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Protecting biodiversity in multiple-use lands: Lessons from the US forest service
1David Wilcove is at Wilderness Society, 1400 Eye Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|January 14, 2011
Summary
Protected areas alone are insufficient for biodiversity conservation. Effective policies are needed to safeguard species on lands open to development, with US Forest Service models offering potential but incomplete solutions.
Area of Science:
- Conservation Biology
- Environmental Policy
- Ecology
Background:
- Strictly protected nature preserves are limited in size and number, posing a threat to overall biological diversity.
- The extirpation of numerous populations and species is likely without biodiversity protection on lands designated for development.
- Developing practical and effective policies for biodiversity conservation on multiple-use lands is a critical global challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the inadequacy of protected areas alone for sustaining biological diversity.
- To emphasize the necessity of implementing conservation strategies on multiple-use lands.
- To evaluate existing policies, such as those from the US Forest Service, as potential models for biodiversity protection.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the limitations of strictly protected nature preserves.
- Review of the potential for biodiversity loss on lands open to development.
- Examination of US Forest Service policies as case studies for multiple-use land conservation.
Main Results:
- Current protected areas are insufficient to maintain comprehensive biological diversity.
- Biodiversity protection on lands open to development is essential to prevent species extirpation.
- US Forest Service policies offer valuable insights but require further refinement for global application.
Conclusions:
- A multifaceted approach integrating protected areas with conservation on multiple-use lands is imperative.
- Policy development must focus on practical and effective strategies for biodiversity safeguarding.
- Continued evaluation and adaptation of conservation policies are necessary to address the global biodiversity crisis.
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