The effectiveness of UK protected areas in preventing local extinctions

Protected areas (PAs) are a core component in global efforts to prevent further declines in biodiversity. We examine whether the United Kingdom's PA portfolio has reduced local extinctions of breeding birds and consider how the characteristics of different PA designations may have affected conservation outcomes. We use breeding bird atlas data to calculate the proportion of species in each 10 x 10-km grid cell confirmed as breeding in 1988-1991 but not in 2008-2011. We find that the protection offered by PAs is little to no different from that of the wider landscape and, depending on the type of PA, attribute this to PAs being either too small or not managed for biodiversity outcomes. To meet the ambitious new global targets for expanding PA coverage set at the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference, all countries need to monitor and ensure PA effectiveness; high PA coverage does not guarantee that biodiversity is protected.

Automated summary

Protected areas (PAs) are essential for global biodiversity conservation. This study examines the impact of the United Kingdom's PA portfolio on local extinctions of breeding birds and considers the influence of different PA designations on conservation outcomes. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of PAs is similar to that of the wider landscape, indicating that PAs may be too small or not adequately managed for biodiversity outcomes. To achieve the ambitious global targets for expanding PA coverage, countries need to monitor and ensure the effectiveness of PAs.