Study shows bird and biodiversity benefits of better managed landscapes - British Trust for Ornithology
A new study led by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) examines the benefit of well-managed protected areas for declining bird populations.
Nature is declining faster than at any time in human history, with an estimated one million species across the globe currently threatened with extinction due to human activities. In December 2022, a landmark agreement called the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was established by world leaders from 196 nations, to halt nature loss and prevent ecosystem collapse. One of the Framework’s key targets, known as ‘30 by 30’, was to protect 30% of the world’s land, coastal waters, and oceans by 2030. This has led to a rapid expansion in land being designated as specially protected in recent years.
We know that protected areas benefit biodiversity. It’s also true that some protected areas are in a better state than others – for example, some experience pressures from pollution, non-native species, or unsustainable practices. So, as well as designating new protected areas, we need to understand how much could be gained from managing protected areas to reduce pressures and recover from previous impacts.
In the UK, protected areas are categorised as being in favourable or unfavourable ‘condition' for biodiversity based on attributes such as habitat extent and structure, or the species present, with management generally needed to improve unfavourable sites. The BTO-led research, in partnership with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), compared protected areas that were in a favourable versus an unfavourable condition, and how breeding bird populations fared across the various types.
As expected, the areas in the best condition generally saw positive impacts for more species. For example, Common Tern, Dunlin, Tree Sparrow, Red Kite, and Swift, showed improved abundances or population trends. However, across the UK, even protected areas in poor condition allowed some scarce and specialist birds such as Cuckoo, Marsh Tit and Sand Martin to benefit to a degree, since the rare habitats on which they depend are often found only within these areas.The findings of this research suggest that by improving protected areas in unfavourable condition we can deliver benefits to species recovery. The study highlights the importance for policy actions to include effective conservation management, as well as the provision of land itself. If biodiversity targets are to be met, the condition of the protected areas, as well as their size and number, is also important. Simply achieving the ‘30 by 30’ target, without ensuring that the areas are managed well, is unlikely to be sufficient to restore biodiversity.
To read the full paper, go to www.bto.org/pa-quality
Posted On: 29/04/2024
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