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Ten‐year assessment of the 100 priority questions for global biodiversity conservation
Author(s) -
Jucker Tommaso,
Wintle Bonnie,
Shackelford Gorm,
Bocquillon Pierre,
Geffert Jan Laurens,
Kasoar Tim,
Kovacs Eszter,
Mumby Hannah S.,
Orland Chloé,
Schleicher Judith,
Tew Eleanor R.,
Zabala Aiora,
Amano Tatsuya,
Bell Alexandra,
Bongalov Boris,
Chambers Josephine M.,
Corrigan Colleen,
Durán América P.,
DuvicPaoli LeslieAnne,
Emilson Caroline,
Emilson Erik J.S.,
da Silva Jéssica Fonseca,
Garnett Emma E.,
Green Elizabeth J.,
Guth Miriam K.,
HacketPain Andrew,
Hinsley Amy,
Igea Javier,
Kunz Martina,
Luke Sarah H.,
Lynam William,
Martin Philip A.,
Nunes Matheus H.,
Ockendon Nancy,
Pavitt Aly,
Payne Charlotte L.R.,
Plutshack Victoria,
Rademacher Tim T.,
Robertson Rebecca J.,
Rose David C.,
Serban Anca,
Simmons Benno I.,
Tayleur Catherine,
Wordley Claire F.R.,
Mukherjee Nibedita
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/cobi.13159
Subject(s) - biodiversity conservation , relevance (law) , biodiversity , conservation science , environmental resource management , set (abstract data type) , nature conservation , geography , environmental planning , political science , ecology , computer science , environmental science , biology , law , programming language
Abstract In 2008, a group of conservation scientists compiled a list of 100 priority questions for the conservation of the world's biodiversity. However, now almost a decade later, no one has yet published a study gauging how much progress has been made in addressing these 100 high‐priority questions in the peer‐reviewed literature. We took a first step toward reexamining the 100 questions to identify key knowledge gaps that remain. Through a combination of a questionnaire and a literature review, we evaluated each question on the basis of 2 criteria: relevance and effort. We defined highly relevant questions as those that – if answered – would have the greatest impact on global biodiversity conservation and quantified effort based on the number of review publications addressing a particular question, which we used as a proxy for research effort. Using this approach, we identified a set of questions that, despite being perceived as highly relevant, have been the focus of relatively few review publications over the past 10 years. These questions covered a broad range of topics but predominantly tackled 3 major themes: conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems, role of societal structures in shaping interactions between people and the environment, and impacts of conservation interventions. We believe these questions represent important knowledge gaps that have received insufficient attention and may need to be prioritized in future research.