2030 conservation targets for European terrestrial mammals using the favourable conservation status concept

Area of Science:

• Conservation biology
• Ecology
• Mammalogy

Background:

• The European Habitats Directive mandates favourable conservation status for priority species.
• Favourable reference values are currently inadequate for setting direct conservation targets.
• Existing benchmarks are incomplete, incomparable, and not time-bound.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish specific, achievable conservation targets for 81 European terrestrial mammals by 2030.
• To inform conservation planning and action for priority mammal species.
• To align conservation goals with the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

Main Methods:

• Utilized population growth and range expansion models to project species status by 2030.
• Employed a reference-based approach to define conservation targets.
• Integrated data for species listed under the Habitats Directive and IUCN Red List.

Main Results:

• Defined 2030 conservation targets for 81 European terrestrial mammal species.
• Identified potential conservation strategies, including increasing protected area coverage.
• Provided a framework for assessing progress towards favourable conservation status.

Conclusions:

• The developed targets provide a quantifiable basis for mammal conservation efforts in Europe.
• Achieving these targets requires coordinated conservation actions and policy implementation.
• The study supports the expansion of protected areas to 30% of Europe by 2030 for biodiversity goals.