The Science of Conservation Planning

Topic outline

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  Introduction to Conservation Planning

  Welcome to Introduction to Conservation Planning.

  

  Conservation planning identifies and prioritizes lands that encompass important natural and/or cultural resources across the landscape (e.g., critical watersheds, habitat for rare or threatened species) and develops protection and management strategies for these lands. It is a process where science is at the core of planning, but the science is informed by groups of stakeholders using their on-the-ground knowledge and expertise. 

  The Instructor, Dr. Robert Baldwin, has been working in biodiversity conservation, inside and out of academia, for about 20 years. He began his career as a research assistant at the National Zoological Park at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. He began doing field studies and eventually taught for six years in a traveling, interdisciplinary field program that took him throughout the four deserts, the Pacific Northwest, and the Appalachian Spine.  He was born in Washington D.C. and grew up on the coast of Maine.  Rob attended Colby College, the University of Edinburgh (UK), George Mason University, and the University of Maine.  Dr. Baldwin was a Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Environmental Fellow, and Leadership Grant recipient. He is also co-editor of the 2010 book "Landscape-scale Conservation Planning."

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  • Announcements Forum
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  Meet Your Instructor

  • Dr. Robert Baldwin Page

    

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  Module 1: The 'Big Question'

  When and where do we invest time, money, and effort to do conservation and how do we allocate these resources efficiently?

  Conservation planning identifies and prioritizes lands that encompass important natural and/or cultural resources across the landscape (e.g., critical watersheds, habitat for rare or threatened species) and develops protection and management strategies for these lands. It is a process where science is at the core of planning, but the science is informed by groups of stakeholders using their on-the-ground knowledge and expertise. The goal is to create interconnected reserves of managed lands that are resilient to the many environmental changes that are occurring rapidly on the landscape. All of these efforts are projected through the lens of promoting and/or maintaining biodiversity into the future.

   
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  Module 2: Conservation Planning: The Process

  Conservation planning identifies and prioritizes lands that encompass important natural or cultural resources across the landscape (e.g., critical watersheds, habitat for rare or threatened species) and develops protection and management strategies for these lands.

  It is a process where science is at the core of planning, but the science is informed by groups of stakeholders using their on-the-ground knowledge and expertise.

  Dr. Robert Baldwin of Clemson University explains in this video the steps involved in the conservation planning process. 

  • Watch video: Conservation Planning Process Page

    

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  Module 3: Conservation Planning Literature

  Peer-reviewed science literature which offers insight that is the foundation to the science of conservation planning.

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  • Conservation Planning in a Changing World File

    

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  • Conserving the Stage: Climate Change and the Geophysical Underpinnings of Species Diversity File

    

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  • Conserving the World’s Last Great Forest Is Possible: Here’s How File

    

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  • Incorporating Climate Change into Systematic Conservation Planning File

    

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  • Planning for Biodiversity Conservation: Putting Conservation Science into Practice File

    

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  • Systematic Conservation Planning File

    

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  • The Northern Appalachian/Acadian Ecoregion: Priority Locations for Conservation Action File

    

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  • Use of Population Viability Analysis and Reserve Selection Algorithms in Regional Conservation Plans File

    

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  Module 4: Conservation Planning Webinars

  A basic overview of the principles and methods for the Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative, including a discussion on the major goals of landscape conservation.

  • Landscape-scale Conservation Planning: Part 1 Page

     

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  • Landscape-scale Conservation Planning: Part 2 Page

    

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  • Presentation Slides: Landscape Conservation Planning File

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  Module 5: Conservation Planning Software

  Systematic Conservation Planning can be broken down into a series of discrete tasks. Many software programs have been developed to aid practitioners in this process.

  • An index of common open-source tools to achieve a systematic conservation planning exercise. Page

    

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  Certificate of Completion

  Once you have completed the activities in this course, you can download the optional Certificate of Completion. The Certificate will display the name you used to create your account.

  You must be logged in to access the certificate.
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  Module 6

  Not available
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  Module 7

  Not available