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Using return on investment to maximize conservation effectiveness in Argentine grasslands
William Murdoch1, Jai Ranganathan, Stephen Polasky
1Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. murdoch@lifesci.ucsb.edu
Summary
Maximizing conservation return on investment is key for efficient biodiversity protection. Even the cheapest land can offer substantial conservation benefits, outperforming benefit-maximization strategies with limited funds.
Area of Science:
- Conservation Science
- Biodiversity Protection
- Ecological Economics
Background:
- Global habitat and biodiversity loss necessitates efficient conservation actions.
- Scarcity of fine-grained data on species distribution, risks, and costs hinders effective conservation, especially in developing nations.
- Ecosystem type distribution is often better known than species distribution, making it a suitable proxy for biodiversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of different conservation strategies under resource constraints.
- To evaluate conservation benefit considering risk of conversion, spatial effects, and diminishing returns.
- To assess the operational viability of conservation goals, such as protecting a fixed percentage of habitat.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Argentine grasslands as a case study for conservation planning.
- Compared three strategies: minimize cost, maximize benefit, and maximize return on investment.
- Defined conservation benefit incorporating risk, spatial clumping, and investment saturation.
Main Results:
- A fixed percentage conservation goal (e.g., 10%) is operationally inefficient and distracts from maximizing benefits within budgets.
- Return on investment strategy yields superior conservation benefits compared to other methods under realistic budget constraints.
- Surprisingly, minimizing cost often provides greater conservation benefit than maximizing benefit when budgets are limited.
Conclusions:
- Conservation planning must prioritize maximizing benefits within available resources.
- Return on investment offers a robust framework for efficient biodiversity conservation.
- Cost-minimization can be a surprisingly effective strategy for maximizing conservation outcomes with limited funding.
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