Site-based conservation


Site-based conservation is an approach to nature conservation that relies on the designation of important or representative examples of sites supporting key habitats or species, such as Key Biodiversity Areas or Important Bird Areas. Whilst a rational way of ensuring that the very best resources are protected, it is open to a number of criticisms:
On balance, site-based conservation is an essential part of nature conservation, along with initiatives such as environmental subsidies and planning controls that protect biodiversity across the whole landscape, and the more holistic ideas of landscape-scale conservation.