About this Research Topic

Background

As the world faces a biodiversity crisis, the protection of important natural areas and areas that are priorities for ecological restoration is becoming increasingly important. Global biodiversity targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity are proposing the protection of 30% of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Privately protected areas are often under-recognized, despite their significant contributions to biodiversity conservation. These areas, which meet the IUCN definition of a protected area and are under private governance, are highly diverse and involve a wide range of people and organizations. This includes governance by individuals and groups of individuals; non-governmental organizations; corporations; for-profit owners such as ecotourism companies; research entities such as universities and field stations; or religious entities. As a result, they experience a set of challenges and opportunities that are often distinct from those faced by government protected areas.

Despite the proven importance of privately protected areas in many regions, these mechanisms have received less research attention than other forms of protected areas. The goal of this Research Topic is to increase the knowledge of aspects of privately protected area networks or programs at regional or national scales to ensure more effective establishment, management, financing and protection. This is important not only for existing networks and programs but to inform future growth in these networks.

We are particularly interested in manuscripts that significantly advance our understanding of PPAs at a system-wide scale. Key topics include (but are not limited to) the following:
1) Ecological contribution of PPAs to representation of ecosystem types or species in protected area networks, connectivity and corridors, climate refugia, ecosystem services,
2) legal and governance arrangements,
3) key factors encouraging or inhibiting PPA establishment,
4) landholder perceptions, and
5) interactions with other protected area categories and with OECMs (other effective area-based conservation measures)
We will not be considering papers profiling individual PPAs unless discussed with the editors ahead of submission

Keywords: privately protected areas, private land conservation, protected area networks, biodiversity conservation, conservation covenants, easements, land trusts, global biodiversity frameworks

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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