Protected and other conserved areas: ensuring the future of forest biodiversity in a changing climate

Abstract

Biodiversity loss and climate change are two of the greatest environmental challenges of our times and are inextricably interlinked. The most significant drivers of forest and biodiversity loss are habitat loss and fragmentation due to land use changes and overexploitation. These changes will be exacerbated by climate change with increasing land degradation and more conversion of forests to meet increasing demands for agriculture and forest resources. Protected areas are the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation. Currently terrestrial protected areas cover about 15 percent of the world's land surface but this is inadequate to fully represent global biodiversity, with many forest ecosystems poorly represented in protected area networks. Ensuring effective biodiversity conservation post-2020 will require both expansion of formal reserve systems and recognition and support for other effective conservation measures, under a diverse range of governance and management regimes. Expanding forest conservation efforts will not only protect biodiversity but is increasingly recognised as an efficient and cost-effective strategy to help societies to cope with climate change and its impacts.