Existing Conservation Priorities
To understand existing priority areas within each mediterranean region we review site-based, conservation ‘blueprints’ which have been identified for the purposes of terrestrial biodiversity conservation. Information has been compiled from internet based searches and with assistance from colleagues in each of the regions. We categorize these efforts by ‘Government’, ‘Non-government’ and ‘Research’ efforts, although some span multiple categories. Where possible, we also include information on the extent to which these priority areas are likely to be funded or implemented in the future. The review focuses on priority areas encompassed within the extent of the mediterranean ecoregions defined by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (Olson et al. 2001), consequently, some in-depth and rigorous conservation plans, such as the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project in California, are not included, in addition, priorities identified of primarily other purposes, e.g., ecosystem services, prime farmland, scenery or recreation are not included.
An outline of these efforts below or download the entire reference (140 kb, PDF).
Mediterranean Basin
Government
Natura 2000
www.natura.org/
The Emerald Network
www.coe.int
Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance
www.rac-spa.org
MedWet
www.medwet.org
Non-Governmental Organizations
World Wildlife Fund Mediterranean Programme Office
www.panda.org
Key Biodiversity Areas and Important Plant Areas
www.sifiryokolus.org
www.plantlife.org.uk
Chile
Government
National Biodiversity Strategy - Comisión Nacional de Medio Ambiente
www.conama.cl
Non-Governmental Organizations
The Nature Conservancy
www.nature.org
Research
Red Book of Native Flora and High Priority Sites - Squeo et al.
www.biouls.cl
Australia
Government
National Reserve System for Australia using the Interim Biogeographic Regionalization of Australia (IBRA) units
www.deh.gov.au
National Biodiversity Hotspots
www.deh.gov.au
Non-Governmental Organizations
WWF Australia
wwf.org.au
California, USA
Government
Regulatory and Policy Framework Endangered Species Acts
www.fws.gov
Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP)
www.dfg.ca.gov/ncccp/index.html
California Natural Diversity Database for rare species and vegetation
www.dfg.ca.gov
California GAP analysis
www.biogeog.ucsb.edu
California Legacy Project
www.legacy.ca.gov
California Department of Fish and Game - State Wildlife Action Plan
www.dfg.ca.gov
Non-Governmental Organizations
The Nature Conservancy - Ecoregion Planning Assessments
www.nature.org
Audubon California - Important Bird Areas
www.audubon-ca.org
California Wilderness Coalition - Wildlands Projects
www.calwild.org
Missing Linkages - Restoring Connectivity to California’s Landscape
www.calwild.org
Baja California, Mexico
Government
Priority Terrestrial Regions - CONABIO
www.conabio.gob.mx
Important Bird Areas - AICAS
www.conabioweb.conabio.gob.mx
Non-Governmental Organizations
Las Californias Binational Conservation Initiative
www.consbio.org
Research
Plant Endemism and Natural Protected Areas in Baja - Riemann and Ezcurra (2005)
National Gap Analysis - Cantú et al. (2001)
www.gap.uidaho.edu
South Africa
Government
The National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment
www.sanbi.org/biodiversity/nsba.htm
Cape Action Plan for the Environment (CAPE)
http://www.capeaction.org
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