Positive Conservation Outcomes Research Articles

The influence of social identity on attitudes toward wildlife.

Wildlife conservation depends on supportive social as well as biophysical conditions. Social identities such as hunter and nonhunter are often associated with different attitudes toward wildlife. However, it is unknown whether dynamics within and among these identity groups explain how attitudes form and why they differ. To investigate how social identities help shape wildlife-related attitudes and the implications for wildlife policy and conservation, we built a structural equation model with survey data from Montana (USA) residents (n=1758) that tested how social identities affect the relationship between experiences with grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) and attitudes toward the species. Model results (r2=0.51) demonstrated that the hunter identity magnified the negative effect of vicarious property damage on attitudes toward grizzly bears (β=-0.381, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.584 to -0.178, p<0.001), which in turn strongly influenced acceptance (β=-0.571, 95% CI: -0.611 to -0.531, p<0.001). Our findings suggested that hunters' attitudes toward grizzly bears likely become more negative primarily because of in-group social interactions about negative experiences, and similar group dynamics may lead nonhunters to disregard the negative experiences that out-group members have with grizzly bears. Given the profound influence of social identity on human cognitions and behaviors in myriad contexts, the patterns we observed are likely important in a variety of wildlife conservation situations. To foster positive conservation outcomes and minimize polarization, management strategies should account for these identity-driven perceptions while prioritizing conflict prevention and promoting positive wildlife narratives within and among identity groups. This study illustrates the utility of social identity theory for explaining and influencing human-wildlife interactions.

Bridging the conservation and development trade‐off? A working landscape critique of a conservancy in the Maasai Mara

Abstract The recent call to halt biodiversity loss by protecting half the planet has been hotly contested because of the extent to which people might be excluded from these landscapes. It is clear that incorporating landscapes that implicitly work for indigenous people is vital to achieving any sustainable targets. We examine an attempt to balance the trade‐offs between conservation and development in Enonkishu Conservancy in the Maasai Mara, using a working landscape approach. Mobile livestock production strategies are theoretically consistent with wildlife‐based activities and can present a win‐win solution for both conservation and development. We explore the success and failings of Enonkishu's evolving attempts to achieve this: addressing the criticism of the conservation sector that it fails to learn from its mistakes. We found that Enonkishu has had considerable positive conservation outcomes, preventing the continued encroachment of farmland and maintaining and improving rangeland health relative to the surrounding area, while maintaining diverse and large populations of wildlife and livestock. The learning from certain ventures that failed, particularly on livestock, has created institutions and governance that, while still evolving, are more robust and relevant for conservancy members, by being fluid and inclusive. Practical implication: Diverse revenue streams (beyond tourism, including a residential estate, livestock venture and philanthropy) enabled Enonkishu to withstand the pressures of COVID‐19. Livestock is crucial for defining the vision of the conservancy, and the institutions and governance that underpin it.

A diverse portfolio of marine protected areas can better advance global conservation and equity

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely used for ocean conservation, yet the relative impacts of various types of MPAs are poorly understood. We estimated impacts on fish biomass from no-take and multiple-use (fished) MPAs, employing a rigorous matched counterfactual design with a global dataset of >14,000 surveys in and around 216 MPAs. Both no-take and multiple-use MPAs generated positive conservation outcomes relative to no protection (58.2% and 12.6% fish biomass increases, respectively), with smaller estimated differences between the two MPA types when controlling for additional confounding factors (8.3% increase). Relative performance depended on context and management: no-take MPAs performed better in areas of high human pressure but similar to multiple-use in remote locations. Multiple-use MPA performance was low in high-pressure areas but improved significantly with better management, producing similar outcomes to no-take MPAs when adequately staffed and appropriate use regulations were applied. For priority conservation areas where no-take restrictions are not possible or ethical, our findings show that a portfolio of well-designed and well-managed multiple-use MPAs represents a viable and potentially equitable pathway to advance local and global conservation.

