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An increasing number of applied disciplines are utilizing evidence-based frameworks to review and disseminate the effectiveness of management and policy interventions. The rationale is that increased accessibility of the best available evidence will provide a more efficient and less biased platform for decision making. We argue that there are significant benefits for conservation in using such a framework, but the scientific community needs to undertake and disseminate more systematic reviews before the full benefit can be realized. We devised a set of guidelines for undertaking formalized systematic review, based on a health services model. The guideline stages include planning and conducting a review, including protocol formation, search strategy, data inclusion, data extraction, and analysis. Review dissemination is addressed in terms of current developments and future plans for a Web-based open-access library. By the use of case studies we highlight critical modifications to guidelines for protocol formulation, data-quality assessment, data extraction, and data synthesis for conservation and environmental management. Ecological data presented significant but soluble challenges for the systematic review process, particularly in terms of the quantity, accessibility, and diverse quality of available data. In the field of conservation and environmental management there needs to be further engagement of scientists and practitioners to develop and take ownership of an evidence-based framework.

Coastal and ocean planning comprises a broad field of practice. The goals, political processes, and approaches applied to planning initiatives may vary widely. However, all planning processes ultimately require adequate information on both the biophysical and social attributes of a planning region. In coastal and ocean planning practice, there are well‐established methods to assess biophysical attributes; however, less is understood about the role and assessment of social data. We conducted the first global assessment of the incorporation of social data in coastal and ocean planning. We drew on a comprehensive review of planning initiatives and a survey of coastal and ocean practitioners. There was significantly more incorporation of social data in multiuse versus conservation‐oriented planning. Practitioners engaged a wide range of social data, including governance, economic, and cultural attributes of planning regions and human impacts data. Less attention was given to ecosystem services and social–ecological linkages, both of which could improve coastal and ocean planning practice. Although practitioners recognize the value of social data, little funding is devoted to its collection and incorporation in plans. Increased capacity and sophistication in acquiring critical social and ecological data for planning is necessary to develop plans for more resilient coastal and ocean ecosystems and communities. We suggest that improving social data monitoring, and in particular spatial social data, to complement biophysical data, is necessary for providing holistic information for decision‐support tools and other methods. Moving beyond people as impacts to people as beneficiaries, through ecosystem services assessments, holds much potential to better incorporate the tenets of ecosystem‐based management into coastal and ocean planning by providing targets for linked biodiversity conservation and human welfare outcomes. La Práctica Actual y los Prospectos Futuros para los Datos Sociales en la Planeación Costera y Oceánica

Biodiversity surrogates and indicators are commonly used in conservation management. The focal species approach (FSA) is one method for identifying biodiversity surrogates, and it is underpinned by the hypothesis that management aimed at a particular focal species will confer protection on co‐occurring species. This concept has been the subject of much debate, in part because the validity of the FSA has not been subject to detailed empirical assessment of the extent to which a given focal species actually co‐occurs with other species in an assemblage. To address this knowledge gap, we used large‐scale, long‐term data sets of temperate woodland birds to select focal species associated with threatening processes such as habitat isolation and loss of key vegetation attributes. We quantified co‐occurrence patterns among focal species, species in the wider bird assemblage, and species of conservation concern. Some, but not all, focal species were associated with high levels of species richness. One of our selected focal species was negatively associated with the occurrence of other species (i.e., it was an antisurrogate)—a previously undescribed property of nominated focal species. Furthermore, combinations of focal species were not associated with substantially elevated levels of bird species richness, relative to levels associated with individual species. Our results suggest that although there is some merit to the underpinning concept of the FSA, there is also a need to ensure that actions are sufficiently flexible because management tightly focused on a given focal species may not benefit some other species, including species of conservation concern, such of which might not occur in species‐rich assemblages.

The need to adapt to climate change has become increasingly apparent, and many believe the practice of biodiversity conservation will need to alter to face this challenge. Conservation organizations are eager to determine how they should adapt their practices to climate change. This involves asking the fundamental question of what adaptation to climate change means. Most studies on climate change and conservation, if they consider adaptation at all, assume it is equivalent to the ability of species to adapt naturally to climate change as stated in Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Adaptation, however, can refer to an array of activities that range from natural adaptation, at one end of the spectrum, to sustainability science in coupled human and natural systems at the other. Most conservation organizations deal with complex systems in which adaptation to climate change involves making decisions on priorities for biodiversity conservation in the face of dynamic risks and involving the public in these decisions. Discursive methods such as analytic deliberation are useful for integrating scientific knowledge with public perceptions and values, particularly when large uncertainties and risks are involved. The use of scenarios in conservation planning is a useful way to build shared understanding at the science-policy interface. Similarly, boundary organizations--organizations or institutions that bridge different scales or mediate the relationship between science and policy--could prove useful for managing the transdisciplinary nature of adaptation to climate change, providing communication and brokerage services and helping to build adaptive capacity. The fact that some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are active across the areas of science, policy, and practice makes them well placed to fulfill this role in integrated assessments of biodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change.

