Prospects for stakeholder coordination by protected-area managers in Europe.

Area of Science:

• Conservation Science
• Ecology
• Environmental Management

Background:

• Growing human resource demands, invasive species, natural hazards, and climate change necessitate broader-scale conservation efforts that transcend political borders.
• Implementing regional-scale conservation is challenging, requiring effective strategies to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services amidst environmental change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine factors influencing protected-area (PA) managers' perspectives on stakeholder coordination for biodiversity and ecosystem services conservation in Europe.
• To identify perceived benefits and barriers to inter-PA and stakeholder collaboration.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to PA managers across diverse European regions.
• The survey assessed views on the relevance of threats like climate change and invasive species, the potential for mitigation through coordination, and anticipated benefits and barriers.

Main Results:

• Over 70% of PA managers acknowledged climate change and invasive species as relevant threats, but less than 50% believed coordination could mitigate them.
• Managers anticipated a >60% probability of stakeholder coordination for improved conservation outcomes, with biodiversity enhancement being the primary expected benefit.
• Key barriers identified included lack of human and economic resources, communication issues, and differing political/legal structures between stakeholders.

Conclusions:

• Stakeholder coordination is viewed as crucial for European conservation, with biodiversity maintenance as a core objective.
• Addressing resource limitations and harmonizing political/legal frameworks are essential for successful cross-border conservation initiatives.
• European policies should focus on enabling green infrastructure networks by supporting PA coordination to overcome identified barriers.