Targeting ocean conservation outcomes through threat reduction

Nations have committed to reductions in the global rate of species extinctions through the Sustainable Development Goals 14 and 15, for ocean and terrestrial species, respectively. Biodiversity loss is worsening despite rapid growth in the number and extent of protected areas, both at sea and on land. Resolving this requires targeting the locations and actions that will deliver positive conservation outcomes for biodiversity. The Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric, developed by a consortium of experts, quantifies the contributions that abating threats and restoring habitats in specific places offer towards reducing extinction risk based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. STAR is now recommended as an appropriate metric by recent disclosure frameworks for companies to report their impacts on nature and STAR has seen widespread uptake within the private sector. However, it is currently only available for the terrestrial realm. We extend the coverage of the threat abatement component of the STAR metric (START), used to identify locations where positive interventions could make a large contribution to reducing global species extinction risk and where developments that increase threats to species should be mitigated, to the marine realm for 1646 marine species. Reducing unsustainable fishing provides the greatest opportunity to lower species extinction risk, comprising 43% of the marine START score. Three-quarters (75%) of the global marine START score falls entirely outside the boundaries of protected areas and only 2.7% falls within no-take protected areas. The STAR metric can be used both to guide protected area expansion and to target other actions, such as establishment and enforcement of fishing limits, to recover biodiversity.

An impact evaluation of conservation investments targeting long-distance migratory species.

We evaluated the impact of a philanthropic program investing in the conservation of sites along the Pacific Americas Flyway, which spans >16,000km of coastline and is used by millions of shorebirds. Using a quasi-experimental, mixed methods approach, we estimated what would have happened to shorebird populations at 17 wintering sites without the sustained and additional investment they received. We modeled shorebird populations across the entire flyway and at sites with and without investment. Combining shorebird abundance estimates with a land-cover classification model, we used the synthetic control method to create counterfactuals for shorebird trends at the treatment sites. We found no evidence of an overall effect across three outcome variables. Species- and site-level treatment effects were heterogeneous, with a few cases showing evidence of a positive effect, including a site with a high level of overall investment. Results suggest six shorebirds declined across the entire flyway, including at many Latin American sites. However, the percentage of flyway populations present at the sites remained stable, and the percentage at the treatment sites was higher (i.e., investment sites) than at control sites. Multiple mechanisms behind our results are possible, including that investments have yet to mitigate impacts and negative impacts at other sites are driving declines at the treatment sites. A limitation of our evaluation is the sole focus on shorebird abundance and the lack of data that prohibits the inclusion of other outcome variables. Monitoring infrastructure is now in place to design a more robust and a priori shorebird evaluation framework across the entire flyway. With this framework, it will prove easier to prioritize limited dollars to result in the most positive conservation outcomes.

Monitoring benthic habitats in English Marine Protected Areas: Lessons learned, challenges and future directions

Thousands of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been designated around the globe to conserve benthic habitats, following the adoption of Convention on Biodiversity Aichi Target 11 and widespread endorsement of the ‘30by30’ initiative. When designed and managed effectively, MPAs can enrich biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and regulate stakeholder access. High quality dedicated monitoring programmes are essential to determine MPA effectiveness at the correct spatial and temporal scales; however, such programmes can be fraught with complexities and many MPAs have not yet implemented them following designation. There is, therefore, a clear need and opportunity for scientists to share and draw on collective experiences to help reduce barriers to successful MPA monitoring. This study synthesises lessons learned and challenges encountered in the English MPA monitoring programme, reflecting on solutions and future directions. Twenty-three MPA monitoring reports were reviewed and the key findings were extracted. The majority were centred around the need to consider monitoring approaches at the scale of each individual MPA, rather than adoption of generic ‘one-size-fits-all’ practices. Various challenges were found to be inherent, whilst some were prioritised for further development: MPA-scale measures of condition, fishing activity data, seabed imagery acquisition and analysis, DNA technologies, habitat mapping, and ecosystem approaches to MPA monitoring. This study highlights the benefits of strong multi-disciplinary partnerships for addressing the complex issues encountered in MPA monitoring programmes. We endorse further studies, technical advancements and a more holistic ecosystem approach to understanding human impacts on the benthos, thus optimising MPA management and positive conservation outcomes.

Results-based agri-environmental schemes can reflect habitat integrity for a non-target taxonomic group: Carabidae

