Systematic conservation planning

The realization of conservation goals requires strategies for managing whol e landscapes including areas allocated to both production and protection. R eserves alone are not adequate for nature conservation but they are the cor nerstone on which regional strategies are built. Reserves have two main rol es. They should sample or represent the biodiversity of each region and the y should separate this biodiversity from processes that threaten its persis tence. Existing reserve systems throughout the world contain a biased sampl e of biodiversity, usually that of remote places and other areas that are u nsuitable for commercial activities. A more systematic approach to locating and designing reserves has been evolving and this approach will need to be implemented if a large proportion of today's biodiversity is to exist in a future of increasing numbers of people and their demands on natural resour ces.