Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
PLoS One. 2020 Mar 5;15(3):e0228946. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228946. eCollection 2020.
Current targets for protected area network coverage call for increased protection but lack specificity in terms of criteria for parcel type, placement, and landscape connectivity. We assessed land conservation achieved by protected area networks in the contiguous United States, and assessed whether private lands contributed substantially to network coverage and connectivity given species dispersal abilities. On average, states have 4.1% (range: 0.2% to 15.8%, n = 48) protected area coverage with connectivity ≤10 km. Terrain ruggedness, percent farmland, and population density are the primary determinants of protected area placement, leading to biased representation of land features currently under protection. On average, private protected areas contribute <1.1% (range 0.0% to 9.2%) to current protected area coverage across the United States. We conclude that current levels of protection and connectivity are inadequate to support a functional protected area network, and that increased and strategic selection of private protected areas is necessary to meet conservation planning goals.
目前的保护区网络覆盖目标要求增加保护力度，但在包裹类型、位置和景观连通性的标准方面缺乏具体性。我们评估了美国相邻各州的土地保护情况，并评估了在考虑物种扩散能力的情况下，私人土地对网络覆盖和连通性的贡献程度。平均而言，各州的保护区覆盖率为 4.1%（范围：0.2%至 15.8%，n = 48），连通性≤10 公里。地形崎岖度、农田百分比和人口密度是保护区位置的主要决定因素，导致目前受保护的土地特征代表性不足。平均而言，私人保护区对美国目前的保护区覆盖率的贡献<1.1%（范围为 0.0%至 9.2%）。我们的结论是，目前的保护和连通水平不足以支持一个功能完备的保护区网络，需要增加和战略性地选择私人保护区，以实现保护规划目标。
