Systematic Conservation Planning Research Articles

Systematic Conservation Planning as a Tool for the Assessment of Protected Areas Network in Jordan

The present study aims to use systematic conservation planning to analyse and review the national protected areas (PAs) network in Jordan. The analysis included the application of three modules: the environmental risk surface (ERS), the relative biodiversity index (RBI), and the application of Marxan. The methodology was based on using Marxan to achieve solutions for three scenarios for the PAs network. Marxan was applied to the input data, which included vegetation types, distribution of threatened mammals and plants, locations of currently established PAs and other types of designations. The first two scenarios aimed to conserve 4% and 17%, respectively, of each vegetation type, and 10% and 20%, respectively, of the extent of occurrence of threatened mammals and plants. The third scenario aimed to conserve 17% of each vegetation type and 10% of the extent of occurrence of threatened plants and mammals, except for forest and the Hammada vegetation which had the target of 30% and 4%, respectively. The results of the three scenarios indicated that the boundaries of existing reserves should be extended to achieve the conservation targets. Some currently proposed (PAs), such as the Aqaba Mountains, did not appear in any of the solutions for the three scenarios indicating that the inclusion of these sites in the proposed (PAs) network should be reconsidered. All three scenarios highlighted the importance of having conservation areas between the western and eastern parts of the country. Systematic conservation planning is a structured, replicable, transparent, and defensible method for designing PA networks. It allows for finding efficient solutions building on what is currently conserved and minimizing the fragmentation and cost of the proposed solution for conservation areas.

Can We Avoid Tacit Trade-Offs between Flexibility and Efficiency in Systematic Conservation Planning? The Mediterranean Sea as a Case Study

Species distribution models (SDMs) provide robust inferences about species-specific site suitability and are increasingly used in systematic conservation planning (SCP). SDMs are subjected to intrinsic uncertainties, and conservation studies have generally overlooked these. The integration of SDM uncertainties in conservation solutions requires the development of a suitable optimization algorithm. Exact optimization algorithms grant efficiency to conservation solutions, but most of their implementations generate a single binary and indivisible solution. Therefore, without variation in their parameterization, they provide low flexibility in the implementation of conservation solutions by stakeholders. Contrarily, heuristic algorithms provide such flexibility, by generating large amounts of sub-optimal solutions. As a consequence, efficiency and flexibility are implicitly linked in conservation applications: mathematically efficient solutions provide less flexibility, and the flexible solutions provided by heuristics are sub-optimal. To avoid this trade-off between flexibility and efficiency in SCP, we propose a reserve-selection framework, based on exact optimization combined with a post-selection of SDM outputs. This reserve-selection framework provides flexibility and addresses the efficiency and representativeness of conservation solutions. To exemplify the approach, we analyzed an experimental design, crossing pre- and post-selection of SDM outputs versus heuristics and exact mathematical optimizations. We used the Mediterranean Sea as a biogeographical template for our analyses, integrating the outputs of eight SDM techniques for 438 fish species.

INVESTIGATING CROSS CONGRUENCE BETWEEN BUTTERFLY TAXA AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF SYSTEMATIC CONSERVATION PLANNING: A CASE STUDY FROM LESSER CAUCASUS ECOREGION OF TURKEY

Cross taxa congruence was investigated between butterfly taxa and ecological community for fine spatial scale (10 × 10 km² UTM grids) in north-eastern part of Turkey. The study area was evaluated within the scope of systematic conservation planning, and analyses were performed for sets of priority protected areas composed using complementarity-based site selection software Marxan. Cross taxa congruence was subsequently examined both in species richness and ecologic complementarity. Accordingly, it has been observed that the cross-taxon congruence between butterfly taxa and ecological community was relatively better than the results of previous studies. Another remarkable finding is that ecological community was a more robust surrogate than butterfly taxa. Although the results are valuable for conservation studies, they highlight the fact that a simple surrogate-based site selection would be inadequate to represent overall biodiversity. The weakness of congruence patterns among surrogates would also lead to gaps in biodiversity conservation. These findings therefore draw attention to the necessities of incorporating surrogates of distinct ecology or some other surrogates like environmental parameters into conservation planning. Otherwise, there may be mistakes regarding species representation and the vast majority of species may be misrepresented in protected areas and protected area plans. At this point, it should be emphasized that understating cross taxa congruence and/or relationships is a key component for efficient biodiversity conservation.

