Species population trends in protected areas

This chapter first explores the trends in species populations of vertebrate species in protected areas between 1950 and the present day contained in the Living Planet Index (2012) database. It then provides a practical demonstration of how available trend data can be used for monitoring broadscale trends in abundance by examining an example of how trends in mammal abundance in African protected areas might be used to determine broadscale trends. Finally, the chapter examines how population abundance trend information might be used to inform protected area policy by asking whether the types of indicators designed to inform global, regional, and national biodiversity trends can be used to discern between policy options in protected area management. Using an adaptive management framework, the chapter also evaluates how scenario modeling might be used to estimate differences in outcome between several hypothesized management scenarios.