Systematic conservation assessment (an information-gathering and prioritization process used to select the spatial foci of conservation initiatives) is often considered vital to conservation-planning efforts, yet published assessments have rarely resulted in conservation action. Conservation assessments may lead more directly to effective conservation action if they are reoriented to inform conservation decisions. Toward this goal, we evaluated the relative priority for conservation of 7 sites proposed for the first forest reserves in the Union of the Comoros, an area with high levels of endemism and rapidly changing land uses in the western Indian Ocean. Through the analysis of 30 indicator variables measured at forest sites and nearby villages, we assessed 3 prioritization criteria at each site: conservation value, threat to loss of biological diversity from human activity, and feasibility of reserve establishment. Our results indicated 2 sites, Yiméré and Hassera-Ndrengé, were priorities for conservation action. Our approach also informed the development of an implementation strategy and enabled an evaluation of previously unexplored relations among prioritization criteria. Our experience suggests that steps taken to ensure the closer involvement of practitioners, include a broader range of social data, encourage stakeholder participation, and consider the feasibility of conservation action can improve the relevance of assessments for conservation planning, strengthen the scientific basis for conservation decisions, and result in a more realistic evaluation of conservation alternatives. La evaluación sistemática de la conservación (proceso de recopilación y priorización utilizado para seleccionar foci espaciales de iniciativas de conservación) a menudo es considerada vital para los esfuerzos de planificación de la conservación, sin embargo las evaluaciones publicadas raramente han resultado en acciones de conservación. Las evaluaciones de conservación pueden conducir más directamente a acciones efectivas de conservación si son reorientadas para informar a la toma de decisiones de conservación. Hacia esta meta, evaluamos la prioridad relativa de conservación de 7 sitios propuestos para las primeras reservas forestales la Unión de las Comoros, un área con altos niveles de endemismo y con cambios rápidos en el uso de suelo en el Océano Índico occidental. Mediante el análisis de 30 variables indicadoras medidas en sitios forestales y aldeas cercanas, evaluamos 3 criterios de priorización en cada sitio: valor de conservación, amenaza de pérdida de diversidad biológica por actividad humana y la factibilidad del establecimiento de reservas. Nuestros resultados indicaron que 2 sitios, Yiméré y Hassera-Ndrengé, eran prioritarios para acciones de conservación. Nuestro método también informó el desarrollo de una estrategia para la implementación y permitió la evaluación de relaciones entre los criterios de priorización no exploradas previamente. Nuestra experiencia sugiere que los pasos tomados para asegurar un mayor involucramiento de los practicantes, incluir un rango más amplio de datos sociales, estimular la participación de los sectores interesados y considerar la factibilidad de acciones de conservación pueden mejorar la relevancia de las evaluaciones para la planificación de la conservación, reforzar las bases científicas de las decisiones de conservación y resultar en alternativas más realistas para evaluar alternativas de conservación.

Researchers dealing with conservation subjects usually do not put the results of their work into practice, even when the primary purpose of their research is the preservation of biodiversity. In the South American temperate forests we identified an area with the highest genetic diversity in Argentina of Nothofagus nervosa, one of the most relevant southern beech species. Based on the information of our scientific study and our recommendations, the authorities of Lanin National Park changed the protection status of this area to avoid logging. The new forestry management plans include consideration of \"high genetic diversity\" in decisions on where logging will be allowed. Results of our initial genetic study induced the analysis of biodiversity at the species and ecosystems levels, which yielded results similar to our genetic studies. A strong connection among researchers and managers from the onset of our study and the awareness of the former about the importance of the implementation of the research work were key to bridging the gap between conservation research and conservation practice.

