Improved Approaches to Key Biodiversity Management in Efficient Conservation Planning Efforts.

The primary objective of the key biodiversity areas (KBA) approach is to identify significant global areas for species conservation. Although it has been successful in identifying Important Bird Areas using a similar methodology, we have identified five limitations that may be applicable when considering other species: The KBA approach is excessively rigid in determining important conservation features, lacks adaptability in addressing landscape connectivity, introduces errors by applying global criteria without input from local experts, relying on post-analysis consideration of implementation opportunities and limitations, and does not automatically involve implementation agencies in the assessment process. To address these limitations, we propose three modifications to the existing approach: (1) Providing local stakeholders with training in regional conservation planning, (2) expanding the Alliance for Zero Extinction program to encompass a wider range of threatened species, and (3) allowing local stakeholders to nominate KBAs based on their own regional conservation assessments. These modifications would leverage the expertise of proponents of the KBA approach and contribute to the diversity of methods necessary for effective biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]