CAR principles for conservation area design
- Variable relationship:
Comprehensive, Adequate, and Representative (CAR) are three key principles from the conservation planning literature that broadly determine what it is that a protected area (Policy Instrument) should protect. The goal of the CAR principles (PA CAR principles) is to find a system of protected areas that comprehensively captures viable representatives of all biodiversity features. The CAR principles serve to inform the design of a resilient protected areas that reflects available data and knowledge of the biodiversity of the region. Sometimes they are referred to as CARE principles, with E standing for efficient (i.e., minimum cost). This theory predict that positive environmental outcomes (Commons Condition Trend) follow from satisfying these principles in PAs.
- Project
- SESMAD
- Sector(s)
- Scientific Field
- Component Type(s)
- Status
- Public
Variables
| Variable | Role | Role Explanation | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy instrument | Proximate independent variable | Uses networks of protected areas as the policy instrument | Protected area |
| PA CAR principles | Proximate independent variable | Comprehensive: refers to an aim to capture the full range of biodiversity (both typical and atypical) within a PA, taking into consideration biodiversity composition, structure and function and evolutionary processes. A reserve system is most comprehensive if it contains examples of as many elements of biodiversity as possible (Possingham et al. 2005). Adequate: refers to a PA/network’s ability to play a role in the long term protection of biodiversity within a given bioregion – it builds on the comprehensiveness principle – but with the goal not to just capture biodiversity, but to promote its persistence (long-term viability) Representative: requires PAs to capture biodiversity that is representative of their surroundings (i.e. protection covers the range of variation in that chosen species and/or habitat). The selection of such areas should also take into consideration any communities/species that are rare, endangered or unique. | Yes |
| Commons condition trend | Final outcome | The outcome of a well-designed system of protected areas is expected to be the preservation and recovery of species and biodiversity. | Remained the same or Improved |
Related Theories
| Theory | Relationship | Characterizing Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Local livelihood and protected areas | related | |
| Ecological effectiveness of MPAs | related | |
| Centralized conservation | related |