title: Wild, connected, and diverse: building a more resilient system of protected areas.
abstract: Current systems of conservation reserves may be insufficient to sustain biodiversity in the face of climate change and habitat losses. Consequently, calls have been made to protect Earth's remaining wildlands and complete the system of protected areas by establishing conservation reserves that (1) better represent ecosystems, (2) increase connectivity to facilitate biota movement in response to stressors including climate change, and (3) promote species persistence within intact landscapes. Using geospatial data, we conducted an assessment for expanding protected areas within the contiguous United States to include the least human-modified wildlands, establish a connected network, and better represent ecosystem diversity and hotspots of biodiversity. Our composite map highlights areas of high value to achieve these goals in the western United States, where existing protected areas and lands with high ecological integrity are concentrated. We also identified important areas in the East rich in species and containing ecosystems that are poorly represented in the existing protected area system. Expanding protection to these priority areas is ultimately expected to create a more resilient system for protecting the nation's biological heritage. This expectation should be subject to rigorous testing prior to implementation, and regional monitoring will ensure areas and actions are adjusted over time.
authors.affiliation: The Wilderness Society, 503 West Mendenhall, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.
authors.forename: R Travis
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Belote
authors.affiliation: The Wilderness Society, 250 Montgomery Street, Suite 210, San Francisco, California, 94104, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.affiliation: IPÊ-Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas, Nazaré Paulista, São Paulo, 12960-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Clinton N
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2198-0637
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: The Wilderness Society, 9 Union Street, Hallowell, Maine, 04347, USA.
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: McKinley
authors.affiliation: The Wilderness Society, P.O. Box 817, Black Mountain, North Carolina, 28711, USA.
authors.forename: G Hugh
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.affiliation: The Wilderness Society, 705 Christensen Drive, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Fullman
authors.affiliation: The Wilderness Society, 705 Christensen Drive, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501, USA.
authors.forename: Jason C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leppi
authors.affiliation: The Wilderness Society, 1660 Wynkoop Street, Suite 850, Denver, Colorado, 80202, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Aplet
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D062305:Geographic Mapping; D014481:United States
keywords: Half Earth representation; biodiversity; connectivity; conservation corridors; conservation reserves; protected areas; wildlands