Mapping rewilding potential – A systematic approach to prioritise areas for rewilding in human-dominated regions

Abstract

Meeting national and international biodiversity targets requires strategies supported by systematic planning, as this enables and supports decision-makers in selecting actions and designating funds. As rewilding is part of the solution in delivering restoration targets, land managers, policy makers and funding organisations require transparent tools for prioritisation of where to set aside land for rewilding. However, rewilding has not been integrated well into the target focused systematic conservation planning (SCP) discipline, because rewilding is an open-ended process-led approach with less measurable targets. Developing an SCP approach to rewilding would allow to improve land allocation to rewilding. Therefore, we need a qualifying framework, which will enable systematic rewilding planning at national level. We developed a systematic rewilding priotisation framework to fill this gap. Using measurable indicators of abiotic and biotic variation, the framework enables ranking site potential to develop self-regulating ecosystems. We applied this framework across Denmark and produced prioritised lists of sites, which were then used as a tool in the political process of designating 15 rewilding sites across Denmark. This study illustrates how to apply a systematic prioritising framework at national level, supporting the delivery of national and international biodiversity strategies.