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Although protected areas (PAs) are designed to safeguard natural ecosystems from anthropic modifications, many PAs worldwide are subjected to numerous human-induced impacts. We evaluated whether the establishment of PAs in the Upper Paraná River floodplain region could reduce anthropic landscape changes and whether there is a difference in protection when using different PA restriction categories. We analyzed the overall landscape dynamics using 30 years of land-use time series data and evaluated the change intensity via a partial land-use intensity analysis. Despite the increasing landscape anthropization, the PAs seemed to relieve the general change process, protecting natural areas mainly from agricultural expansion. Concerning the degree of use restriction, more restricted protection led to less human-induced changes. Finally, accessing PA effectiveness is a multidisciplinary challenge for researchers; however, this knowledge is crucial to avoid misunderstandings or poorly crafted public policies or decisions that may harm the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using socioecological concepts and within a historical biodiversity conservation context, this research study reviews the main interactions between human communities and protected natural areas (PNAs) to describe their different stages over time and assess the implications arising from climate change. The review suggests that both society and governments have raised awareness and interest regarding the importance of biodiversity conservation. The interactions of human communities in these areas have had different effects on biodiversity use, management, and conservation. Local communities have historically developed traditional uses of natural resources that allow them to remain over time and conserve them. Thus, the interest in PNAs as a conservation instrument has increased worldwide. Regarding climate change, this study found evidence indicating that PNAs may act as buffer barriers to prevent biodiversity loss and mitigate the impacts of extreme events; nevertheless, a great variation can be expected. The magnitude of the impacts on human communities, levels of vulnerability, and resilience capacity of PNAs facing climate change (CC) rely on many factors, such as location, extent, composition, management, and ecology of a given protected area. Therefore, the new scenarios that CC may bring are challenging current systematic conservation planning and traditional management methods of the natural resources that are vital for people. Finally, the authors suggest that society is increasingly aware of PNAs as one of the best tools humans have to prevent biodiversity loss, and potentially buffer the effects of CC. These increases in social awareness of biodiversity conservation importance and PNAs are gratifying and spread optimism about the future that next generations may face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private conservation lands are essential for protecting biodiversity, but few national‐level studies have assessed their coverage and the legal frameworks that support them. Here, we review the legal mechanisms enabling conservation on private lands in Brazil and evaluate these lands' potential to reinforce the national protected area system. We found that conserving native vegetation on private lands is the most important mechanism to protect biodiversity in five out of the six Brazilian biomes. Because Brazil has a law that mandates landowners to set aside conservation areas, remnants of native vegetation were protected rather than converted to other land uses in areas of old economic frontiers. These remnants can be the cornerstones of effective regional conservation systems. Still, upgrading these remnants to privately protected areas and integrating these privately protected areas into the national protected area system remains a challenge. We suggest that the Brazilian experience provides important lessons on how other countries can design innovative policies to recognize and expand private land conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural protected areas are an important component of sustainability, aimed at preserving a part of the current biodiversity for the future generations. Romania has declared numerous protected areas during the process of joining the European Union, particularly NATURA 2000 sites, but the question is: How effective is the management of sites declared under the pressure of time? In order to answer the question, this study uses data from the competent authorities on the presence of a custodian (with or without a management contract) and of a management plan for each natural protected area. After processing the data to answer each question in a binary manner, the results were mapped and synthesized. Our findings indicate that roughly 50% of the Romanian natural protected areas of benefit upon an effective protection, suggesting that little progress was achieved in the decade succeeding their declaration. Therefore, much hope is placed in the newly created Agency for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of a protected area installs new rules over the use and management of natural resources, modifying how people relate to their environment, as well as the way in which the space is comprehended and constructed. How does this process occur? How does the creation of protected natural areas transform or disrupt territories? The hypothesis that we present in this work is that the creation of protected areas, when it does not include local consensus and negotiation processes, may result in dynamics of deterritorialization, creating what Marc Augé (1993) referred to as non-places. From this perspective, we explain the meagre results both social and environmental of some natural protected areas in Mexico, and propose a vision of conservation focused in places, according to the anthropological connotation of the term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships between humans and nature take multiple forms. This is a fundamental issue in conservation but one that is often neglected, leading to poor conservation