The distribution of diversity: challenges and applications
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this fi nal section, we discuss future challenges in the
fi eld of systematic conservation planning and some
recent advances.
The fi rst two decades of systematic conservation
planning primarily focused on a restricted suite of
problems. These problems have generally assumed that
systematic conservation planning:
1 is a static problem that determines a once - off reserve
system;
2 can ignore the dynamic nature (including evolution) of biodiversity assets (e.g. species, habitats);
3 assumes a binary world where sites are either protected or not;
4 can use the area or number of sites as a surrogate
for cost;
5 can ignore uncertainty;
6 can ignore risk and threat, and
7 can rely on simple targets for biodiversity assets so
that once achieved, we are content that persistence is
achieved.
All of these issues are challenges that need to be
overcome if the discipline is to be taken seriously by
those responsible for implementing conservation
action. Here we briefl y discuss some recent work
that has con tributed to this furthering this research
agenda.
Figure 6.2 An operational model for pragmatic conservation planning. From Knight et al. , 2006 .