Key Biodiversity Areas Research Articles

Using key and critical biodiversity areas to identify gaps in the protected area network in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

AbstractThe Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) commits signatories to expand the global protection of land and sea by 30% in 2030. Additionally, in South Africa, a local target set in 2016 aims to conserve 16% of terrestrial areas using protected areas within a two‐decade time frame. Concurrently, it is crucial to recognize and prioritize sites where biodiversity must be protected immediately. This recognition has given rise to global Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and South Africa's Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs). KBAs are sites of significance for the global persistence of biodiversity. In South Africa, CBAs delineate primarily or partially natural areas needing management. Despite their significance, an assessment of KBAs and CBAs in South Africa's Limpopo province, specifically the Vhembe District, is lacking. Employing GIS techniques, our evaluation focused on the coverage, size, and distribution of protected areas in the Vhembe District. Our analysis revealed that protected areas cover an impressive 38% of the Vhembe District. Critical Biodiversity Areas cover 9465 km2 (36%) of the region. Alarmingly, 70% (6809 km2) of these CBA sites lack protection. Additionally, KBAs cover 30% of the region, with 39% of sites covering approximately 3273 km2 and laying outside the protected area network, rendering them entirely unprotected. Sluggish protected areas establishment rates and a deficiency in the strategic targeting of significant sites have resulted in over 10,000 km2 of land warranting protection, particularly along the Soutpansberg Mountain Range. Moreover, South Africa's national target, established in 2016, which aims to protect a mere 16% of terrestrial areas by 2036, falls short of the global KMGBF target, reinforcing the urgency for an update in national policy and embracing other conservation methods. These findings suggest that, despite the commendable 38% protection of the district, setting a precedent for the rest of the country, there is a crucial need for municipalities, districts, and provinces to draw insights from the shortfalls of the Vhembe District.

Strengths and complementarity of systematic conservation planning and key biodiversity area approaches for spatial planning.

Developing biodiversity-inclusive spatial plans at a national level is the focus of Target 1 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). There are 2 general approaches to identifying areas of value for biodiversity plans: criteria-based, such as the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) process, and systematic conservation planning (SCP) approaches, which apply complementarity to efficiently achieve specific quantitative targets. We examined the benefits of both approaches and considered how the KBA approach can best complement SCP. We reviewed 200 papers articles that applied SCP to real-world data with the Marxan conservation design software. Our review showed that targets for biodiversity elements are poorly selected in many SCP publications, with more than 75% of the studies applying uniform percentage target amounts to planning elements. Uniform targets favor more widespread species and ecosystems that are likely to be more common and less important for conservation. The strengths and complementarities of KBA and SCP approaches were reviewed and we identified the elements from both approaches that should be considered for spatial planning to achieve Target 1 in the KMGBF. In particular, the global approach of KBAs (i.e., identifying sites of global significance for species or ecosystems) better complements SCP, which often has a national or subnational focus. The KMGBF will fail if conservation of globally significant sites is not targeted and these sites are not incorporated in national spatial planning.

Identifying climate‐smart tropical Key Biodiversity Areas for protection in response to widespread temperature novelty

AbstractKey Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are a cornerstone of 21st‐century area‐based conservation targets. In tropical KBAs, biodiversity is potentially at high risk from climate change, because most species reside within or beneath the canopy, where small increases in temperature can lead to novel climate regimes. We quantify novelty in temperature regimes by modeling hourly temperatures below the forest canopy across tropical KBAs between 1990 and 2019. We find that up to 66% of KBAs with tropical forests have recently transitioned to novel temperature regimes. Nevertheless, 34% of KBAs are providing refuge from novelty, 58% of which are not protected. By conducting the first pan‐tropical analyses of changes in below‐canopy temperature conditions in KBAs, we identify KBAs that are acting as climate refugia and should be considered for expansion of the conservation network in response to the post‐2020 Global Biodiversity Framework target to conserve 30% of land area by 2030.