“Targets-Plans-Decision”: A framework to identify the size of protected areas based on the balance of ecological protection and economic development

A framework called “Targets-Plans-Decision” (TPD) was established for identifying the size of adequate protected areas (PAs) based on the combination of species distribution probability prediction method, systematic conservation planning (SCP) theory, and protection efficiency analysis, to achieve a balance between ecological protection and economic development. The first step of the framework is to determine the protection targets. In this study, the protection targets were defined as important habitats and important ecosystems. The second step is to identify the PAs plans of different sizes. We adopted a SCP method, which takes into account cost-effectiveness while delineating the PAs. The third step is to determine the optimal size of the PAs through ecological protection efficiency analysis. We constructed the protection efficiency index (PEI), which is the protection cost per unit area. Then we used Kaya identity (a structural decomposition method) to decompose PEI. The decomposed PEI included value density (ecological value per unit area) and value cost (cost to realize unit ecological value). By analyzing the changes of the two, the optimal size of the PAs can be determined. We took Nanchang as an example to conduct an empirical study to verify the usability of the TPD framework. The result shows the TPD framework proposed in this study can effectively identify the optimal size of PAs and contribute to forming a cost-effective ecological protection plan. When the size of PAs was set to 70% of the important habitats and important ecosystems, it was most beneficial for ecological protection. Furthermore, the optimal protection efficiency plan recommended by the TPD framework improved the efficiency of ecological protection. The TPD framework can serve as a basis for the size identification of PAs and also support the delineation of PAs worldwide.

Systematic Conservation Planning in a Mediterranean island context: The example of Cyprus

Cyprus’ biodiversity is under increasing pressure due to anthropogenic activities. TheNatura 2000 (N2K) sites under the Habitats Directive cover 10.4% of its island’s land surface while designation has been hindered by a complex political situation. We used a comprehensive dataset of Red Data Book (RDB) plants for the island and applied systematic conservation planning (SCP) to, (i) assess whether plant conservation features are adequately represented in the current Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) of the N2K, (ii) evaluate the effectiveness of the protected areas designated for plants by assessing the solutions of SCP against five widely used criteria and iii) suggest alternative protected areas configurations following basic principles of SCP. We run two scenarios in Marxan, using different cost surface and Boundary Length Modifier (BLM) parameters, one for all Annex II plant species and one for RDB plants. Targets were set for all conservation features (CFs) on the basis of their endangered status and endemism. The total area required to satisfy the targets ranged from 2.23% to 5.46% of the island’s area. Solutions with uniform cost achieve targets for the lowest cost but have the smallest overlap with the existing N2K (52.5–60.3%). Solutions with variable cost achieve significantly higher overlap with N2K (72.9–75.9%). The use of BLM reduces fragmentation and increases the number of irreplaceable PUs in both scenarios. The overlap of irreplaceable PUs with Critically Endangered species is high. Results corroborate that state-owned land provide protection to most threatened species, but there is a need for additional protected areas. Our findings provide a basis for improving the N2K network design in Cyprus to achieve biodiversity targets set for 2030, such as the increase of the land area providing legal protection to threatened plant species by considering our priority list of species and sites for future designation.

Conservation hotspots of insular endemic mammalian diversity at risk of extinction across a multidimensional approach

