The gaps between theory and practice in selecting nature reserves

Over the last three decades a great deal of research, money, and effort hav e been put into the development of theory and techniques designed to make c onservation more efficient. Much of the recent emphasis has been on methods to identify areas of high conservation interest and to design efficient ne tworks of nature reserves. Reserve selection algorithms, gap analysis, and other computerized approaches have much potential to transform conservation planning, yet these methods are used only infrequently by those charged wi th managing landscapes. We briefly describe different approaches to identif ying potentially valuable areas and methods for reserve selection and then discuss the reasons they remain largely unused by conservationists and land -use planners. Our informal discussions with ecologists, conservationists, and land managers from Europe and the United States suggested that the main reason for the low level of adoption of these sophisticated tools is simpl y that land managers have been unaware of them. Where this has been the cas e, low levels of funding, lack of understanding about the purpose of these tools, and general antipathy toward what is seen as a prescriptive approach to conservation all play a part. We recognize there is no simple solution but call for a closer dialogue between theoreticians and practitioners in c onservation biology. The two communities night be brought into closer conta ct in numerous ways, including carefully targeted publication of research a nd Internet communication. However it is done, we feel that the needs of la nd managers need to be catered to by those engaged in conservation research and that managers need to be more aware of what science can contribute to practical conservation.