Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan, USA.
Ecol Lett. 2024 Jun;27(6):e14459. doi: 10.1111/ele.14459.
Recent international agreements have strengthened and expanded commitments to protect and restore native habitats for biodiversity protection ("area-based biodiversity conservation"). Nevertheless, biodiversity conservation is hindered because how such commitments should be implemented has been strongly debated, which can lead to suboptimal habitat protection decisions. We argue that, despite the debates, there are three essential principles for area-based biodiversity conservation. These principles are related to habitat geographic coverage, amount, and connectivity. They emerge from evidence that, while large areas of nature are important and must be protected, conservation or restoration of multiple small habitat patches is also critical for global conservation, particularly in regions with high land use. We contend that the many area-based conservation initiatives expected in the coming decades should follow the principles we identify, regardless of ongoing debates. Considering the importance of biodiversity for maintenance of ecosystem services, we suggest that this would bring widespread societal benefits.
最近的国际协议加强和扩大了保护和恢复生物多样性栖息地的承诺（“基于区域的生物多样性保护”）。然而，生物多样性保护受到阻碍，因为如何实施这些承诺存在强烈争议，这可能导致次优的栖息地保护决策。我们认为，尽管存在争议，但基于区域的生物多样性保护有三个基本原则。这些原则与栖息地的地理覆盖范围、数量和连通性有关。这是因为有证据表明，虽然大面积的自然环境很重要，必须加以保护，但保护或恢复多个小的栖息地斑块对于全球保护也至关重要，特别是在土地利用高度集中的地区。我们认为，未来几十年预计将有许多基于区域的保护倡议，无论正在进行何种争论，都应遵循我们确定的原则。考虑到生物多样性对维持生态系统服务的重要性，我们建议这将带来广泛的社会效益。