AbstractAimIslands are one of the most threatened worldwide biotas. Based on their taxonomic diversity, some insular regions have been identified as key areas of conservation. Recently, systematic conservation planning has advocated for the use of multiple biodiversity facets to protect unique evolutionary and functional processes. Here, we identified priority areas for threatened insular endemic mammals across three key dimensions of biodiversity (taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional), as well as their protection level and threats affecting them.LocationWorldwide.MethodsWe applied diversity–area relationships to identify insular regions that harbored a disproportionately high rate of threatened endemic mammal diversity (whether taxonomic, phylogenetic, or functional) given their area for 1,799 islands across 19 insular regions. We also assessed the level of protection and the threats affecting biodiversity within each insular region.ResultsWe showed a fairly good congruence between top‐ranked insular regions based on taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Specifically, we identified four hotspots for endemic mammalian conservation through the three diversity facets: Indo‐Burma, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands, Mesoamerica and Galápagos Islands, and Wallacea. Except for Mesoamerica and Galápagos Islands, the protected areas coverage is low (<8%) within the hotspots. We also showed that most of the mammal species occurring in the hotspots was prone to either direct threats that affect their mortality or indirect threats that only alter their habitat, while mixed threats such as biological invasions or climate change were less represented in those regions.Main conclusionsOur findings reinforce the importance of investigating the multiple diversity facets in a conservation concern and to link with the associated threats to ensure an effective conservation strategy.

Developing a nature recovery network using systematic conservation planning

AbstractConservation area networks in most countries are fragmented and inadequate. To tackle this in England, government policies are encouraging stakeholders to create local‐level nature recovery networks. Here, we describe work led by a wildlife organization that used the systematic conservation planning approach to identify a nature recovery network for three English counties and select focal areas within it where they will focus their work. The network was based on identifying core zones to maintain current biodiversity and recovery zones for habitat restoration, meeting area‐based targets for 50 priority habitat, landscape, landcover, and ecosystem service types. It included the existing designated sites for conservation, which cover 6.05% of the study site, and identified an additional 11.6% of land as core zones and 18% as recovery zones, reflecting the organization's call for 30% of England to be conserved and connected by 2030. We found that systematic conservation planning worked well in this context, identifying a connected, adequate, representative, and efficient network and producing transparent and repeatable results. The analysis also highlighted the pressing need for government agencies to provide national‐level guidance and datasets for setting targets and including species data in spatial planning, creating a national framework to inform local action.

Developing a method for calculating conservation targets in systematic conservation planning at the national level

Setting a quantitative conservation target comprises an important step in systematic conservation planning. This paper outlines a first attempt to calculate quantitative conservation targets for selection of national parks, wildlife refuges, and protected areas in 21 terrestrial ecosystems at the national level. To formulate and calculate targets, we further developed Pressey and Taffs’s formula (2001) and included baseline target, natural rarity and potential ecological vulnerability (PEV) in our formulation. The PEV was defined as the potential impacts resulting from exposure to main threats plus ecological sensitivity of any land tract without considering adaptation. Our results showed that the minimum and maximum conservation targets for selection of national parks, wildlife refuges and protected areas as percentages of the area of each terrestrial ecosystem were between 1.44%–3.17%, 3.87%–8.08%, and 6.36%–13.27%, respectively. We showed how to design an effective network of three management categories including the full range of terrestrial ecosystem types within the country. Nationally and under current conditions, we found that the Moderate-Desert Woodland & Shrublands and the Cold-Desert Steppe Scrubland ecosystems required the most and least attention, respectively. This finding provided additional support for the establishment of a representative, comprehensive and balanced network of protected areas in the country and finally a fundamental guide for effective ecological conservation and environmental management.

Managing risk and uncertainty in systematic conservation planning with insufficient information

Abstract Recent advances in systematic conservation planning make use of modern portfolio theory (MPT)—a framework to construct and select optimal allocation of assets—to address the challenges posed by climate change uncertainty. However, these methods are difficult to implement for fine‐scale conservation planning when the information on future climate scenarios is insufficient. Insufficient information makes the estimators of the key inputs in the optimisation procedure unreliable leading to technical problems for the construction of optimal asset allocation. We identify three statistical methods—constant correlation model, the Ledoit–Wolf approach and the weighted non‐negative least‐squares approach—that can overcome the lack of sufficient information and enable the use of MPT for fine‐scale conservation planning. We illustrate the use of the three methods for identifying efficient portfolio allocation strategies, that is, strategies that give minimum amount of risk for a chosen level of return or maximum return for a chosen level of risk, using case studies of wetland conservation planning in North America and coastal conservation planning in Australia. We compare conservation planning strategies with complete information using standard portfolio theory and with insufficient information using the three methods to highlight their advantages and disadvantages. We find the Ledoit–Wolf and weighted non‐negative least‐squares approaches perform well and can identify risk‐return outcomes that are close to those identified with complete information. The methods presented in this study broaden the range of cases where the application of MPT is possible in conservation planning to enhance its uptake and lead to more efficient allocation of conservation resources.

