High and far: biases in the location of protected areas.

ABSTRACT:

Background

About an eighth of the earth's land surface is in protected areas (hereafter "PAs"), most created during the 20(th) century. Natural landscapes are critical for species persistence and PAs can play a major role in conservation and in climate policy. Such contributions may be harder than expected to implement if new PAs are constrained to the same kinds of locations that PAs currently occupy.

Methodology/principal findings

Quantitatively extending the perception that PAs occupy "rock and ice", we show that across 147 nations PA networks are biased towards places that are unlikely to face land conversion pressures even in the absence of protection. We test each country's PA network for bias in elevation, slope, distances to roads and cities, and suitability for agri

SUBMITTER: Joppa LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2788247 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature