Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation I: Reserve Planning and Design

This is the first of a two-part series covering protected areas and biodiversity conservation. Part I covers the extensive literature on objectives, design, and planning of protected areas. Currently, a combination of nationally, regionally, and internationally protected areas cover about 12% of the terrestrial surface. The module covers objectives in creating PAs generally (biodiversity conservation), and more specifically (to protect certain taxa, habitats, or ecological processes). There are also other important considerations in designing PAs such as size, shape, and connectivity. Part II looks at the next steps: management and effectiveness of protected areas.