Systematic conservation planning is intended to inform spatially explicit decision making. Doing so requires that it be integrated into complex regulatory and governance processes, and there are limited instances where this has been achieved effectively. South Africa is a global leader in the application of conservation plans, the outputs of which are widely used for spatial planning and decision making in many spheres of government. We aimed to determine how conservation planning in the country progressed from theory to implementation, and to identify practical actions that enabled this transition, by assessing temporal trends in the characteristics of conservation plans (1990–2017, n = 94). Since 2010 conservation planning has entered an operational period characterized by government leadership of plans, administrative rather than ecological planning domains, decreasing size of planning units, increasing emphasis on end-user products, and scheduled revision of plans. Key actions that enabled this progression include transitioning leadership of plans from scientists to practitioners, building capacity within implementing agencies, creating opportunities to integrate plans in legislative processes, establishing a strong community of practice, adopting implementation-focused methods, and balancing standardization with innovation. Learning from this model will allow other countries, particularly those with a similar megadiverse, developing context, to operationalize conservation planning into spatial planning and decision making. La intención de la planeación sistemática de la conservación es informar la toma de decisiones espacialmente explícitas. Para lograr esto se requiere la integración de la planeación sistemática dentro de los complejos procesos regulatorios y de gobernanza. Actualmente existen instancias limitadas en las que lo anterior se ha conseguido de manera efectiva. Sudáfrica es un líder mundial en la aplicación de planes de conservación, cuyos resultados se utilizan ampliamente para la planeación espacial y la toma de decisiones en muchas esferas del gobierno. Buscamos determinar cómo la planeación de la conservación ha progresado en este país desde la teoría hasta la implementación e identificar las acciones prácticas que permitieron esta transición, esto mediante la evaluación de tendencias temporales en las características de los planes de conservación (1990-2017, n = 94). Desde 2010 la planeación de la conservación ha entrado en un periodo operativo caracterizado por el liderazgo gubernamental de los planes, dominios administrativos en lugar de dominios ecológicos, la reducción del tamaño de las unidades de planeación, el incremento del énfasis sobre los productos de usuario final y una revisión programada de los planes. Las acciones clave que permitieron esta progresión incluyen la transición del liderazgo de los planes de los científicos hacia los practicantes, el desarrollo de capacidades dentro de las agencias implementadoras, la creación de oportunidades para integrar los planes dentro de los procesos legislativos, el establecimiento de una comunidad de práctica fuerte, la adopción de métodos enfocados en la implementación y el balance entre la estandarización y la innovación. El aprendizaje que proporciona este modelo permitirá que otros países, particularmente aquellos con un contexto similar en cuanto al desarrollo y a la megadviversidad, conduzcan la planeación de la conservación hacia la planeación y la toma de decisiones espacialmente explícitas.

The search for generalities in ecology has often been thwarted by contingency and ecological complexity that limit the development of predictive rules. We present a set of concepts that we believe succinctly expresses some of the fundamental ideas in conservation biology. (1) Successful conservation management requires explicit goals and objectives. (2) The overall goal of biodiversity management will usually be to maintain or restore biodiversity, not to maximize species richness. (3) A holistic approach is needed to solve conservation problems. (4) Diverse approaches to management can provide diverse environmental conditions and mitigate risk. (5) Using nature's template is important for guiding conservation management, but it is not a panacea. (6) Focusing on causes not symptoms enhances efficacy and efficiency of conservation actions. (7) Every species and ecosystem is unique, to some degree. (8) Threshold responses are important but not ubiquitous. (9) Multiple stressors often exert critical effects on species and ecosystems. (10) Human values are variable and dynamic and significantly shape conservation efforts. We believe most conservation biologists will broadly agree these concepts are important. That said, an important part of the maturation of conservation biology as a discipline is constructive debate about additional or alternative concepts to those we have proposed here. Therefore, we have established a web‐based, online process for further discussion of the concepts outlined in this paper and developing additional ones.

