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The ecological effectiveness of protected areas: The United Kingdom |
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| Authors: | Kevin J. Gaston Kevin Charman Paul R. Armsworth Robert A. Briers Roger Catchpole William E. Kunin Paul Opdam David A. Stroud |
| Affiliation: | a Biodiversity and Macroecology Group, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK b English Nature, Stocksfield Hall, Stocksfield, Northumberland NE43 7TN, UK c Moors for the Future Partnership, Peak District National Park, The Information Centre, Castleton, Derbyshire S33 8WP, UK d School of Life Sciences, Napier University, Merchiston Campus, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, UK e Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK f English Nature, Bull Ring House, Northgate, Wakefield WF1 3BJ, UK g English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA, UK h Countryside Council for Wales, Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK i Department of Land Use Planning, Wageningen University Research Centre, Postbus 47, 6700AA Wageningen, The Netherlands j Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Beechcroft House, Vicarage Road, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP, UK k Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY, UK l Peak District National Park Authority, Aldern House, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1AE, UK |
| Abstract: | Given the importance placed on protected areas, determining their effectiveness in representing and maintaining biodiversity is a core issue in conservation biology. Nonetheless, frameworks identifying the breadth of issues associated with this effectiveness, and case studies of how well these are understood in particular regions, remain lacking. In this paper, we provide such a framework and an overview of the current state of knowledge of the ecological effectiveness of protected areas in the United Kingdom. Arguably, better data are available to address such issues in this region than anywhere else in the world. Nonetheless, studies remain scarce and have focussed foremost on the, rather narrow, issue of the effectiveness of management actions on individual sites in order to deliver fixed conservation objectives and discharge statutory responsibilities. Some attention has also been paid to how well the regional collection or portfolio of protected areas performs, particularly in capturing biodiversity features. Work on the extent to which protected areas in the United Kingdom form effective functional networks is in its infancy, but initiatives are under development. We identify some of the questions about the effectiveness of protected areas to which answers need to be known at the site, portfolio and network levels, and how significant progress might be achieved in addressing these. |
| Keywords: | Condition assessment Management Networks Portfolios Protected areas |
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