Effectiveness of the Global

Protected Area Network

in Representing Species
Diversity

Helen Meatcher
 What is the Global Area
Protected Network?
 Myer’s influence brought about
international agreement to conserve
certain areas

 Government Agencies came together and

created the IUCN (World Conservation
Union)

 2004 the 1st gap analysis was implemented

 5 Global data sets on distribution of
species and protected areas

 Conservation targets are based on a

uniform system that is inadequate

 Gap analysis identifies inadequacies

in the coverage

 Also existing networks skewed

towards certain ecosystems
 Overall 1424 (12% of all species analysed)
were identified

 Of covered species 1423 were not

represented in any protected area 1000 ha

 Sets of species with smaller median range

sizes tend to have a higher proportion of
gap species
Numbers of Gap Species in the
Current Protected Area Network
and in Randomly Selected
Networks
 Gap Species
 Any species not in a protected area or adjacent to one

 Concentrations in a given region may be explained by

either sparse coverage and/or by a concentration of a
narrowly distributed species

 Across countries % of gap species decreases with %

of area protected

 Also strongly correlated with levels of national

endemism e.g. Madagascar
Percentage of gap species in relation to
endemism levels and percentage of area
protected across biomes and countries
Density Map Of Gap Species per Half Degree
Cell Created by overlaying the ranges of all
Species not covered by any protected area
 Conclusion
 The results of the analysis have implications for global
conservation planning strategies as the percentage area
currently protected in a given country or biome is a very
poor indicator of additional conservation needs

 Global conservation strategies based on the recommended

10% of each country or biome be protected will not be
effective as they do not consider the uneven distribution of
biodiversity across the planet

 Protected areas are not the only tactic available to

conservation planners, but are highly cost effective in
protecting biodiversity