22
July 2008
Site conservation is one of the
most effective means to reduce
global diversity loss. Identifying and
prioritizing sites where biodiversity
must be conserved immediately, is
a basic and necessary step to focus
resources to revert the declining
trends.
Marine protected areas (MPAs)
figure prominently in marine
conservation work. MPAs are often
proxies that ultimately aim to
safeguard species by protecting
their habitats.
Evolving Processes
in Developing Site
Conservation Targets
By Miledel Christine C. Quibilan, Ruth Grace R. Ambal and Sheila G. Vergara
Conservation International-Philippines
How can networks of globally important biodiversity sites be safeguarded?
1
Defi nitions of key terms used in the steps:
Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) – “sites of global signifi cance for biodiversity conservation.
They are identifi ed using globally standard criteria and thresholds, based on the needs
of biodiversity requiring safeguards at the site scale. These criteria are based on the
framework of vulnerability and irreplaceability widely used in systematic conservation
planning” (Langhammer, et al., 2007).
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – is the most widely accepted standard for information
on extinction risk and conservation status of species (More information at www.iucnredlist.
org).
Global Marine Species Assessment – is a project that aims to conduct the fi rst global
review of the risk of extinction for every marine vertebrate species, plants and selected
invertebrates—approximately 20,000 marine species—using the IUCN Red List Categories
and Criteria.
Vagrant – “a taxon that is currently found only very occasionally within the boundaries of a
region, a region that would therefore only have a very small share of the global population”
(Gärdenfors, et al., 2001).
MPAs are defined by the
International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
as “any area of the intertidal or
subtidal terrain together with its
overlying water and associated
flora, fauna, historical and cultural
features, which has been reserved
by law or other effective means to
protect part or all of the enclosed
environment.”
In order to identify relevant sites for
conservation, a process similar to
the steps outlined below
1
(CI, 2008)
is followed:
1. Compilation of a list of species
that could potentially trigger
Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)
within the region. This list
includes: (a) species that are
currently recognized on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species as globally threatened;
(b) species that possess highly
restricted ranges; (c) species
that congregate in high
densities; and (d) species that
qualify using IUCN criteria as
globally threatened but have
not yet been assessed for listing;
2. Compilation of existing data on
population sizes of species that
could potentially trigger KBAs,
and mapping of the localities at
which they occur;
3. In consultation with the Global
Marine Species Assessment,
initiation of the IUCN Red
List process for species that
qualify using Red List criteria as
globally threatened but have
not yet been assessed for listing;
4. Identification of vagrant
23
Tropical Coasts
threatened species that should
be excluded from the KBA
process;
5. Application of thresholds to
populations of each trigger
species to identify KBA sites;
6. As resources allow, undertaking
directed surveys of candidate
KBAs where trigger species
are suspected to occur or
population size is unknown;
7. Delineation of KBA boundaries by
overlaying locations of non-vagrant
threatened species and populations
of other species that could
trigger KBAs with available maps
describing management units;
8. As resources allow,
identification and taking
appropriate actions to safeguard
KBAs and populations of trigger
species within KBAs; and
9. Documentation of data used
and all steps undertaken
during the KBA identification
and delineation processes.
Information is then published.
The following sections describe the
processes involved in the identifi cation
and prioritization of site conservation
targets at the ecoregion/seascape
scale and how it was refi ned at the
national level (i.e., Philippines) using
the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA)
approach.
Sulu-Sulawesi Marine
Ecoregion Priority-
setting
The identification of priority
conservation areas (PCAs) in the
Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion
followed a process similar to that
previously described, but identified
a set of groups of species (taxa) or
habitats, which are representative
of the range of biological diversity
in the Ecoregion: i.e., mangroves
and estuaries; marine plants;
coral reefs; demersal fishes and
invertebrates; pelagic fishes; and
charismatic species such as marine
mammals. The process used
locations of groups of species or
habitats, which experts deemed
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