Considering Multiecosystem Trade-Offs Is Critical When Leveraging Systematic Conservation Planning for Restoration

Area of Science:

• Conservation Biology
• Ecological Restoration
• Environmental Planning

Background:

• Systematic conservation planning (SCP) is crucial for guiding biodiversity-enhancing restoration actions.
• Restoration can cause ecological shifts, leading to trade-offs for species and communities.
• The Conservation Interactions Principle (CIP) highlights the need for long-term, landscape-wide evaluation of conservation outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the inadequate integration of the CIP in current SCP for landscape restoration.
• To emphasize the importance of fully valuing the existing ecological state in restoration planning.
• To mitigate inefficient resource allocation and counteracting conservation actions.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing the application of SCP and CIP in landscape restoration.
• Identifying challenges in incorporating the CIP due to factors like climate change and species endangerment.
• Proposing strategies for improved CIP integration in SCP.

Main Results:

• Current SCP often fails to fully assess existing ecological states, hindering effective restoration.
• Incomplete CIP consideration leads to potential opportunity costs and conflicting conservation efforts.
• Enhanced accounting of current ecological benefits is vital for successful restoration planning.

Conclusions:

• Interdisciplinary teams, improved data, advanced modeling, and structured decision-making can enhance CIP integration.
• Better trade-off assessments across ecosystems and states are needed for proactive and coordinated SCP.
• Effective SCP, incorporating the CIP, can guide restoration to promote regional biodiversity.