Global protected areas boost the carbon sequestration capacity: Evidences from econometric causal analysis

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Carbon sequestration is vital for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Evaluating the global impact of protected areas on carbon sequestration requires further research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a carbon density index for global protected areas (>10 km²).
• To quantify the impact of protected area construction on carbon sequestration capacity from 1994-2015.
• To identify factors influencing carbon sequestration improvements in protected areas.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) carbon model.
• Applied propensity score matching and difference-in-difference methods.
• Analyzed 32,756 global protected area samples.

Main Results:

• Global protected areas increased carbon sequestration capacity by 0.39%.
• Regional variations observed, with Africa showing the largest improvement, followed by Asia, Oceania, and Europe.
• Specific actions like upgrading protected areas (0.05%), strict planning (0.18%), and enhancing local government power (0.08%) positively correlate with increased capacity.

Conclusions:

• Protected areas significantly contribute to enhancing carbon sequestration capacity globally.
• Policy implementation and governance structures are crucial for maximizing the benefits of protected areas for carbon storage.
• Findings support the Convention on Biological Diversity goals by highlighting the dynamic role of protected areas in ecosystem services.