A generic target for species recovery

Canadian Journal of Zoology, Volume 92, Issue 5, Page 371-376, May 2014.

Recovery targets for threatened species are typically developed on a species- or population-specific basis. Such narrow taxonomic specificity stands in contrast with widely applied species-independent metrics of conservation status. Here, we propose a generic protocol that can be used to specify broadly applicable targets intended to recover the ecological and evolutionary functionality of threatened species. The method is based on basic density-dependent population dynamics, draws on first principles related to population growth, and explicitly incorporates habitat by accounting for changes in carrying capacity. It offers a consistently applied, methodologically transparent, and predictable biological benchmark for recovery purposes. The benefits of a generic method for articulating recovery targets, particularly from a policy- and statute-implementation perspective, are substantive.

Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - March 19, 2014 Category: Zoology Tags: article Source Type: research