Spatial planning and the conservation of biodiversity in a changing climate

Pierre L. Ibisch, University of Applied Sciences, Eberswalde, Germany

Summary: Climate-change-integrated conservation strategies require a top-down planning approach from the larger region to the locality. This means a substantial change in conservation planning schemes of many countries and regions. A combination of ecoregional and national conservation planning is recommended. Experiences with proactive ecoregional conservation planning in Bolivia are mentioned.

Paul Opdam has risen very important issues. Biodiversity adaptation research, actually, is not only/less about complex ecological models that try to predict individual responses of single conservation targets – which in many cases simply will not be possible. It is much more relevant that a preventive and more functional conservation is implemented on the ground facilitating dynamic changes rather than keeping an open-air museum of highly representative but fragmented and not viable conservation targets.

In this context, Opdam’s research needs related to spatial planning are absolutely right. Actually, it is a problem that spatial planners normally are not advised by conservationists interested and trained in macroecology. And vice versa, too many conservationists have not been interested in getting involved in spatial planning on larger scales. Of course, in many countries we have very advanced and sophisticated schemes for spatial planning, but mostly conservationists interfere on a local level. Actually, there is no strategic land-use planning on a national or regional scale that integrates a biodiversity vision and corresponding conservation goals.

In Europe, generally, land for conservation is allocated according to the availability of such land and to conservation values that are identified on a local scale, such as the presence of certain rare or endangered species or communities – without taking into account the bigger picture. E.g., in Germany the many thousands of mostly small Natura 2000 sites, in a bottom-up process, have been identified by the federal states without any large-scale vision of landscape ecosystems and macroecological functionality. There was no national planning trying to identify the highest national spatial priorities for conservation, without any acknowledgement of the dynamic characteristics of biodiversity, large-scale connectivity or corridors. The recently published draft of the national biodiversity strategy has not any spatial vision at all, apart from claiming that the Natura 2000 protected area network will provide the required connectivity. And of course, on the European scale there has not been any spatial planning approach apart from the static biogeographical regionalization.

It is absolutely right. This is a field where in the future we need to make a difference. And we consider some experiences made in countries where pioneering conservation approaches are not expected. E.g., in Bolivia there has been formulated an ecoregional conservation plan for the Chiquitano Dry Forest that recognizes that conservation of biodiversity cannot be achieved in isolated protected areas but needs to develop a conservation vision for the whole landscape. Land-use scenarios have been taken into account as well as the need of maintaining a large-scale connectivity (in this case, e.g., towards the Amazon) facilitating the shift of species ranges that might be caused by climate change. The vision for the complete region comprising several municipalities has been consulted and agreed with the local actors and the relevant political authorities. A foundation is funding conservation initiatives in the different areas of the region, working with cattle farmers and indigenous people as well as with protected area managers. Currently, in Bolivia, a national gap analysis is undertaken that identifies the spatial conservation priorities without exclusively looking at and statically focusing on the current distribution patterns of biodiversity. The result will be an important input for a national spatial conservation planning that goes far beyond the identification of sites for new protected areas required for the representation of distinctive biodiversity.

The spatial approach of planning conservation on an ecoregional scale is promoted by important international NGOs, such as WWF and The Nature Conservancy. We suggest a combination of ecoregional and national conservation planning exercises in order to develop conservation visions that integrate the adaptation to climate change as a cross-cutting issue. Because of the large spatial requirements of climate-change-integrated conservation strategies a top-down planning approach from the larger region to the locality is absolutely necessary. This means a substantial change in conservation planning schemes of many countries and regions.


Ibisch, P.L., K. Columba & S. Reichle (Hrsg.) (2002): Plan de Conservación y Desarrollo Sostenible para el Bosque Seco Chiquitano, Cerrado y Pantanal Boliviano. Editorial FAN, Santa Cruz. (Online-version: http://www.fcbcinfo.org/esp/plan/indice.asp).