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PMID: 22832582 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Averting biodiversity collapse in tropical forest protected areas.

Nature ·Vol. 489 ·No. 7415 ·2012-09-13 ·Pages 290-4

Laurance WF, Useche DC, Rendeiro J, Kalka M, Bradshaw CJ, Sloan SP, Laurance SG, Campbell M, Abernethy K, Alvarez P, Arroyo-Rodriguez V, Ashton P, Benítez-Malvido J, Blom A, Bobo KS, Cannon CH, Cao M, Carroll R, Chapman C, Coates R, Cords M, Danielsen F, De Dijn B, Dinerstein E, Donnelly MA, Edwards D, Edwards F, Farwig N, Fashing P, Forget PM, Foster M, Gale G, Harris D, Harrison R, Hart J, Karpanty S, Kress WJ, Krishnaswamy J, Logsdon W, Lovett J, Magnusson W, Maisels F, Marshall AR, McClearn D, Mudappa D, Nielsen MR, Pearson R, Pitman N, van der Ploeg J, Plumptre A, Poulsen J, Quesada M, Rainey H, Robinson D, Roetgers C, Rovero F, Scatena F, Schulze C, Sheil D, Struhsaker T, Terborgh J, Thomas D, Timm R, Urbina-Cardona JN, Vasudevan K, Wright SJ, Arias-G JC, Arroyo L, Ashton M, Auzel P, Babaasa D, Babweteera F, Baker P, Banki O, Bass M, Bila-Isia I, Blake S, Brockelman W, Brokaw N, Brühl CA, Bunyavejchewin S, Chao JT, Chave J, Chellam R, Clark CJ, Clavijo J, Congdon R, Corlett R, Dattaraja HS, Dave C, Davies G, Beisiegel Bde M, da Silva Rde N, Di Fiore A, Diesmos A, Dirzo R, Doran-Sheehy D, Eaton M, Emmons L, Estrada A, Ewango C, Fedigan L, Feer F, Fruth B, Willis JG, Goodale U, Goodman S, Guix JC, Guthiga P, Haber W, Hamer K, Herbinger I, Hill J, Huang Z, Sun IF, Ickes K, Itoh A, Ivanauskas N, Jackes B, Janovec J, Janzen D, Jiangming M, Jin C, Jones T, Justiniano H, Kalko E, Kasangaki A, Killeen T, King HB, Klop E, Knott C, Koné I, Kudavidanage E, Ribeiro JL, Lattke J, Laval R, Lawton R, Leal M, Leighton M, Lentino M, Leonel C, Lindsell J, Ling-Ling L, Linsenmair KE, Losos E, Lugo A, Lwanga J, Mack AL, Martins M, McGraw WS, McNab R, Montag L, Thompson JM, Nabe-Nielsen J, Nakagawa M, Nepal S, Norconk M, Novotny V, O'Donnell S, Opiang M, Ouboter P, Parker K, Parthasarathy N, Pisciotta K, Prawiradilaga D, Pringle C, Rajathurai S, Reichard U, Reinartz G, Renton K, Reynolds G, Reynolds V, Riley E, Rödel MO, Rothman J, Round P, Sakai S, Sanaiotti T, Savini T, Schaab G, Seidensticker J, Siaka A, Silman MR, Smith TB, de Almeida SS, Sodhi N, Stanford C, Stewart K, Stokes E, Stoner KE, Sukumar R, Surbeck M, Tobler M, Tscharntke T, Turkalo A, Umapathy G, van Weerd M, Rivera JV, Venkataraman M, Venn L, Verea C, de Castilho CV, Waltert M, Wang B, Watts D, Weber W, West P, Whitacre D, Whitney K, Wilkie D, Williams S, Wright DD, Wright P, Xiankai L, Yonzon P, Zamzani F

Abstract

The rapid disruption of tropical forests probably imperils global biodiversity more than any other contemporary phenomenon. With deforestation advancing quickly, protected areas are increasingly becoming final refuges for threatened species and natural ecosystem processes. However, many protected areas in the tropics are themselves vulnerable to human encroachment and other environmental stresses. As pressures mount, it is vital to know whether existing reserves can sustain their biodiversity. A critical constraint in addressing this question has been that data describing a broad array of biodiversity groups have been unavailable for a sufficiently large and representative sample of reserves. Here we present a uniquely comprehensive data set on changes over the past 20 to 30 years in 31 functional groups of species and 21 potential drivers of environmental change, for 60 protected areas stratified across the world’s major tropical regions. Our analysis reveals great variation in reserve ‘health’: about half of all reserves have been effective or performed passably, but the rest are experiencing an erosion of biodiversity that is often alarmingly widespread taxonomically and functionally. Habitat disruption, hunting and forest-product exploitation were the strongest predictors of declining reserve health. Crucially, environmental changes immediately outside reserves seemed nearly as important as those inside in determining their ecological fate, with changes inside reserves strongly mirroring those occurring around them. These findings suggest that tropical protected areas are often intimately linked ecologically to their surrounding habitats, and that a failure to stem broad-scale loss and degradation of such habitats could sharply increase the likelihood of serious biodiversity declines.

