Evaluation of Biodiversity Conservation Strategies for Maintaining Species Richness in Protected Natural Reserves

Abstract

The key mechanism for the conservation of species richness around the world is the creation of natural reserves; however, the management methods used for them greatly differ in terms of design and efficiency. This review will highlight the best biodiversity conservation strategies for maintaining species richness in protected reserves on the global level, based on systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and species-outcome research studies. The evidence suggests that reserves provide less habitat destruction compared to unprotected territories, but the effectiveness of sustaining species populations in them is much more diverse and depends on many factors, including financial support and socioeconomic situation. At the local scale, the results are clear in terms of comparing protected territories with the unprotected ones the former have more species richness and abundance than the latter. The species-outcome research studies on the threatened and endemic species suggest that the advantage of the reserves is especially clear on them.  The broader analysis of conservation measures suggests that what matters in determining the success of conservation strategies is not the designation of areas but rather effective and resourced management, and the global assessment of extinction risks indicates that prioritizing critical areas of endangered species leads to higher conservation gains. This allows us to propose a strategy selection approach where the effectiveness and resourcing of reserve management become more significant than just expanding the area of reserves.