Experiences from the Danish Fungal Atlas: Linking mushrooming, nature conservation and primary biodiversity research

The Danish Fungal Atlas is a citizen science project launched in 2009 in collaboration among the University of Copenhagen, Mycokey and the Danish Mycological Society. The associated database now holds almost 1 million fungal records, contributed by more than 3000 recorders. The records represent more than 8000 fungal species, of which several hundred have been recorded as new to Denmark during the project. In addition several species have been described as new to science. Data are syncronized with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) on a weekly basis, and is hence freely available for research and nature conservation. Data have been used for systematic conservation planning in Denmark, and several research papers have used data to explore subjects such as host selection in wood-inhabiting fungi (Heilmann‐Clausen et al. 2016), recording bias in citizen science (Geldmann et al. 2016), fungal traits (Krah et al. 2019), biodiversity patterns (e.g. Andrew et al. 2018), and species discovery (Heilmann-Clausen et al. 2019). The project database is designed to faciliate direct interactions and communication among volunteers. The validation of submitted records is interactive and combines species-specific smart filters, user credibility, and expert tools to secure the highest possible data credibility. In 2019, an AI (artificial intelligence) trained species identification tool was launched along with a new mobile app, enabling users to identify and record species directly in the field (Sulc et al. 2020). At the same time, DNA sequencing was tested as an option to test difficult identifications, and in 2021 a high-throughput sequencing facility was developed to allow DNA sequencing of hundreds of fungal collections at a low cost. The presentation will give details on data validation, data use and how we have worked with cultivation of volunteers to provide a truly coherent model for collaboration on mushroom citizen science.

Combining a cumulative risk index and species distribution data to identify priority areas for marine biodiversity conservation in the Black Sea

The Black Sea remains one of the most fragile marine systems globally. The six countries that share the coastline of this semi-enclosed sea have declared, through the Convention on Biological Diversity and regional conventions, their intention to conserve biodiversity and increase the coverage of the protected areas. However, currently only a small proportion of the marine area is under protection. Here, we spatially delineated priority conservation sites that could ensure species protection under the impact of different threats. We developed a cumulative risk index, incorporating anthropogenic pressures related to pollution and fisheries. We then combined this information with distribution data of marine species to apply a systematic conservation planning approach. We identified eleven key areas that cover 10% of the Black Sea, the protection of which could attain realistic conservation targets. These sites are mainly located in neritic and coastal habitats, which also host a number of species that avoid the anoxic part of the ocean basin. The management and efficient protection of these key areas require international collaboration, representing the only way to alleviate the severe degradation of this sensitive, but valuable, marine system.

Assessing the outcomes of implementing natural open space plans in a Global South city

Systematic conservation planning is a scientific method of prioritising scarce resources to minimise the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The approach aims to consider social, economic and political imperatives, and may be used by municipalities to designate their (predominantly) natural open space systems, in the form of a conservation plan. However, the multidimensional outcomes of implementing these conservation plans — in terms of both positive and negative ecological, social, and institutional dimensions — are rarely critically evaluated. We present a practical approach to assess the outcomes of implementing natural open space plans in urban areas, especially for the local (municipal) level where resource challenges may hinder assessment. The approach, drawn from comparisons of existing conservation assessment frameworks, considers the following outcome categories: ecological/natural; social/human; financial (institutional); and management (institutional). The approach is tested on a South African case study, and factors (challenges and opportunities) affecting the outcomes of implementing natural open space plans are identified. The results underscore how ecological outcomes are negatively affected by habitat transformation attributed to urbanisation and inappropriate land use management; and transgressions such as illegal, exploitive land uses. In respect of the social/human outcomes, collaborative partnerships with civil society, and the involvement of champions, are pivotal to implementation success. We found that financial and management institutional constraints contribute to inadequate investment in natural open space planning exacerbated by budget alignment to short and medium-term socio-economic and political priorities. The inter-dependence of the different outcomes emphasises the complexity of social-ecological systems and the need for a holistic assessment. Understanding the factors affecting the outcomes of implementing natural open space plans allows local government to respond to the emerging knowledge of changing ecological and socio-economic conditions, facilitating the institutionalisation of adaptive management approaches, which appreciate the intertwined nature of social-ecological systems. This can, in turn, enhance decision-making processes, and advance conservation outcomes, ecosystem resilience and resulting flows of ecosystem services provided by nature, which are essential for human well-being.

Estimation of wetland biodiversity based on the hydrological patterns and connectivity and its potential application in change detection and monitoring: A case study of the Sanjiang Plain, China

A high biodiversity conservation value of a specific area generally indicates biodiversity priorities, making biodiversity conservation planning more reasonable. However, the spatial prioritization of biodiversity cannot easily indicate temporal changes because the data of many species are difficult to obtain in even a single period, let alone repeated surveys. Here, we show that the easily available wetland hydrological pattern and connectivity (HCP) variables are effective surrogates for the monitoring of biodiversity conservation value. We used the Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) method to evaluate the historical biodiversity conservation value (BCV), represented by Irreplaceability Index, by integrating the predicted spatial distribution of biodiversity features in 1995. We then calculated the wetland HPC indexes in randomly setup samples within a certain radius and analysed the correlation between the BCV and HPC indexes with a regression method. Finally, we further simulated the numerical and spatial changes of the BCV in different periods to illustrate its variation regularity. We found that the BCV considerably decreased in the study area. In conclusion, we confirmed that the wetland HPC indexes are significantly correlated with and can simulate the BCV indicator. We further identified the spatial locations of these degraded areas and proposed conservation and restoration scenarios for the study area. This study verified the impacts of HPC changes on wetland biodiversity caused by human-induced land use change; it also provides a reference for long-term assessment of wetland biodiversity change. Significance statementAmong other abilities, effective biodiversity conservation should have the abilities to both prioritize the conservation value and detect its spatial changes. However, the assessment of biodiversity conservation value needs sufficient and high-quality species occurrence data and multi-period comparison. Here, we find that the relatively well accessible wetland hydrological pattern and connectivity indexes are effective surrogates for the change detection of wetland biodiversity conservation value. This means that wetland biodiversity conservation planners can monitor the biodiversity conservation situations without resource-consuming investigations to obtain species' occurrence data and repeated prioritization of the conservation value.

The explicit integration of Species Conceptual Models and Species Distribution Models as a best practice for systematic conservation planning in California

Natural Community Conservation Plans (NCCPs) represent the most powerful tool in statute for regional and systematic conservation planning for species at risk in California. This study examines the use of species conceptual models (SCMs) and species distribution models (SDMs) in such planning. Eighteen Natural Community Conservation Plans (NCCPs) were analyzed to determine if or how explicit connections were made between both types of models for a covered species and key components of its conservation strategy. Results indicate plans were strong in the use of SDMs, however, each deferred preparing or using SCMs to later management and monitoring phases. A more effective best planning practice for developing a conservation strategy is to explicitly integrate SCMs and SDMs during plan preparation.

Systematic Conservation Planning at an Ocean Basin Scale: Identifying a Viable Network of Deep-Sea Protected Areas in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean

Designing conservation networks requires a well-structured framework for achieving essential objectives such as connectivity, replication or viability, and for considering local management and socioeconomic stakes. Although systematic conservation planning (SCP) approaches are increasingly used to inform such networks, their application remains challenging in large and poorly researched areas. This is especially the case in the deep sea, where SCP has rarely been applied, although growing awareness of the vulnerability of deep-sea ecosystems urges the implementation of conservation measures from local to international levels. This study aims to structure and evaluate a framework for SCP applicable to the deep sea, focusing on the identification of conservation priority networks for vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), such as cold-water coral reefs, sponge grounds, or hydrothermal vents, and for key demersal fish species. Based on multi-objective prioritization, different conservation scenarios were investigated, allowing the impact of key elements such as connectivity and conservation cost to be evaluated. Our results show that continental margin slopes, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and deeper areas of large and productive shelves housing fishing grounds appeared as crucial zones for preserving the deep-sea biodiversity of the North Atlantic, and within the limitations imposed by the data available, of the Mediterranean. Using biologically-informed connectivity led to a more continuous and denser conservation network, without increasing the network size. Even when minimizing the overlap with socioeconomic activities, the inclusion of exploited areas was necessary to fulfil conservation objectives. Such areas included continental shelf fishing grounds for demersal fish species, and areas covered by deep-sea mining exploration contracts for hydrothermal vent communities. Covering 17% of the study area and protecting 55% of each feature on average, the identified priority network held a high conservation potential. However, these areas still suffer from poor protection, with 30% of them benefiting from some form of recognition and 11% only from protection against trawling. Integrating them into current marine spatial planning (MSP) discussions could foster the implementation of a basin-scale conservation network for the deep sea. Overall, this work established a framework for developing large-scale systematic planning, useful for managing Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ).

Future-proofing conservation priorities for sea level rise in coastal urban ecosystems

Decision makers are calling for actionable science to protect coastal ecosystems from adverse impacts. Future sea level rise (SLR) is expected to alter the spatial configuration of coastal habitats and their services. Ensuring conservation efforts are in optimal areas can be achieved using systematic conservation planning, yet plans rarely address multiple goals and uncertainties. We developed and applied a novel multi-ecosystem approach for planning the conservation of coastal ecosystems under future SLR scenarios. Decision support tool Marxan was used to determine priority areas that incorporate habitat connectivity, SLR modelling scenarios and feasibility for conservation in urbanised Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia, as a case-study. We found that planning based on present conditions will not adequately capture conservation priorities for the future, and has associated financial consequences. Priority conservation areas of Moreton Bay are not well aligned with current protected areas (<35%), with further misalignment for future scenarios. This study highlights the importance of a multi-ecosystem approach for protecting coastal habitats as well as leveraging the current management system. Our approach helps inform policy and guides conservation actions in urbanised coastal regions facing SLR.

CONSERVAÇÃO DE PEIXES DE RIACHO: PLANEJAMENTO E POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS

Conservation biology has historically been based on principles to protect terrestrial ecosystems, with marine and freshwater ecosystems left behind. As a result, often, protected areas are defined with bases in forest cover and terrestrial characteristics overseeing important components of connectivity of riverine landscapes, such as the connectivity between rivers, lakes, and streams. It is important to emphasize that forest protection is extremely important, but that alone cannot safeguard the protection of freshwater ecosystems. Therefore, our discussion should lead, not to the disregard of terrestrial efforts but to the complementation of existing efforts for forest protection with the addition of areas that can also protect freshwater ecosystems. Fluvial ecosystems are hierarchical and nested systems, with multidimensional connectivity including longitudinal (upstream-downstream), lateral (floodplains and lakes), temporal (seasons) and vertical (groundwaters) connections. Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) is the most well accepted and used method for designing conservation plans based on cost-effective scenarios that include ecological and socio-economic values resulting in thematic maps of priority areas for conservation. Recently, methods to consider the connectivity of freshwater ecosystems were incorporated into spatial prioritization tools. Maps produced using spatial prioritization tools can help decision making on species management and conservation actions, such as plans for species’ impact reduction (PRIM) and action plans for threatened species (PAN). PRIM and PAN use information about species ecology to focus conservation actions onto target species. These conservation action plans must be viable not only ecologically but also economically. In this context, using SCP to guide designs of PRIM and PAN can help stakeholders to achieve better conservation actions in Brazil. Thus, the SCP can improve the conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems, through the integration of science, society and stakeholder.

