We need more protected areas, but that’s not all
As the world faces cascading extinctions and runaway climate change, a growing body of scientific research has found that we should set aside more areas as protected spaces. "Our analysis shows that a large proportion of the world's mammals are unlikely to be adequately protected from extinction by the current global protected areas network," the study's authors warned. Coming Up Short The PNAS study found that current protected areas on their own aren't sufficient to ensure the long-term survival of about half of all mammals studied — between 1,700 and 2,500 species. Their findings also show that marine protected areas can help restore populations that have been overfished, and in the long run can support food security even if fishing doesn't occur in protected areas. "Expanding or relocating the world's protected areas comes fraught with very real risks to human wellbeing," wrote the PNAS study's lead author, David Williams, a lecturer in sustainability and the environment, University of Leeds.
Discover Related
Many animals and plants are losing their genetic diversity, making them more vulnerable
Opinion: Building safer cities means protecting animals too, not just humans
Forty-one new flora and fauna species added to Australia's threatened list
Wildlife in Crisis: WWF Report Highlights Biodiversity Loss and Human Consequences
World's freshwater species facing extinction, 25% under extreme threat
New research shows a quarter of freshwater animals are threatened with extinction
It is time to support Pacific Ocean stewards
Giraffes are next up on the endangered species list, US wildlife officials say
To save nature, world leaders aim to turn words into action at biodiversity summit
Canada marine protection plan aims to serve as global model
Nature groups call for more protection of the UK’s seas as key carbon stores
US coastal communities get $575M to guard against floods, other climate disasters
Marine Eco-Environmental Protection in China
Mass extinction is a choice. A new study shows how we can dramatically reverse it
A third of sharks are threatened with extinction. Here’s what one man is doing to help
Let nature be our guide
Learning to coexist with wildlife crucial
Conservation efforts lending a helping hand to global biodiversity, study says
Conservation efforts are working to save species and protect biodiversity, study finds
Wildlife groups warn Australia's summer fires are threatening vulnerable species