Within the cycle of annual lectures on conservation biology, initiated by Tour du Valat in order to highlight the work on waterbirds conservation of Heinz Hafner, we have the pleasure to invite you to the 2021 lecture, on 4th November at 6.00 pm, Jean-Paul Taris conference room, at the Tour du Valat as well as online (the link of the webinar will be sent after the registration).
Ana Rodrigues, senior researcher at CEFE-CNRS Montpellier, member of the Tour du Valat Science Council, will present:
« Measuring the difference that conservation makes »
Please reply before 31 October 2021 by following this link.
Abstract: There has never been as much conservation effort as today, yet biodiversity declines continue, apparently unabated. Does this mean that conservation is not effective? Or simply that it is not sufficient? In reality, in order to measure the effectiveness of conservation actions, it does not suffice to observe the trajectory of biodiversity; we need to compare it with the trajectory biodiversity would have followed in the absence of those conservation actions. This so-called counterfactual approach, commonly used in economics, has only recently started being applied to measuring conservation effectiveness. This presentation will discuss two recent examples: one measuring the overall impact of conservation efforts at preventing global extinctions of birds and mammals; and another quantifying the impact of protected areas at conserving bird species across tropical forest biodiversity hotspots. Both show that conservation is making a significant difference, but that it remains far from sufficient.
Ana Rodrigues – Ecologist with BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Lisbon (Portugal), and a PhD from the University of Sheffield (UK). After postdoctoral experiences at Conservation International (USA) and the University of Cambridge (UK), joined the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) in 2009. Now a CNRS senior researcher, responsibilities include heading the Department of Dynamics and Conservation of Biodiversity at the CEFE (Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology) in Montpellier. Research focuses on large-scale biodiversity conservation challenges, particularly related to site-based approaches for conservation.