Applying systematic conservation planning to improve the allocation of restoration actions at multiple spatial scales

Ecological restoration is increasingly being upscaled to larger spatial scales of tens to hundreds of kilometers. Yet the complex logistics and high costs of ecological restoration mean that actions must be placed strategically at local scales of tens of meters to maximize ecological benefits and reduce socioeconomic costs. Despite the purported use of systematic planning tools for allocating restoration effort, the uptake and implementation of data‐driven restoration planning and ecological goal setting remains poor in many restoration programs. Here we demonstrate how the sequential workflows of systematic conservation planning can be translated to restoration at two spatial scales to enhance estuarine fisheries in eastern Australia. We select estuaries where restoration is feasible and recommended based on quantitative regional ecological goals (i.e. regional‐scale prioritization), and then identify potential restoration sites at smaller spatial scales within estuaries based on the principles of spatial ecology to ensure that the success and benefits of restoration are maximized (i.e. local‐scale prioritization). At the regional scale, we identified four levels of restoration priorities (very high, high, intermediate, and low) using quantitative ecological goals and the current ecological understanding of each system. At the local scale, we used spatially explicit Bayesian belief networks to identify sites that maximize restoration outcomes based on the environmental niche of habitat‐forming species and the spatial configuration of habitats that maximizes their use by fish. We show that using systematic frameworks can become an essential tool to optimize restoration investments at multiple scales as efforts upscale globally.

Identifying priority areas for surface water protection in data scarce regions: An integrated spatial analysis for Zambia

Abstract This study aimed to develop an integrated analytical framework to identify candidate sites for surface water protection that is applicable at broad scales and in data scarce regions, using Zambia as a case study. In the Zambian Water Resources Management Act of 2011, Water Resource Protection Areas are defined as areas where special measures are necessary for the protection of a catchment, sub‐catchment, aquifer, or geographical area. Three specific selection criteria are listed for the definition of Water Resource Protection Areas: (i) areas of high importance in providing water to users in a catchment; (ii) aquatic areas of high ecological importance; and (iii) areas that are particularly sensitive to human impact. In this project, each sub‐catchment and river reach of Zambia was characterized for their importance regarding these three criteria. ‘Water provisioning’ was assessed by analysing patterns of runoff generation and human water use; ‘aquatic ecological importance’ was determined by conducting a freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem assessment using a systematic conservation planning approach; and ‘sensitive areas’ were identified by quantifying erosion potential and sediment transport. The work was supported by an assessment of free‐flowing rivers in Zambia, i.e., those rivers where aquatic ecosystem functions and services are largely unaffected by changes to fluvial connectivity through dams and other infrastructure. Highly ranked sub‐catchments were found in the Liuwa, Barotse, and Bangweulu floodplains and wetlands, and in the headwater regions of the upper Zambezi, Kafue, Chambeshi/Luapula, and Tanganyika catchments. The Luangwa was identified as the highest ranked candidate river for protection within Zambia. The resulting maps, data, and methods are intended to support national‐scale efforts to prioritize areas for surface water protection, identify catchments and rivers with high conservation value, optimize decision making for infrastructure development, and inform concerted strategies to maintain and restore freshwater ecosystem services in Zambia.

Marine spatial plans focusing on biodiversity conservation: The case of the Aegean Sea

AbstractThe expansion and intensification of marine uses have severe cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems and human well‐being, unless they are properly managed with an ecosystem‐based management approach.A systematic conservation planning approach, usingmarxan with zones, was applied to generate alternative marine spatial plans for the Aegean Sea. Relevant human uses were included and their cumulative impact on a wide set of key biodiversity features was considered in the analysis. Different cost scenarios were developed to gain insight on the effects of the approaches used to assess socio‐economic factors, and their potential impact on spatial plans.The spatial plans generated differed greatly depending on the method used to estimate opportunity costs and evaluate human activities in monetary terms.The vulnerability weights (the relative vulnerability of ecological features to specific human activities and their impacts) that were estimated based on a cumulative impact assessment, allowed the assessment of each zone in contributing to the achievement of conservation targets, through a transparent planning approach.Results indicate that special care should be given to how socio‐economic activities, their impact on the ecosystems, and related costs are incorporated into planning.The proposed approach demonstrates how EU member states may effectively comply with the new Biodiversity Strategy 2030 targets, while planning for the sustainable use of their marine resources.