Results-based agri-environment schemes are emerging as a valuable tool to incentivise optimal management of farmed habitats for biodiversity targets. Results-based payment schemes in Ireland use multicriteria assessments to score habitat integrity for specific targets, linking outcomes to farmer payments. Habitat integrity for a specific target is expected to have indirect co-benefits for wider farmland biodiversity. However, we lack an understanding of how results-based payment scheme assessments relate to other bioindicators of habitat integrity.Our research focuses on a results-based payment scheme which incentivises better terrestrial habitat integrity with the aim of improving watercourse quality. We explore the relationship between non-target carabid beetles, vascular plants and the results-based payment scheme’s multicriteria habitat assessment. It was anticipated that carabid beetle communities would reflect the results-based payment scheme's definition of habitat integrity across the range of scores. Pitfall trapping for carabid beetles and vegetation surveys were carried out in 19 peatland and 18 wet grassland plots, categorised into high, medium, and low habitat integrity using the scores assigned by the results-based payment scheme.We found that the results-based payment scheme’s multicriteria assessment broadly reflects habitat integrity for non-target carabid beetles in peatlands and grasslands. Eurytopic and disturbance tolerant species showed a greater association with low and medium scoring plots. Higher scoring plots supported greater diversity, with intact peatland being particularly important for hygrophilous specialists.Synthesis and application: Results-based payment scheme's multicriteria assessments have co-benefits at plot-level for non-target carabid beetles and incentivising optimal management can have positive conservation outcomes for this group. Inclusion of hydrological result indicators where relevant in results-based payment scheme assessments is recommended to reward wider biodiversity. Carabids are suitable as monitoring taxa where hydrological functioning is a results-based payment scheme priority.

Socio-economic development shows positive links to the conservation efficiency of China's Protected Area network.

While the protected area covers >15% of the planet's terrestrial land area and continues to expand, factors determining its effectiveness in conserving endangered species are being debated. We investigated the links between direct anthropogenic pressures, socioeconomic settings and the coverage of vertebrate taxa by China's protected area network, and indicated that high socioeconomic status and low levels of human pressure correlate with high species coverage, with Threatened mammals more effectively conserved than reptiles or amphibians. Positive links between conservation outcomes and socioeconomic progress appear linked to local livelihood improvements triggering positive perceptions of local protected areas- aided further by ecological compensation and tourism schemes introduced in wealthy areas and reinforced by continued positive conservation outcomes. Socioeconomic development of China's less developed regions might assist regional protected area efficiency and achievement of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, while also addressing potential shortcomings from an insufficient past focus on socioeconomic impacts for biodiversity conservation.

Implications of extinction in law: Preventing, declaring and learning from species extinctions

Abstract Biodiversity laws around the world differ, but, at their core, these laws promote the fundamental objective of preventing environmental decline and species extinctions. A variety of legal mechanisms have been implemented in domestic laws around the world to achieve this objective, including protection for habitat, environmental impact assessments and threatened species recovery plans. In many jurisdictions, if these mechanisms fail to protect a species, it may be legally declared extinct, or added to a formal list of those that have been lost. This article examines the conservation purpose and legal implications for laws about extinction. A legal power to recognise a species as extinct has the potential to foster ambition, transparency and rigorous measurement of progress against conservation goals. However, in practice, efforts to prevent extinction are applied selectively. Without an obligation to learn from extinctions, recognition of species extinctions in law may have perverse effects, or no effect at all. This article proposes a conceptual model for the role of law in relation to extinctions, highlighting opportunities to improve legal frameworks to achieve more productive and positive conservation outcomes, even as climate change and other pressures drive many more species towards extinction.

Assessing the quantity and quality of marine protected areas in the Mariana Islands

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are ubiquitous in global ocean conservation and play a pivotal role in achieving local, national, and regional area-based conservation targets. Often, such targets are merely met on “paper” and lack the political or managerial resources to produce positive conservation outcomes. Here, we apply the MPA Guide – a framework for assessing the quantity and quality of marine protected areas – to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), two U.S. territories in the Western Pacific. We reviewed the enabling legislation and applicable management documents for all MPAs (n=18). We found that all but three (3) MPAs in the Mariana Islands are actively managed, and these areas are either fully or highly protected – the highest tier of the MPA Guide. Lightly protected areas are associated with high use/high-density tourism activities. Total area protected varies at the jurisdictional scale: 0.83% of Guam’s territorial waters (out to 12 nm) and 23.73% of EEZ under some spatial management; CNMI has 20.39% of territorial waters and 25.91% of EEZ in MPAs. These results emphasize the importance of quality, quantity, and scale when determining effective conservation, especially in overlapping and contested jurisdictional authority areas.

A comprehensive evaluation of flowering plant diversity and conservation priority for national park planning in China

Establishment of a national park protection system in China, including the latest target proposed to protect at least 30% of the land area, calls for a comprehensive exploration of conservation priorities incorporating multiple diversity facets. We herein evaluate the spatial distribution of Chinese flowering plants from the perspectives of richness, uniqueness, vulnerability, and evolutionary history, by integrating three mega-phylogenies and comprehensive distribution data. We detect significantly high consistency among hotspots of different diversity measures for Chinese flowering plants, suggesting that multiple facets of evolutionary diversity are concentrically distributed in China. Affording legal protection to these areas is expected to maximize positive conservation outcomes. We propose two integrative diversity indices by incorporating three richness-based and three phylogeny-based measures, respectively. Both methods identify areas with high species richness, but the integrative phylogeny-based index also locates key areas with ancient and unique evolutionary histories (e.g., Ailao-Wuliang Mts, Dabie Mts, Hainan rainforest, Karst area of Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi, Nanling Mts, and southeast coastal regions). Of all the diversity indices explored, phylogenetic endemism maximizes the incidental protection of other indices in most cases, emphasizing its significance for conservation planning. Finally, 42 priority areas are identified by combining the 5%-criterion hotspots of two integrative indices and the minimum area to protect all threatened species analyzed. These priorities cover only 13.3% of China's land area, but host 97.1% of species richness (23,394/24,095), 96.5% of endemic species (11,841/12,274), 100% of threatened species (2,613/2,613), and 99.3% of phylogenetic diversity for flowering plants involved in this study. These frameworks provide a solid scientific basis for national park planning in China.

En-gendering human-wildlife interactions in Northeast India: towards decolonized conservation

This article applies a feminist political ecology framework to analyze a particular case of human-wildlife interaction from northeastern India, linking it to the emerging paradigm of 'decolonized conservation.' Through the oral testimonies of local community members with regard to living close to wild Asian elephants in a forest-agriculture landscape matrix of rural Assam, this article argues that place-based conceptualizations of 'wildlife', 'forest dependency' and 'living with wildlife' are affected by gendered roles and responsibilities, gendered access to spaces and gendered interaction with wildlife. By doing so, this article argues for (i) extending the discourse on 'decolonized conservation' towards the role of gender in rethinking these place-based conceptualizations and (ii) bringing forward such 'en-gendering' into redesigning wildlife policies, as that will have the potential of ensuring feminist environmental justice as well as positive conservation outcomes.

Identifying a pathway towards recovery for depleted wild Pacific salmon populations in a large watershed under multiple stressors

Abstract Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) support coastal and freshwater ecosystems, economies and cultures, but many populations have declined. We used priority threat management (PTM), a decision‐support framework for prioritizing conservation investments, to identify management strategies that could support thriving populations of wild salmon over 25 years. We evaluated the potential benefits of 14 strategies spanning fisheries, habitat, pollution, pathogens, hatcheries and predation management dimensions on 19 conservation units (CUs)—genetically and ecologically distinct populations—of the five Pacific salmon species in the lower Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada. The PTM assessment indicated that under the current trajectory of ‘business as usual’, zero CUs were predicted to have &gt;50% chance of thriving in 25 years. Implementation of all management strategies at an annual investment between 45 and 110 million CAD was, however, predicted to achieve &gt;50% chance of thriving for most CUs (n = 16), with nearly half (seven CUs) having a &gt; 60% chance, indicating there is a pathway towards recovery for most populations if we invest now. In fact, substantial gains could be made by investing in five combined habitat strategies, costing 20M CAD annually. These habitat strategies were estimated to bring 14 of 19 salmon CUs above this 50% threshold. Co‐governance between First Nation and provincial and federal Canadian governments to manage salmon populations and harvest, and improved CU‐level monitoring emerged from the expert elicitation as critical ‘enabling’ strategies. By improving the feasibility of different management options, co‐governance brought an additional five CUs above the 60% threshold. Synthesis and applications. Supporting wild salmon in the face of cumulative threats will require strategic investment in effective management strategies, as identified by this priority threat management (PTM) assessment. PTM uses the best available data to objectively assess the potential outcomes of management alternatives. With renewed commitments from provincial and federal Canadian governments to protect and restore salmon populations and their habitats, positive conservation outcomes following implementation of targeted management strategies may be within reach.

Seed germination ecology of common bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris L.)