MeSH Terms
Agriculture/statistics & numerical data Animals Biodiversity Conservation of Natural Resources/statistics & numerical data Data Collection Ecology/statistics & numerical data Endangered Species/statistics & numerical data Environmental Pollution/adverse effects,statistics & numerical data Fires/statistics & numerical data Forestry/statistics & numerical data Interviews as Topic Mining/statistics & numerical data Population Growth Rain Reproducibility of Results Research Personnel Surveys and Questionnaires Temperature Trees/physiology Tropical Climate
Authors & Affiliations
216 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Laurance William F
Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland 4878, Australia. bill.laurance@jcu.edu.au
Useche D Carolina
Rendeiro Julio
Kalka Margareta
Bradshaw Corey J A
Sloan Sean P
Laurance Susan G
Campbell Mason
Abernethy Kate
Alvarez Patricia
Arroyo-Rodriguez Victor
Ashton Peter
Benítez-Malvido Julieta
Blom Allard
Bobo Kadiri S
Cannon Charles H
Cao Min
Carroll Richard
Chapman Colin
Coates Rosamond
Cords Marina
Danielsen Finn
De Dijn Bart
Dinerstein Eric
Donnelly Maureen A
Edwards David
Edwards Felicity
Farwig Nina
Fashing Peter
Forget Pierre-Michel
Foster Mercedes
Gale George
Harris David
Harrison Rhett
Hart John
Karpanty Sarah
Kress W John
Krishnaswamy Jagdish
Logsdon Willis
Lovett Jon
Magnusson William
Maisels Fiona
Marshall Andrew R
McClearn Deedra
Mudappa Divya
Nielsen Martin R
Pearson Richard
Pitman Nigel
van der Ploeg Jan
Plumptre Andrew
Poulsen John
Quesada Mauricio
Rainey Hugo
Robinson Douglas
Roetgers Christiane
Rovero Francesco
Scatena Frederick
Schulze Christian
Sheil Douglas
Struhsaker Thomas
Terborgh John
Thomas Duncan
Timm Robert
Urbina-Cardona J Nicolas
Vasudevan Karthikeyan
Wright S Joseph
Arias-G Juan Carlos
Arroyo Luzmila
Ashton Mark
Auzel Philippe
Babaasa Dennis
Babweteera Fred
Baker Patrick
Banki Olaf
Bass Margot
Bila-Isia Inogwabini
Blake Stephen
Brockelman Warren
Brokaw Nicholas
Brühl Carsten A
Bunyavejchewin Sarayudh
Chao Jung-Tai
Chave Jerome
Chellam Ravi
Clark Connie J
Clavijo José
Congdon Robert
Corlett Richard
Dattaraja H S
Dave Chittaranjan
Davies Glyn
Beisiegel Beatriz de Mello
da Silva Rosa de Nazaré Paes
Di Fiore Anthony
Diesmos Arvin
Dirzo Rodolfo
Doran-Sheehy Diane
Eaton Mitchell
Emmons Louise
Estrada Alejandro
Ewango Corneille
Fedigan Linda
Feer François
Fruth Barbara
Willis Jacalyn Giacalone
Goodale Uromi
Goodman Steven
Guix Juan C
Guthiga Paul
Haber William
Hamer Keith
Herbinger Ilka
Hill Jane
Huang Zhongliang
Sun I Fang
Ickes Kalan
Itoh Akira
Ivanauskas Natália
Jackes Betsy
Janovec John
Janzen Daniel
Jiangming Mo
Jin Chen
Jones Trevor
Justiniano Hermes
Kalko Elisabeth
Kasangaki Aventino
Killeen Timothy
King Hen-biau
Klop Erik
Knott Cheryl
Koné Inza
Kudavidanage Enoka
Ribeiro José Lahoz da Silva
Lattke John
Laval Richard
Lawton Robert
Leal Miguel
Leighton Mark
Lentino Miguel
Leonel Cristiane
Lindsell Jeremy
Ling-Ling Lee
Linsenmair K Eduard
Losos Elizabeth
Lugo Ariel
Lwanga Jeremiah
Mack Andrew L
Martins Marlucia
McGraw W Scott
McNab Roan
Montag Luciano
Thompson Jo Myers
Nabe-Nielsen Jacob
Nakagawa Michiko
Nepal Sanjay
Norconk Marilyn
Novotny Vojtech
O'Donnell Sean
Opiang Muse
Ouboter Paul
Parker Kenneth
Parthasarathy N
Pisciotta Kátia
Prawiradilaga Dewi
Pringle Catherine
Rajathurai Subaraj
Reichard Ulrich
Reinartz Gay
Renton Katherine
Reynolds Glen
Reynolds Vernon
Riley Erin
Rödel Mark-Oliver
Rothman Jessica
Round Philip
Sakai Shoko
Sanaiotti Tania
Savini Tommaso
Schaab Gertrud
Seidensticker John
Siaka Alhaji
Silman Miles R
Smith Thomas B
de Almeida Samuel Soares
Sodhi Navjot
Stanford Craig
Stewart Kristine
Stokes Emma
Stoner Kathryn E
Sukumar Raman
Surbeck Martin
Tobler Mathias
Tscharntke Teja
Turkalo Andrea
Umapathy Govindaswamy
van Weerd Merlijn
Rivera Jorge Vega
Venkataraman Meena
Venn Linda
Verea Carlos
de Castilho Carolina Volkmer
Waltert Matthias
Wang Benjamin
Watts David
Weber William
West Paige
Whitacre David
Whitney Ken
Wilkie David
Williams Stephen
Wright Debra D
Wright Patricia
Xiankai Lu
Yonzon Pralad
Zamzani Franky
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Article Info
Journal
Nature
Abbr.
Nature
ISSN
1476-4687
Published
2012-09-13
Pages
290-4
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
0410462
Subset
IM
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