outcomes. It is thus imperative that we come to understand better the complex relationships between humans and nature. To do so, we need to examine "nature" and the often assumed dichotomy between humans and nature. We conducted a qualitative social research inquiry to explore the societal relationships with nature in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve in Chile. From the results, we developed a framework that illustrates how different "natures" are created in the three-way relationship among the individual, society, and the physical world. We further discuss the implications of the co-existence of various "natures" in one place. Their explicit consideration bears important potential for improving conservation practice. The framework can then serve as a heuristic tool for uncovering and addressing challenges in other conservation contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Criteria and indicators for location of Natura 2000 are presented. • Connectivity of Natura 2000 spaces is essential for their conservation. • Improvement of connectivity of protected areas is assessed with MSPA and PC indices. • Assessment of connectivity is necessary for management and conservation of Natura 2000 Network. The aim of the Natura 2000 Network is to ensure the conservation of habitats and species in their natural areas of distribution. Connectivity is an essential part of this conservation. For this purpose, a value map of importance for biodiversity (V.I.B) was generated proposing 4 levels of protection and overlapped with the Natura 2000 network. New boundaries for the zoning are proposed adding 1.600.000 ha. Two connectivity indices (MSPA and PC) are calculated in the 4 different scenarios. With these indices it is possible to know the number of existing nuclei and connectors in each of the scenarios. New boundaries cover more areas of interest for biodiversity as well as zones of great importance in relation to connectivity. We propose a uniform method that can be extrapolated to any European territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien species pose a major threat to biodiversity and natural ecosystems globally and negatively affect conservation efforts in protected areas. They can negatively alter biodiversity and ecological regimes and are a financial burden. Because of their negative impacts, it is important to better understand the threat and management of invasive alien species in protected areas (PAs) globally, and to know how these factors have changed over time. We give an update and compare how the threat and management of invasive species has changed in 21 PAs that were analysed as part of the international SCOPE programme on biological invasions in the mid-1980s. Of all the taxa analysed, invasive plants pose the greatest continued threat, and their numbers have increased in 31% of the PAs. Conversely, mammal invasions now represent less of a threat due to effective management in many PAs; 43% of PAs show a decrease in listed invasive alien mammal taxa. Invasions of amphibians, reptiles, and fish have remained stable over the three decades; around half of the PAs show no change for these taxa. Managers of most PAs consider the threat of invasions to be increasing, despite many (55%) PAs having sustained long-term management programmes and 45% having implemented additional ad hoc approaches. We draw on lessons from this analysis to support the future management of biological invasions in conservation areas. In particular, better monitoring and collation of data is needed, followed by increased preventative measures and the promotion of biological control for widespread species. • Invasions and their management were reassessed in 21 protected areas, 30 years after a previous survey as part of the 1980s SCOPE project • Most protected areas assessed are implementing some form of invasive species management, but approaches and inputs differ • Plant invasions are generally worsening and increasing in number, extent and threat over time • The threat of invasion is decreasing for land mammals and is stable for other taxa • Further improvements in monitoring and management of biological invasions in protected areas are needed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial increases in the pace, scale, and effectiveness of conservation will be required to abate the ongoing loss of global biodiversity and simultaneous ecological degradation. Concurrently, the need for conservation to respect inherent human rights, including the rights and title of Indigenous Peoples, is increasingly recognized. Here, we describe the often overlooked role that resurgent Indigenous-led governance could have in driving rapid, socially just increases in conservation. Whereas Indigenous resurgence spans all aspects of governance, we focus on three aspects that highlight both the necessity and nascent potential of supporting resurgent Indigenous-led governance systems as they relate to conservation of lands and seas. Firstly, much of the landscapes and seascapes of conservation interest are within Indigenous territories, so augmenting conservation within them will increasingly not be possible, justified, nor legal without Indigenous consent and partnership. Secondly, resurgent Indigenous governance provides potential for rapidly increasing the spatial coverage of conserved areas. Thirdly, resurgent Indigenous governance provides potential for increased conservation effectiveness. We focus on Canada, a country disproportionately composed of globally significant intact ecosystems and other ecosystems with considerable ecological value, comprised of Indigenous territories, and where Indigenous governments are well-positioned to advance meaningful conservation at a large scale. We discuss broader implications, with Indigenous territories covering large swaths of the globe, including in all five countries (Canada, USA, Australia, Brazil, Russia) whose borders contain the majority of the world's remaining intact landscapes. We offer suggestions for supporting resurgent Indigenous governance to achieve biodiversity conservation that is effective and socially just. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]