Premium
Finding middle ground: Extending conservation beyond wilderness areas
Author(s) -
Kennedy Christina M.,
Oakleaf James R.,
BaruchMordo Sharon,
Theobald David M.,
Kiesecker Joseph
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/gcb.14900
Subject(s) - wilderness , environmental resource management , geography , wilderness area , ecosystem , environmental planning , environmental ethics , environmental science , ecology , philosophy , biology
We show that because of methodological improvements, the human modification map detects higher levels of land modification and is more accurate than the human footprint map across the gradient of modification globally. While we agree that protecting the world's least modified lands or wildlands is essential for conservation, we assert that extending conservation actions to better “manage the middle” are urgently needed to ensure healthy functioning ecosystems for people and nature.This article is a commentary on Kennedy et al., 25, 811–826; See also the Commentary on this article by Venter et al., 26, 330–332.