Generative reproduction of the carnivorous aquatic plant Utricularia vulgaris (Lentibulariaceae) from seeds may be a critical process in the recovery of natural populations following temporary drying of habitat, and in the colonisation of new potential sites through dispersal of seeds by water birds. However, little is presently known about the seed ecology and germination biology of this species. We tested the germination response of seeds under various temperature and seed storage regimes, to examine the processes required for seed dormancy alleviation and the effects of different germination solution and temperature on germination probability. Seeds likely possess non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy alleviated by warm stratification. Highest germination success was recorded for warm-stratified seeds and seeds exposed to ethylene. Seeds were photophilous, with germination more successful at 21 °C than at 25 °C and greatest in slightly alkaline (pH 8) germination solution containing KHCO3, CaCl2 and MgSO4 mimicking the mesotrophic humic waters in which the species naturally occurs. In the alkaline solution, 97 % of seeds rose to the surface prior to germination. In natural habitats, this effect may facilitate seedlings reaching the warmer and irradiated water surface. As seed germination success appears linked to light availability, water chemistry, and seed position in the water column, careful management and ecological restoration of remnant habitats harbouring this species may need to ensure positive conservation outcomes.

The genetic consequences of captive breeding, environmental change and human exploitation in the endangered peninsular pronghorn

Endangered species with small population sizes are susceptible to genetic erosion, which can be detrimental to long-term persistence. Consequently, monitoring and mitigating the loss of genetic diversity are essential for conservation. The Peninsular pronghorn (Antilocapra americana peninsularis) is an endangered pronghorn subspecies that is almost entirely held in captivity. Captive breeding has increased the number of pronghorns from 25 founders in 1997 to around 700 individuals today, but it is unclear how the genetic diversity of the captive herd may have changed over time. We therefore generated and analysed data for 16 microsatellites spanning 2009–2021. We detected a decline in heterozygosity and an increase in the proportion of inbred individuals over time. However, these trends appear to have been partially mitigated by a genetically informed breeding management attempt that was implemented in 2018. We also reconstructed the recent demographic history of the Peninsular pronghorn, revealing two sequential population declines putatively linked to the desertification of the Baja California peninsula around 6000 years ago, and hunting and habitat loss around 500 years ago, respectively. Our results provide insights into the genetic diversity of an endangered antelope and indicate the potential for genetically informed management to have positive conservation outcomes.

Investigating sacred natural sites and protected areas for forest area changes in Italy

AbstractForests will be critical to mitigate the effects of climate and global changes. Therefore, knowledge on the drivers of forest area changes are important. Although the drivers of deforestation are well known, drivers of afforestation are almost unexplored. Moreover, protected areas (PAs) effectively decrease deforestation, but other types of area‐based conservation measures exist. Among these, sacred natural sites (SNS) deliver positive conservation outcomes while making up an extensive “shadow network” of conservation. However, little is known on the capacity of SNS to regulate land‐use changes. Here, we explored the role of SNS and PAs as drivers of forest loss and forest gain in Italy between 1936 and 2018. We performed a descriptive analysis and modeled forest gain and forest loss by means of spatial binomial generalized linear models with residual autocovariates. The main drivers of forest area changes were geographical position and elevation, nonetheless SNS and PAs significantly decreased forest loss and increased forest gain. Although the negative relationship between SNS and forest loss is a desirable outcome, the positive relationship with forest gain is concerning because it could point to abandonment of cultural landscapes with consequent loss of open habitats. We suggest a legal recognition of SNS and an active ecological monitoring and planning to help maintain their positive role in biodiversity conservation. As a novel conservation planning approach, SNS can be used as stepping stones between PAs increasing connectivity and also to conserve small habitat patches threatened by human activities.

Turning the tide on protection illusions: The underprotected MPAs of the ‘OSPAR Regional Sea Convention’

Contracting Parties of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the ‘OSPAR Convention’) have agreed to establish an effective network of marine protected areas (MPAs). While the network is currently covering approximately 7% of the North-East Atlantic, the extent to which existing MPAs appropriately harbour protection remains unknown. Using the regulation-based classification system, we assessed the levels of protection of 946 zones belonging to 476 strictly marine OSPAR MPAs. We show that only 0.03% of the OSPAR MPA network is covered with full or high protection levels, which are the protection levels exhibiting significant conservation benefits. According to this study, more than 60% of MPAs are unprotected, leading to uncertainties about their potential to deliver positive conservation outcomes. MPA coverage alone should not be used as an indicator for MPA performance, but when presented with the actual protection levels, a light can be shed on MPA quality. To be able to reach the 2030 ocean targets agreed under the European Biodiversity Strategy, to which most OSPAR Contracting Parties are committed, substantial efforts are required not only to strategically enlarge the MPA network coverage to 30% but mostly to reach the EU sub-target of 10% of strict protection. Enhancing effective protection by increasing the coverage of fully and highly protected areas to safeguard marine ecosystems is urgently needed to sustainably support human well-being.

