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Global effectiveness of mountain protected areas for biodiversity conservation across elevational gradient
Tao Hu1, Dongmei Xu1, Xiaoyu Li1
1Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Current Biology : CB
|August 7, 2026
Summary
Protected areas (PAs) are crucial for mountain biodiversity, but their effectiveness varies significantly with elevation. This study reveals that simply expanding PAs is insufficient; targeted management across elevational gradients is essential for successful conservation outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Biodiversity Studies
Background:
- Mountain regions harbor rich biodiversity but face threats from climate change and human activities.
- Protected areas (PAs) are vital for conserving mountain biodiversity, yet their effectiveness is often assessed by spatial coverage rather than elevational variation.
- Limited research has explored how the effectiveness of PAs varies across different elevational gradients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the global effectiveness of mountain protected areas (PAs) for biodiversity conservation.
- To investigate how PA effectiveness varies along elevational gradients worldwide.
- To inform conservation strategies by highlighting areas needing prioritized management.
Main Methods:
- Utilized species distribution data for 7,739 mountain species and 2,710 threatened mountain species.
- Applied propensity score matching to compare species richness inside and outside PAs, controlling for environmental factors.
- Analyzed PA effectiveness across different continents and elevational zones.
Main Results:
- Mountain biodiversity is concentrated in South America and Asia; effective PAs are less prevalent in South America.
- PA effectiveness demonstrates significant elevational variation globally.
- Effectiveness generally increases with elevation in Africa, Asia, and Europe, but declines above 4,000m in South America.
Conclusions:
- Conservation outcomes within mountain PAs are uneven across elevational zones.
- An area-based approach to expanding PAs alone does not guarantee biodiversity conservation effectiveness.
- Prioritizing management effectiveness across elevational gradients, especially in low-elevation areas and South American biodiversity hotspots, is crucial.
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