 960604 Environmental Management Systems @ 50%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9607 Environmental Policy, Legislation and Standards > 960799 Environmental Policy, Legislation and Standards not elsewhere classified @ 50%
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