Expanding European protected areas through rewilding.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Rewilding aims to combat biodiversity loss by restoring ecological processes.
• Its potential to meet conservation targets, like the post-2020 protected-area goals, is under examination.
• Europe and North America are seeing increased interest in rewilding initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the suitability of European land for rewilding based on specific criteria.
• To identify areas compatible with rewilding goals to inform conservation strategies.
• To evaluate the potential contribution of rewilding to European conservation targets.

Main Methods:

• Developed criteria to map potential rewilding areas.
• Focused on identifying large, minimally disturbed land tracts with key mammal species.
• Utilized spatial analysis to determine compatibility with rewilding principles.

Main Results:

• Approximately 117 million hectares (one-quarter of Europe) meet the rewilding criteria.
• Seventy percent of suitable areas are located in cooler climates.
• Passive rewilding is prevalent in Scandinavia, Scotland, the Baltics, and Ireland; active rewilding opportunities exist in parts of France, Italy, and Northern Europe.

Conclusions:

• Europe possesses substantial potential for rewilding, supporting the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
• Land abandonment can be leveraged for expanding nature conservation areas through rewilding.
• Nations with limited rewilding potential should explore alternative conservation strategies.