Thomas Thorin’s Post

Areas of future conservation value With Nigel Dudley I have just published a think piece in the fine journal "Oryx." We make the case that area-based conservation has most often focused on current, or past, biodiversity values with little attention to how these values could change. In a world where such change in increasingly common we propose a "future conservation area" descriptor that would supplement existing IUCN protected area management categories and governance types. Application would mainly be to areas that are currently neither protected areas nor other effective area-based conservation measures but have the potential to become important conservation areas in the medium term. You can find the article at:  https://lnkd.in/eGDBvJ27

A new study finds that nature conservation efforts are effective in improving biodiversity and slowing its decline. Conservation actions such as managing invasive species and implementing forest management plans have demonstrated positive outcomes in ecosystems worldwide. Despite the challenges, research provides evidence that investing in conservation yields tangible results, offering hope for the future of our planet's biodiversity. Success Stories Florida: Managing invasive predators boosted nesting success for turtles and terns. Congo Basin: Deforestation was 74% lower with forest management plans. Amazon: Protected areas had less deforestation and smaller fires. Idaho: Breeding and releasing Chinook salmon increased their population. #Conservation #Biodiversity #keeplearning 

New Post: We Must Protect These Safe Havens To Prevent “The Sixth Great Extinction of Life on Earth” - Researchers and conservationists propose a targeted global conservation strategy, focusing on preserving just 1.2% of Earth’s surface to prevent the sixth mass extinction by protecting rare and threatened species. This approach, costing an estimated $34 billion annually over five years, involves conserving biodiversity hotspots and is deemed a cost-effective measure compared to other global expenditures. …

“Nature conservation works, and we’re getting better at it – new study. Two-thirds of conservation actions studied were found to benefit target ecosystems and species.” #Nature #Ecosystems #research #NatureConservation #NatureStudy #biodiversity

Some very good news! Creating protected areas, removing invasive species or restoring habitats may be working better than previously thought. "To work in nature conservation is to battle a headwind of bad news. When the overwhelming picture indicates the natural world is in decline, is there any room for optimism? Well, our new global study has some good news: we provide the strongest evidence to date that nature conservation efforts are not only effective, but that when they do work, they often really work. Trends in nature conservation tend to be measured in terms of “biodiversity” – that is, the variety among living organisms from genes to ecosystems. We treasure biodiversity not only for how it enriches society and culture, but also its underpinning of resilient, functioning ecosystems that are a foundation of the global economy. However, it is well known that global biodiversity is decreasing, and has been for some time. Is anything we are doing to reverse this trend effective? As part of a team of researchers, we conducted the most comprehensive analysis yet of what happened when conservationists intervened in ecosystems. These were interventions of all types, all over the world. We found that conservation action is typically much better than doing nothing at all." Worth the read! #biodiversity #nature #natureconservancy #functioningecosystems #protectedareas #removinginvasivespecies #restoringhabitats #conservation https://lnkd.in/gFriPjR8?

NOT LESS, BUT MORE! What a great way to end this week, with some really positive news 💪🏽. Maybe not such a big surprise for all the people who are working to protect and restore nature - who all know that nature has an incredible power to bounce back if we allow it too! This big new study, published in #Science, assesses whether conservation initiatives result in positive outcomes for biodiversity, which is necessary to guide future efforts. A large group of scientists conducted a global meta-analysis of 186 studies (including 665 trials) that measured biodiversity 🌿 over time and compared outcomes under conservation action with a suitable counterfactual of no action. They found that in two-thirds of cases, conservation either improved the state of biodiversity or at least slowed declines. Specifically, they found that interventions targeted at species 🦫🐝🐸🦩 and ecosystems 🏞️, such as invasive species control, habitat loss reduction and restoration, protected areas, and sustainable management, are highly effective and have large effect sizes. The full study can be read here: https://lnkd.in/gnV_Qpz7 This provides the strongest evidence to date that conservation actions are successful but require transformational scaling up to meet global targets on protecting and restoring nature, and curb the loss of biodiversity. The authors also say: "More large-scale investment in habitat restoration would also help according to this new research. Our study provides evidence that optimism for nature's recovery is not misplaced". At Rewilding Europe, we feel hugely encouraged by these findings which make us even more determined and passionate about our #rewilding work across the continent 🇪🇺. It is also a strong call to European politicians to embrace and support nature recovery by adopting the Nature Restoration Law and member states make headway with developing and implementing national nature restoration plans. So forget about ‘less is more’ - we just need more, much more of it! #NaturePositive #RestoreNature #ScalingUpRewilding #HopeIntoAction #LessTalkingMoreAction #GenerationRestoration #EcosystemRestoration

Funding our own self destruction through subsidies in fossil fuels OR diverting that funding to restore and protect nature, on which our entire world, economy, health and wellbeing depends? Interesting facts below and evidence of the impact of conservation. 💚🌳🙌 Over half of the world’s GDP, almost US$44 trillion (£35 trillion), is moderately or highly dependent on nature. According to previous studies, a comprehensive global conservation programme would require an investment of between US$178 and US$524 billion. By comparison, in 2022 alone, subsidies for the production and use of fossil fuels – which are ultimately destructive to nature as fossil fuel burning is the leading cause of climate change – totalled US$7 trillion globally. That is 13 times the upper estimate of what is needed annually to fund the protection and restoration of biodiversity. Today, just US$121 billion is invested annually in conservation worldwide.

Some interesting research on the potential for passive rewilding in Ireland - for me this underscores the important evolving discourse around this conservation approach. While "rewilding" has gained popularity, it's important to distinguish between informed ecological strategies and the simplistic notion that land abandonment will automatically benefit biodiversity. This study (and many others) shows that rewilding opportunities are more nuanced, requiring thoughtful planning rather than neglect. For all of us who are passionate about biodiversity, it's crucial to recognise that effective rewilding (or restoration) involves active ecological understanding and management, rather than "leaving nature to its own devices". Enthusiasm is valuable, but works best when grounded in evidence and ecological reality. https://lnkd.in/eVGrpKAq

Conservation Imperatives Protecting all areas of remaining natural habitat is important to help mitigate the biodiversity and climate crises impacting the world, along with ongoing efforts to connect natural landscapes and restore degraded land. However, not all areas are equal in their contribution for preventing extinctions of species and a recent study, which I am proud that the World Land Trust has contributed to, highlights that just 1.22% of the Earth's terrestrial surface needs to properly protected to prevent the most likely imminent extinctions and preserve the world's irreplaceable biodiversity. These Conservation Imperative areas are sites containing rare and threatened species, or species with a narrow range, that are not within national parks, community reserves, or other types of protected areas, and whose protection should be prioritised in global efforts to reach a “30x30” target to protect at least 30% of the Earth’s surface by 2030. #worldlandtrust The paper has been published in the journal Frontiers in Science (https://lnkd.in/d-75s3Fp).

🌿 Nature-based Solutions (NbS) like conservation is proving effective, enhancing biodiversity in two-thirds of global cases. 🌏 Restoring habitats and controlling invasive species are crucial actions for combating biodiversity loss and boosting ecosystem resilience. 🐥 💡 Find out more: