The Challenge
Habitat loss and environmental degradation are major drivers in the decline of biodiversity throughout the world. Protected areas are often established to counter this loss and help safeguard biodiversity, ecosystem services, and cultural values. The National Reserve System in Australia includes thousands of protected areas and covers nearly 18% of the country. Most of the remaining land is privately owned.
Many programs exist to encourage private landholders to protect biodiversity on their land. Little is known, however, about the actual effectiveness of those programs at maintaining or improving conditions for biodiversity, or for enabling lasting partnerships between landholders and agencies for conservation goals. |
The Response
To assess some of the social and ecological outcomes of private land conservation programs, we’re currently focusing on three main topics within the context of conservation covenanting mechanisms:
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