The lack of cover is one of the main accelerators of soil degradation. Without protection and exposed to rainfall, the soil breaks the particles, causing surface sealing, making infiltration difficult. This study characterizes surface sealing and hydraulic erosion in Ultisols of the Alto Ipanema Basin. Eight erosion plots were established under the treatments: bare soil and soil with Brachiaria decumbens mulch. Three rain events were simulated at 24-hour intervals, with an intensity of 54.63 mmh-1. After each simulation, the surface micromorphology and the amount of soil lost were investigated. The use of mulch reduced runoff by 42% and the loss of soil and the rate of disaggregation was reduced by 70% on average. Infiltration was increased by 242%. Mulch was effective in preserving soil porosity and microstructure for the first simulated rainfall event (0 h), but was not observed in the second (24 h) and third (48 h) rainfall events. La falta de cobertura es uno de los principales aceleradores de la degradación del suelo. Sin protección y expuesto a la lluvia, el suelo rompe las partículas, provocando el sellado de la superficie, dificultando la infiltración. Este estudio caracteriza el sellado superficial y la erosión hidráulica en Ultisoles de la Cuenca del Alto Ipanema. Se establecieron ocho parcelas de erosión bajo los tratamientos: suelo desnudo y suelo con mantillo de Brachiaria decumbens. Se simularon tres eventos de lluvia a intervalos de 24 horas, con una intensidad de 54,63 mmh-1. Después de cada simulación, se investigó la micromorfología de la superficie y la cantidad de suelo perdido. El uso de mantillo redujo la escorrentía en un 42% y la pérdida de suelo y la tasa de desagregación se redujo en un 70% en promedio. La infiltración se incrementó en un 242%. El mantillo fue eficaz para preservar la porosidad y la microestructura del suelo para el primer evento de lluvia simulado (0 h), pero no se observó en el segundo (24 h) y tercero (48 h) eventos de lluvia.

Natural resource managers are seeking tools to help them address current and future effects of climate change. We present a model for collaborative planning aimed at identifying ways to adapt management actions to address the effects of climate change in landscapes that cross public and private jurisdictional boundaries. The Southwest Climate Change Initiative (SWCCI) piloted the Adaptation for Conservation Targets (ACT) planning approach at workshops in 4 southwestern U.S. landscapes. This planning approach successfully increased participants' self-reported capacity to address climate change by providing them with a better understanding of potential effects and guiding the identification of solutions. The workshops fostered cross-jurisdictional and multidisciplinary dialogue on climate change through active participation of scientists and managers in assessing climate change effects, discussing the implications of those effects for determining management goals and activities, and cultivating opportunities for regional coordination on adaptation of management plans. Facilitated application of the ACT framework advanced group discussions beyond assessing effects to devising options to mitigate the effects of climate change on specific species, ecological functions, and ecosystems. Participants addressed uncertainty about future conditions by considering more than one climate-change scenario. They outlined opportunities and identified next steps for implementing several actions, and local partnerships have begun implementing actions and conducting additional planning. Continued investment in adaptation of management plans and actions to address the effects of climate change in the southwestern United States and extension of the approaches used in this project to additional landscapes are needed if biological diversity and ecosystem services are to be maintained in a rapidly changing world. Los manejadores de recursos naturales están buscando herramientas para ayudarles a atender los efectos actuales y futuros del cambio climático. Presentamos un modelo para la planificación colaborativa enfocada a identificar formas para adaptar las acciones de manejo para atender los efectos del cambio climático en paisajes que cruzan límites jurisdiccionales públicos y privados. La Iniciativa Sudoccidental de Cambio Climático (ISCC) puso a prueba el método de planificación de Adaptación para Metas de Conservación (AMC) en talleres en cuatro paisajes del suroeste de E. U. A. Este método de planificación incrementó exitosamente la capacidad de los participantes para atender el cambio climático al proporcionarles un mejor entendimiento de los efectos potenciales y guiar la identificación de soluciones. Los talleres promovieron el diálogo trans-jurisdiccional y multidisciplinario sobre cambio climático mediante la participación activa de científicos y manejadores en la evaluación de efectos del cambio climático, la discusión de implicaciones de esos efectos para determinar las metas y actividades de manejo y desarrollar oportunidades para la coordinación regional de la adaptación de planes de manejo. La aplicación simplificada del marco AMC llevó las discusiones de grupo más allá de la evaluación de los efectos a la concepción de opciones para mitigar los efectos del cambio climático sobres determinadas especies, funciones ecológicas y ecosistemas. Los participantes abordaron la incertidumbre de las condiciones futuras al considerar más de un escenario de cambio climático. Delinearon oportunidades e identificaron los siguientes pasos para la implementación de varias acciones, y asociaciones locales han comenzado a implementar acciones y realizar planificación adicional. Se requiere inversión continua en la adaptación de planes y acciones de manejo para atender los efectos del cambio climático en el suroeste de Estados Unidos y la extensión de los métodos utilizados en este proyecto en paisajes adicionales si se quiere mantener la diversidad biológica y los servicios de los ecosistemas en un mundo que cambia rápidamente.