Evaluation of collaboratively developed management measures to reduce coral and sponge bycatch in a fully monitored multispecies trawl fishery

To protect cold-water corals and sponges from fishing damage, management changes were made in 2012 to the groundfish bottom trawl fishery British Columbia, Canada. The Groundfish Trawl Habitat Agreement restricted the spatial footprint of the fishery and introduced a cold-water coral and sponge bycatch quota, which was among the world’s first. Using 12 years of catch records from the fishery, we found a 31% decrease in overall frequency of encounters of cold-water coral and sponge, a 76% decrease in mean catch weight, and an 89% decrease in total annual catch. We tracked changes in the relative utilization of fine-scale fishing grounds (“fishing opportunities”) and found evidence of active avoidance of areas with high cold-water coral and sponge density. The habitat agreement appears overall to have been successful at reducing impacts to cold-water coral and sponge, although we identified several areas of potential conservation concern where effort and catch have not decreased. Nonspatial management measures in a complex multispecies fishery can result in spatial changes in fishing behaviour, with positive conservation outcomes for bycatch species.

Maintaining landholder satisfaction and management of private protected areas established under conservation agreements

Permanent protection of biodiversity on private lands is achieved through various mechanisms around the world. In Australia, conservation covenants are widely used to dedicate private lands to biodiversity conservation. The permanency of covenants necessitates similarly long-term commitment by landholders to meet and maintain the conservation obligations under the covenant. To better understand the effectiveness of conservation covenants as a tool for on-going environmental stewardship, we examined the relationship between landholders’ initial motivations to covenant, their current perspectives on covenants and their management practices. We compared two groups of covenantors, those who initiated a covenant (original signees) and those who acquired a property with a covenant already in place (successive owners). We found the motivations and views of original signees and successive owners were similar overall, showing strong pro-environmental perspectives, and the majority of landholders were continuing to undertake management activities for the benefit of biodiversity. A small portion of respondents were dissatisfied with the covenant mechanism or covenant provider. This group tended to include successive owners and landholders who covenanted for regulatory reasons or financial incentives. Fewer dissatisfied landholders were actively managing the covenanted land compared to those who were satisfied. Considering the impending increase in successive owners as aging covenantors transfer ownership of their properties, the growing potential for covenants required under regulatory arrangements, and decreasing support within covenanting programs, this study identifies a risk that the satisfaction of landholders may decrease over time. Recognizing and addressing the challenges faced by landholders can bolster the commitment to covenant obligations and the longevity of covenants as a mechanism for positive conservation outcomes.

Giving stakeholders a voice in governance: Biodiversity priorities for New Zealand's agriculture

Abstract Mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society is recognised by international policy as critical to achieving positive conservation outcomes. With ‘participatory governance’ increasingly being applied to achieve collective action in conservation, there are growing calls to critically review such processes to capture their complexity and manage for emergent outcomes. This paper critically reviews a case study, aiming to give a broad range of stakeholders a voice in setting biodiversity priorities for New Zealand's agricultural landscape, in relation to four principles for knowledge co‐production in sustainability: context‐based, pluralistic, goal‐orientated and interactive. Aiming to facilitate an inclusive but rapid participation process, while not overburdening those willing to participate, three pathways for engagement were offered. Stakeholder participants were recruited from public, private and civic sectors involved in managing New Zealand's farmland biodiversity. An initial scoping exercise helped elevate biodiversity groups and management actions distinct to New Zealand's social and environmental context. Online surveys then gave stakeholders, from a diverse range of roles and sectors, a nationwide voice to express their own biodiversity interests and needs; these were reviewed by an advisor panel to reach consensus on final priorities that reflected the biodiversity outcomes that matter most to stakeholders involved in managing New Zealand's agricultural landscape and the management practices they considered most relevant to achieving those outcomes. This knowledge co‐production process delivered multiple gains that would not have been achieved had a more traditional science‐based process been applied, such as wide stakeholder engagement, identification of a tangible starting point, mitigation of bias or conflict risks, enhanced researcher and practitioner capabilities and a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges for future development. Institutes addressing conservation challenges within local contexts need to: be ‘boundary‐spanning’ to manage cross‐scale influences and enable desired conservation behaviours; plan explicitly for the substantial effort required to overcome existing power hierarchies and facilitate transparent and structured decision processes that deliver social justice; better capture the relational values of nature to more successfully leverage peoples’ connection to nature in conservation policies and practices; and incorporate wider environmental (e.g. biosecurity), social, economic and political considerations. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.