Preserving 40% forest cover is a valuable and well-supported conservation guideline: reply to Banks-Leite et al.

Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez; Lenore Fahrig; James Watling; Justin Nowakowski; Marcelo Tabarelli; Lutz Tischendorf; Felipe Melo; Bráulio Santos; Maira Benchimol; Jose Carlos Morante-Filho; Ferry Slik; Ima Vieira; Teja Tscharntke

doi:10.22541/au.160861102.29371941/v1

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Preserving 40% forest cover is a valuable and well-supported conservation guideline: reply to Banks-Leite et al.

Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez,
Lenore Fahrig,
James Watling,
Justin Nowakowski,
Marcelo Tabarelli,
Lutz Tischendorf,
Felipe Melo,
Bráulio Santos,
Maira Benchimol,
Jose Carlos Morante-Filho,
Ferry Slik,
Ima Vieira,
Teja Tscharntke

Abstract

Banks-Leite et al. (2021) claim that our suggestion of preserving ≥40% forest cover lacks evidence and can be problematic. We find these claims unfounded, and discuss why conservation planning urgently requires valuable, well-supported, and feasible general guidelines like the 40% criterion. Using region-specific thresholds worldwide is unfeasible and potentially harmful.

16 Dec 2020Submitted to Ecology Letters

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16 Dec 2020Submission Checks Completed

16 Dec 2020Assigned to Editor

22 Dec 2020Editorial Decision: Accept

May 2021Published in Ecology Letters volume 24 issue 5 on pages 1114-1116. 10.1111/ele.13689

Abstract

Peer review status:Published