Assessing the global impact of targeted conservation actions on species abundance

Abstract Globally, vertebrate abundance has declined, and species’ extinction rates have increased, at unprecedented rates over recent decades 1,2. In response, targeted species interventions, such as conservation breeding programmes, legislative measures or species-specific habitat management, have been used to help address population declines and reduce and reverse the loss of biodiversity 3,4. Until now, assessments of conservation actions have focused on the extent to which they reduce extinction risk or focus on the impact of protected areas 4–9. Here, we extend our knowledge of conservation efficacy by quantifying the impact of targeted conservation actions on vertebrate abundance, analyzing data from 26,904 vertebrate populations across 4,629 species worldwide. Using a counterfactual approach to represent population trends in the absence of conservation, we show that targeted actions have delivered substantial positive effects on the abundance of recipient vertebrate populations worldwide. Positive trends were especially observed in vertebrate populations subject to species or habitat management. Our results provide compelling evidence that, with sufficient and sustained resourcing and commitment, successful implementation of Target 4 of the recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework can readily help reverse global biodiversity loss and put nature on a path to recovery.