Zonereserves

Zonereserves is a planning concept in conservation and land-use management that envisions organizing protected areas around distinct ecological zones, such as biome types, vegetation communities, or habitat complexes, rather than aligning strictly with political boundaries. The aim is to ensure that each zone of a landscape is represented within a protected-area network and that ecological processes, species movements, and climate-related shifts are maintained across the region.

Design principles include delineating boundaries by ecological zones, maintaining connectivity via corridors, integrating with existing reserves, and aligning with data on habitats, species distributions, and ecosystem services. Management is typically zone-specific, with conservation targets adapted to the ecological characteristics and threats of each zone.

Implementation is usually recommended within national or regional conservation plans and may require cross-jurisdictional cooperation, land tenure arrangements, and funding for monitoring. Spatial analysis, GIS, and biodiversity assessments underpin zoning decisions.

Benefits include improved representation of ecological diversity, stronger habitat connectivity, and enhanced resilience to climate change. Challenges include data limitations, shifting ecological boundaries under climate change, governance complexity, and potential conflicts with development goals.

Zonereserves intersects with related concepts such as ecoregional planning, landscape-scale conservation, and protected-area networks. It remains a conceptual framework that may be adapted to local contexts.