Seeing the Big‐ to Fine‐Grained Picture: Exploring the Baseline Status of Mammal Occupancy Across Myanmar Using Scale‐Optimised Modelling

ABSTRACTAimMyanmar, an Indo‐Burmese biodiversity hotspot, lacks baseline data on species occurrence and distribution. This hinders biodiversity monitoring and optimisation of conservation and development plans. We aim to document baseline mammal occupancy, interactions with environmental factors and scale‐dependent responses.LocationHkakaborazi National Park, Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park, Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range, Say Taung and Myinmoletkhat Key Biodiversity Areas distributed across Myanmar.MethodsCamera trap data throughout Myanmar were used to analyse species occupancy. We conducted a multiscale hierarchical spatial modelling process, using local and pooled data across Myanmar. We also optimised spatial scale across five scales and six predictors, using univariate occupancy models. We then selected scale‐optimised variables for multivariate modelling, repeating this process for each species across local, regional and national datasets.ResultsThe study identified 47 terrestrial species and observed strong scale‐dependent nonstationarity in occupancy estimates. Relationships with environmental variables differed among species and were highly scale dependent. Importantly, occupancy estimates produced by pooling data across sites were greatly different from any of the estimates for the individual sites, suggesting that high heterogeneity in occurrence and abundance across sites among species requires local or nested occupancy estimates to account for spatial heterogeneity and variation.Main ConclusionsFuture conservation efforts should focus on Northern Myanmar if range‐restricted and rare species are to be protected, while focus should still be given to common species which serve as potential indicators of overall community structure. The nonstationarity of occupancy results from different datasets underscores the potential for misleading interpretations from aggregated data in nonstationary ecological systems. Metareplicated analyses of local, geographically and ecologically proximal regional datasets provide an important view of spatial variation in occupancy patterns guiding conservation design and improving understanding of the drivers of biodiversity patterns and change across large regions, such as Southeast Asia.

A systematic approach for scoping potential key biodiversity areas

AbstractThe new key biodiversity areas (KBA) standard is an important method for identifying regions of the planet‐hosting unique biodiversity. KBAs are identified through the implementation of threshold‐based criteria that can be applied to any target species and region. Current methods to rapidly assess the existence of potential KBAs in different areas of the planet still present important challenges, although they are needed to accelerate the KBA identification process for large numbers of species globally. We developed a methodology to scan geographical regions and detect potential KBAs under multiple criteria. We tested the methodology on 59 species of reptiles and amphibians in Italy through the application of selected KBA criteria. Potential KBAs were identified for multiple species under most criteria, covering 1.4%–12% of the study area, depending on analytical settings. Cell size used to identify KBAs played an important role in shaping the distribution of potential KBAs, also affecting the overlap between areas triggered by different criteria. New potential KBAs identified in this study are only partially coincident with current KBAs in Italy (previously identified for birds) and within the national protected areas.

Cellular automata modelling to simulate patterns of urban growth for Nusantara: Indonesia’s new capital

This paper uses cellular automata (CA) modelling to simulate possible patterns of urban growth for Nusantara–Indonesia’s new capital. The modelling uses criteria such as projected population growth and planned development stages and a range of relevant factors that influence urban development. Further the study simulates the possible impact of future urban growth on key biodiversity areas (KBAs). Two scenarios were modelled to simulate urban growth patterns–(1) the nature sensitive city and (2) the Indonesian government’s current plan. Results of the scenario-based CA modelling demonstrate that scenario 1 offers a more sustainable and liveable approach to urban growth, despite its larger land footprint. This is achieved by preserving protected and key biodiversity areas, which are essential for the long-term well-being and resilience of the environment. While scenario 2 is more land-efficient, it presents a possible risk to the overall ecological integrity and liveability of the metropolis by impinging into key biodiversity areas. The study’s cellular automata approach and methodology can be employed for urban planning and biodiversity impact assessment in similar contexts of new city development.

Ability of new protected areas to counteract losses from downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement.

Protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) is a common occurrence. Although PADDD is expected to weaken biodiversity protection, PADDD offsets and new unrelated protected areas (PAs) could help restore representation of biodiversity features to the reserve network affected by PADDD. Globally, we analyzed 16 territories with terrestrial PADDD and 4 territories with marine PADDD from 2011 to 2020. Our objective was to evaluate whether PADDD offsets and new PAs could restore the PAs, key biodiversity areas (KBAs), ecoregions, and threatened amphibian, mammal, bird, and reptile species ranges where PADDD had occurred. In our studied territories, offsets of PADDD were rare (enacted in 3 [19%] terrestrial territories and one [25%] marine territory). One territory had PADDD losses that were compensated fully by PADDD offsets in terms of area coverage and ecoregions represented. All other territories failed to achieve compensation goals. In territories affected by PADDD, PADDD offsets and new PAs partially restored area representation (63%) and KBA coverage (57%). However, only 38% of ecoregion representation and 20%, 33%, 31%, and 21% of threatened amphibian, mammal, bird, and reptile representation, respectively, were restored. Overall, we found a large shortfall in PADDD offsets, even when unrelated PAs were included in the calculus. There is an urgent need to expand PADDD offsets and PAs to advance biodiversity conservation and achieve the Global Biodiversity Framework's 30×30 target. Future planning of newly enacted conservation areas needs to prioritize biodiversity conservation and consider the purpose of restoring reserve networks affected by PADDD, rather than solely focusing on areal targets.

Scaling up ocean conservation through recognition of key biodiversity areas in the Southern Ocean from multispecies tracking data.

Biodiversity is critical for maintaining ecosystem function but is threatened by increasing anthropogenic pressures. In the Southern Ocean, a highly biologically productive region containing many endemic species, proactive management is urgently needed to mitigate increasing pressures from fishing, climate change, and tourism. Site-based conservation is one important tool for managing the negative impacts of human activities on ecosystems. The Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) Standard is a standardized framework used to define sites vital for the persistence of global biodiversity based on criteria and quantitative thresholds. We used tracking data from 14 species of Antarctic and subantarctic seabirds and pinnipeds from the publicly available Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data (RAATD) data set to define KBAs for a diverse suite of marine predators. We used track2kba, an R package that supports identification of KBAs from telemetry data through identification of highly used habitat areas and estimates of local abundance within sites. We compared abundance estimates at each site with thresholds for KBA criteria A1, B1, and D1 (related to globally threatened species, individual geographically restricted species, and demographic aggregations, respectively). We identified 30 potential KBAs for 13 species distributed throughout the Southern Ocean that were vital for each individual species, population, and life-history stage for which they were determined. These areas were identified as highly used by these populations based on observational data and complement the ongoing habitat modeling and bioregionalization work that has been used to prioritize conservation areas in this region. Although further work is needed to identify potential KBAs based on additional current and future data sets, we highlight the benefits of utilizing KBAs as part of a holistic approach to marine conservation, given their significant value as a global conservation tool.

Co‐occurrence of surf breaks and carbon‐dense ecosystems suggests opportunities for coastal conservation

AbstractSurf breaks are increasingly recognized as socio‐environmental phenomena that provide opportunities for biodiversity conservation and sustained benefits for local communities. Here, we examine an additional benefit from improved conservation of the ecosystems that host and surround surf breaks—their coincidence with carbon dense coastal ecosystems. Using global spatial datasets of irrecoverable carbon (defined as carbon stocks that, if lost today, could not be recovered within 30 years' time), surf break locations, ecosystem types, protected areas, and Key Biodiversity Areas, we identified 88.3 million tonnes of irrecoverable carbon held in surf ecosystems. Of this total, 17.2 million tonnes are found in Key Biodiversity Areas without formal measures of protection. These results highlight surf conservation as a potential avenue to simultaneously mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable development in coastal communities.

KBAscope: key biodiversity area identification in R

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) represent the largest global network of sites critical to the persistence of biodiversity, which have been identified against standardised quantitative criteria. Sites that hold very high biodiversity value or potential are given specific attention on site‐based conservation targets of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and KBAs are already used in indicators for the GBF and the Sustainable Development Goals. However, most of the species that trigger KBA status are birds and to maximise benefits for biodiversity under the actions taken to fulfil the GBF, countries need to update their KBAs to represent important sites across multiple taxa. Here we introduce KBAscope, an R package to identify potential KBAs using multiple taxonomic groups. KBAscope provides flexible, user‐friendly functions to edit species data (population, range maps, area of occupancy, area of habitat and localities); apply KBA criteria; and generate outputs to support the delineation and validation of KBAs. The details of the analysis – such as the spatial units tested or the KBA criteria applied – can be decided according to the scope of the analysis. We demonstrate the functionality of KBAscope by using it to identify potential KBAs in Greece based on multiple terrestrial taxonomic groups and four sizes of grid cells (4 km2, 25 km2, 100 km2, 225 km2).

