Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment

Eppley, Timothy M., Reuter, Kim E., Sefczek, Timothy M., Tinsman, Jen, Santini, Luca, Hoeks, Selwyn, Andriantsaralaza, Seheno, Shanee, Sam, Fiore, Anthony Di, Setchell, Joanna M., Strier, Karen B., Abanyam, Peter A., Mutalib, Aini Hasanah Abd, Abwe, Ekwoge, Ahmed, Tanvir, Ancrenaz, Marc, Andriantsimanarilafy, Raphali R., Ang, Andie, Aureli, Filippo, Barrett, Louise, Beehner, Jacinta C., Benítez, Marcela E., Bezerra, Bruna M., Bicca-Marques, Júlio César, Bikaba, Dominique, Bitariho, Robert, Boesch, Christophe, Bolt, Laura M., Boonratana, Ramesh, Butynski, Thomas M., Canale, Gustavo R., Carvalho, Susana, Chapman, Colin A., Chetry, Dilip, Cheyne, Susan M., Cords, Marina, Cornejo, Fanny M., Cortés-Ortiz, Liliana, Coudrat, Camille N. Z., Crofoot, Margaret C., Cronin, Drew T., Dadjo, Alvine, Dakpogan, S. Chrystelle, Danquah, Emmanuel, Davenport, Tim R. B., de Jong, Yvonne A., de la Torre, Stella, Dempsey, Andrea, Dimalibot, Judeline C., Dolch, Rainer, Donati, Giuseppe, Estrada, Alejandro, Farassi, Rassina A., Fashing, Peter J., Fernandez-Duque, Eduardo, da Silva, Maria J. Ferreira, Fischer, Julia, Flores-Negrón, César F., Fruth, Barbara, Neba, Terence Fuh, Gamalo, Lief Erikson, Ganzhorn, Jörg U., Garber, Paul A., Gnanaolivu, Smitha D., Gonder, Mary Katherine, Bi, Sery Ernest Gonedelé, Goossens, Benoit ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2360-4643, Gordo, Marcelo, Guayasamin, Juan M., Guzmán-Caro, Diana C., Halloran, Andrew R., Hartel, Jessica A., Heymann, Eckhard W., Hill, Russell A., Hockings, Kimberley J., Hohmann, Gottfried, Hon, Naven, Houngbédji, Mariano G., Huffman, Michael A., Ikemeh, Rachel A., Imong, Inaoyom, Irwin, Mitchell T., Izar, Patrícia, Jerusalinsky, Leandro, Kalema?Zikusoka, Gladys, Kaplin, Beth A., Kappeler, Peter M., Kivai, Stanislaus M., Knott, Cheryl D., Kolasartsanee, Intanon, Koops, Kathelijne, Kowalewski, Martin M., Kujirakwinja, Deo, Kumar, Ajith, Le, Quyet K., Lewis, Rebecca J., Lin, Aung Ko, Link, Andrés, Loría, Luz I., Lormie, Menladi M., Louis, Edward E., Lwin, Ngwe, Maisels, Fiona, Malaivijitnond, Suchinda, Marisa, Lesley, McCabe, Gráinne M., McGraw, W. Scott, Mekonnen, Addisu, Méndez-Carvajal, Pedro G., Minhós, Tânia, Montgomery, David M., Morelos-Juárez, Citlalli, Morgan, Bethan J., Morgan, David, Etingüe, Amancio Motove, Ndiaye, Papa Ibnou, Nekaris, K. Anne-Isola, Nguyen, Nga, Nijman, Vincent, Nishuli, Radar, Norconk, Marilyn A., Oklander, Luciana I., Oktaviani, Rahayu, Ostner, Julia, Otali, Emily, Perry, Susan E., Ramos, Eduardo J. Pinel, Porter, Leila M., Pruetz, Jill D., Pusey, Anne E., Queiroz, Helder L., Ramírez, Mónica A., Randriatahina, Guy Hermas, Rasoanaivo, Hoby, Ratsimbazafy, Jonah, Ratsirarson, Joelisoa, Razafindramanana, Josia, Razafindratsima, Onja H., Reynolds, Vernon, Rizaldi, Rizaldi, Robbins, Martha M., Rodríguez, Melissa E., Rosales-Meda, Marleny, Sanz, Crickette M., Sarkar, Dipto, Savage, Anne, Schreier, Amy L., Schülke, Oliver, Segniagbeto, Gabriel H., Serio-Silva, Juan Carlos, Setiawan, Arif, Seyjagat, John, Silva, Felipe E., Sinclair, Elizabeth M., Smith, Rebecca L., Spaan, Denise, Stewart, Fiona A., Strum, Shirley C., Surbeck, Martin, Svensson, Magdalena S., Talebi, Mauricio, Tédonzong, Luc Roscelin, Urbani, Bernardo, Valsecchi, João, Vasey, Natalie, Vogel, Erin R., Wallace, Robert B., Wallis, Janette, Waters, Siân, Wittig, Roman M., Wrangham, Richard W., Wright, Patricia C. and Mittermeier, Russell A. 2024. Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment. Conservation Letters 17 (2) , e13007. 10.1111/conl.13007

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Abstract

Conservation funding is currently limited; cost-effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID-19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Publisher:	Wiley Open Access
ISSN:	1755-263X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	19 March 2024
Date of Acceptance:	6 February 2024
Last Modified:	06 Jun 2024 14:29
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/167356

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