New Audubon Research Reveals Discrepancies in Conservation Planning Strategies

NEW YORK (November 2, 2022) – Researchers on the Nationwide Audubon Society revealed a examine that evaluated completely different approaches to climate-informed chook conservation in the US. Utilizing knowledge from Audubon’s Survival by Levels report, researchers in contrast two broadly used conservation planning strategies and decided that they determine completely different precedence areas, with solely 40 % consensus on common throughout species teams. Printed in Ecography, the examine affords essential insights on the right way to strategically preserve extra pure habitats that can assist birds adapt to a altering local weather now and sooner or later.

“Birds inform us that they want extra protected areas to assist them survive, and it’s important that these pure habitats help a variety of species with a wide selection of wants and shifting ranges over time,” stated Lotem Taylor, major writer of the examine and GIS and knowledge science specialist at Audubon. “We all know that pure areas may help defend birds and folks alike from the dangerous results of local weather change. By understanding that completely different planning approaches determine completely different precedence areas, we are able to be sure that the strategies used higher match conservation objectives.”

The researchers used chook distributions and land cowl projections to match precedence areas derived from two broadly used conservation planning strategies: in situ macrorefugia, recognized as areas of excessive predicted species retention, and complementarity-based optimizations, recognized utilizing conservation planning software program. The examine checked out 557 chook species throughout 17 biogeographical teams within the continental U.S., and planning strategies have been in contrast primarily based on 16 metrics referring to biodiversity worth, local weather change publicity, habitat traits, panorama configuration and safety standing. 

Outcomes confirmed that:

• Spatial distributions of precedence areas differed by biogeographical group and methodology, with solely 40.5% consensus on common throughout teams.
• Optimizations represented species extra effectively than macrorefugia, particularly for forest teams, and had higher general biodiversity worth and higher habitat situation.
• Macrorefugia encompassed greater elevations and bigger contiguous patches and have been anticipated to expertise much less winter-season warming.

Primarily based on the outcomes, researchers suggest utilizing optimizations to determine conservation areas the place attainable as a result of this network-based strategy may help make sure that all at-risk chook species are represented. In geographies the place sources are restricted or consensus between completely different prioritization approaches is excessive, they suggest defending the consensus areas since methodology settlement gives elevated confidence of their potential to guard birds underneath local weather change. This deeper understanding of conservation planning may help make sure that the precedence areas recognized to attain area-based targets just like the 30×30 initiative can truly meet conservation objectives. 

In accordance with Audubon’s 2019 report Survival By Levels: 389 Species on the Brink, local weather change threatens greater than two-thirds of North America’s chook species with extinction. Nonetheless, the identical science means that by limiting international warming to 1.5 levels Celsius, greater than three-quarters of weak species may be protected. Audubon’s 2021 Pure Local weather Options Report supplied a scientific framework to assist handle this existential risk and confirmed that habitats which can be essential for birds now and sooner or later are additionally crucial to lowering greenhouse emissions given their potential to naturally retailer and sequester carbon.

The brand new examine is offered right here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ecog.06401. 

About Audubon
The Nationwide Audubon Society protects birds and the locations they want, immediately and tomorrow. Audubon works all through the Americas utilizing science, advocacy, training, and on-the-ground conservation. State packages, nature facilities, chapters, and companions give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches hundreds of thousands of individuals every year to tell, encourage, and unite numerous communities in conservation motion. A nonprofit conservation group since 1905, Audubon believes in a world during which folks and wildlife thrive. Study extra at www.audubon.org and on Fb, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

Media Contact:
Megan Moriarty, [email protected]