Methodology for identifying the potential Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) tree species on a global scale

AbstractThere is a biodiversity crisis, and to prevent extinctions the most important sites to be effectively conserved must be identified. Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) include sites of importance for species survival. Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites, a subset of KBAs, contain ≥95% of the population of highly threatened species. Currently, only 47 tree species have been identified using the AZE criteria. The Global Tree Assessment, assessing the extinction risk of the world's tree species, has enabled trees to be incorporated into KBA and AZE sites. Here we present a methodology to utilize data from the IUCN Red List to identify potential AZE species for trees. This 10‐part methodology identified 2909 tree species as potential AZE species across the world, representing at least 5% of described tree species. As further tree species are assessments are published on the IUCN Red List, this methodology will be important for identifying potential AZE species. The methodology can be applied and adapted to any taxa on the IUCN Red List. This analysis serves as a prioritization mechanism for identifying species in urgent need of conservation action to prevent extinctions. The species identified can feed into national KBA identification efforts.

Potential of agrivoltaics in ASEAN considering a scenario where agroforestry expansion is also pursued

Integration of solar photovoltaics on croplands (“agrivoltaics”) has been promoted as an environmentally-friendly approach for solar energy deployment. Past studies, however, have not considered that these croplands could alternatively be used as sites for expanding agroforestry, a practice which provides important ecosystem services to the neighbouring environment. We assessed the potential of agrivoltaics on herbaceous croplands in ASEAN, considering potential trade-offs with agroforestry. We assumed that croplands located in environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) – including protected areas, key biodiversity areas, forests, wetlands/inland water bodies, their buffer zones, and areas with steep slopes – were better suited for agroforestry than agrivoltaics. We found that even if agrivoltaics are prohibited on all croplands located in ESAs, using just 10 % of the remaining land for agrivoltaics can still allow it to provide most of ASEAN's electricity generation needs. Thus, large-scale expansion of agrivoltaics need not conflict with regional efforts to enhance biodiversity/ecosystem services through agroforestry.

Phylogenomics resolves long-standing questions about the affinities of an endangered Corsican endemic fly.

Recent studies on oestroidean Diptera (Brachycera) are providing a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the evolutionary history of this remarkably diverse clade of holometabolous insects. The Oestroidea, which includes formidable pests such as various blowflies, botflies, and flesh flies that infest livestock, pets and humans, are mostly composed of beneficial species that act as scavengers or parasitoids on various pest insects. In our research, we used genomic methods to elucidate the phylogenetic position of Nesodexia corsicanaVilleneuve, 1911(Diptera: Calliphoridae), a mysterious oestroid species endemic to Corsica and characterized by distinctive morphological features that have puzzled taxonomists for years. Contrary to initial hypotheses, our results place Nesodexia Villeneuve, 1911within the Calliphoridae subfamily Rhinophorinae, a small lineage of terrestrial isopod parasitoids. Through detailed morphological analysis of adults of both sexes and eggs, we uncovered significant insights consistent with our phylogenomic reconstruction. The unique morphological features of the species, coupled with its restricted and fragmented habitat, highlight its potential conservation importance. We delineated the area of occupancy for N. corsicana and assessed its "threatened" category using specific IUCN Red List criteria. In addition, we mapped the available habitat within its range and determined potential key biodiversity areas (KBA) triggered by N. corsicana. New potential KBAs are only partially covered by the Corsican Regional Park. Finally, we mapped the distribution of habitats on the island to assess the potential distribution of the species beyond its currently known geographic range.

Identification and prioritization of stepping stones for biodiversity conservation in forest ecosystems

AbstractHabitat degradation and fragmentation are two of the main drivers for biodiversity loss. To mitigate the negative impact of fragmentation in forests, conservation targets are increasingly addressing connectivity to facilitate the independent movement of species between habitat fragments to ensure genetic diversity and adaptation to climate change. In this article, we present a novel approach to identifying and prioritizing stepping stones for preserving connectivity based on national and regional biodiversity data for Austrian forest ecosystems. Our study identified forest areas where conservation measures should be taken to ensure future habitat connectivity by combining four indicator values with different requirements of a stepping stone habitat into a prioritization value. The four compounded indicators are: (i) the Protect Value, which includes distances to patches of protected areas with restricted management for the undisturbed development of retention areas, (ii) the Connect Value, which combines datasets of designated habitat corridors and connectivity areas in Austria based on landscape models and expert validation, (iii) the Species Value identifying species‐rich areas, and (iv) the Habitat Value identifying biotopes of high ecological value, key biodiversity areas, and sites of favorable protection status. Nonparametric tests revealed significant differences in prioritization value among the ecoregions of Austria and therefore encourage the consideration of stepping stone prioritization at local and regional context. Building upon the insights from this case study on Austrian forest ecosystems, we developed a robust framework derived from our methodology. This framework is designed to facilitate future implementations in diverse study regions, accounting for factors beyond connectivity crucial for identifying high value stepping stone habitats. We encourage adaptation of this framework to local data availability, species requirements, and local conditions. The compiled framework provides decision support for managers and conservationists for prioritizing areas to conserve and improve connectivity of forest habitats. However, it does not substitute on‐the‐ground field assessments of habitat quality and measures of functional connectivity.

Importance of including Key Biodiversity Areas in China's conservation area-based network

Identifying optimal areas for future conservation is crucial to halting biodiversity loss. Unfortunately, China's current conservation initiatives neglect the significance of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in biodiversity conservation decision-making, and focusing only on fulfilling the quantitative targets without assessing the potential benefits and challenges for each target area may jeopardize the effectiveness of national programs. Therefore, this study identified KBAs through the distribution range and threat status of 3061 species and defined priority areas for protecting 30 % and 50 % of China's land (30 % and 50 % targets), assessing their potential ecological benefits in terms of ecosystem services and carbon stocks, and identifying risks from climate change and human pressures. The results showed that the KBAs were spatially heterogeneous among different taxonomic groups, with areas for birds and mammals widely distributed but for reptiles, amphibians, and plants mainly distributed in the south. Priority conservation areas identified for achieving the 30 % and 50 % targets were predominantly located in southern China. Protecting these areas can significantly increase the representativeness of benefits for biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, nutrient regulation, landscape aesthetics and carbon storage, thereby achieving a win–win for biodiversity conservation and ecological benefits. However, population density, climate risks, and land-use conversion risks will also increase significantly in priority conservation areas. Western Sichuan Province and northern Yunnan Province have the highest conservation priority due to their relatively high conservation value and low threat risk. The KBAs we identified will hopefully help inform the selection of sites for expansion of China's conservation area-based network.

Mapping climate adaptation corridors for biodiversity-A regional-scale case study in Central America.

Climate adaptation corridors are widely recognized as important for promoting biodiversity resilience under climate change. Central America is part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, but there have been no regional-scale analyses of potential climate adaptation corridors in Central America. We identified 2375 potential corridors throughout Central America that link lowland protected areas (≤ 500 m) with intact, high-elevation forests (≥ 1500 m) that represent potential climate change refugia. Whereas we found potential corridors in all Central American countries, potential corridors in Panama, Belize, and Honduras were most protected (medians = 64%, 49%, and 47%, respectively) and potential corridors in El Salvador were least protected (median = 10%). We also developed a corridor priority index based on the ecological characteristics and protected status of potential corridors and their associated start and end points. Compared to low- and medium-priority corridors, high-priority corridors (n = 160; top 7% of all corridors) were generally more protected, forested, and distributed across wider elevational gradients and more Key Biodiversity Areas, but also generally linked larger lowland protected areas to target areas that were larger, more protected, and spanned wider elevational gradients. For example, based on median values, high-priority corridors were 9% more protected and overlapped with 2-3 more Key Biodiversity Areas than low- and medium-priority corridors. Although high-elevation targets spanned considerably wider elevational gradients than lowland protected areas (medians = 695 vs. 142 m, respectively) and thus may be more likely to support refugia, they were considerably smaller than lowland protected areas (medians = 11 vs. 50 km2 respectively) and mostly unprotected (median = 4% protection). This initial, regional assessment can help prioritize locations for finer-scale research, conservation, and restoration activities in support of climate adaptation corridors throughout Central America and highlights the need for greater conservation of potential high-elevation refugia.

Rediscovery of Pseudapocyrtus schadenbergi Heller, 1912 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae: Pachyrhynchini) from the Apayao Lowland Forest, Northern Luzon, the Philippines

Pseudapocyrtus schadenbergi Heller, 1912 is reported for the first time since its description in Barangay Tanglagan in the lowland forests of the Apayao Lowland Forest Key Biodiversity Area. Characters for recognition are mentioned, high-definition photographs of its habitus, median lobe, and endophallus are provided, and a brief discussion of its ecology is presented.

Orchid trade at the source: Epiphytic species with conspicuous flowers in low‐elevation forests are more locally collected in a Philippine key biodiversity area

AbstractOrchids are the most heavily traded plant group globally, putting pressure on wild populations in many source countries like the Philippines. Despite its rich orchid diversity, there remains a notable gap in understanding the factors driving orchid trade within the country. To address this knowledge gap and support orchid conservation efforts, we utilized a 5‐year orchid diversity dataset extensively collected through floristic field and village garden surveys in one of the largest key biodiversity areas in the southern Philippines. We employed a trait‐based approach to investigate ecological drivers of local orchid collection within this source area. Our results show that around 36% of local orchid diversity have predicted collection risks of ≥50%. Notably, locally collected orchid species exhibited multiple, large, and conspicuously colored flowers that are found in low‐elevation forests and higher up in forest stratum. Elevational distribution and flower size emerged as the strongest predictors, potentially influencing collection preferences. Our analysis of predicted collection risks underscores the vulnerability of both threatened and non‐threatened orchid species to local collection pressures. Moreover, we highlight the practical utility of our trait‐based approach in predicting risks and informing management strategies for local orchid conservation. This research marks a significant step toward identifying ecological drivers influencing orchid trade at its source, providing insights that can inform targeted conservation strategies across many key biodiversity areas for this highly diverse, charismatic, and threatened plant family.

Landscape and Socioeconomic Factors Determine Malaria Incidence in Tropical Forest Countries.

Deforestation, landscape dynamics, and socioeconomic factors within the tropical Americas, Africa, and Asia may have different impacts on malaria incidence. To evaluate how these drivers affect malaria incidence at the global and regional scale, we collected malaria incidence rates from 2000 to 2019 from 67 tropical countries, along with forest loss, land use change types, and socioeconomic elements. LASSO regression, linear mixed effect modeling, and k-fold cross validation were used to create and evaluate the models. Regionality plays a role in the significance of varying risk factors. The Tropical Americas model had the highest coefficient of determination (marginal R2 = 0.369), while the Africa model showed the highest predictive accuracy with only a 17.4% error rate. Strong associations between tree cover loss (β = -4037.73, p < 0.001) and percentage forest area (β = 5373.18, p = 0.012) in Africa, and percent of key biodiversity areas under protection (β = 496.71, p < 0.001; β = 1679.20, p < 0.001) in the tropical Americas and Asia with malaria incidence indicates that malaria risk should be considered during conservation policy development, and recommends that individual approaches to policy and investment be considered when implementing malaria interventions on different spatial scales.

A standard lexicon of terms for area-based conservation version 1.0.

Target 3 in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls for protecting at least 30% of the world's lands and waters in area-based conservation approaches by 2030. This ambitious 30×30 target has spurred great interest among policy makers, practitioners, and researchers in defining and measuring the effectiveness of these types of approaches. But along with this broad interest, there has also been a proliferation of terms and their accompanying abbreviations used to describe different types of conservation areas and their governance, planning, management, and monitoring. The lack of standard terms is hindering the use and assessment of area-based approaches to conserve the world's biodiversity. It is difficult to track progress toward GBF Target 3 or to share learning with other practitioners if different groups of people are using different words to describe the same concept or similar words to talk about different concepts. To address this problem, the International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Commission on Protected Areas commissioned a task force to review existing terms and recommend a standard English-language lexicon for this field based on key criteria. The results were definitions of 37 terms across 6 categories, including types of protected and additional conservation areas (e.g., protected area, additional conservation area), sets of these areas (protected area network, protected area system), their governance and management (governance, rightsholders), assessment (effectiveness, equitability), spatial planning (key biodiversity area), and action planning (value, outcome, objective). Our standard lexicon can provide a common language for people who want to use it and a shared reference point that can be used to translate various terms used by different groups. The common understanding provided by the lexicon can serve as a foundation for collaborative efforts to improve the policies, implementation, assessments, research, and learning about this important set of conservation approaches.