Study

Does recovery planning improve the status of threatened species?

  • Published source details Bottrill M.C., Walsh J.C., Watson J.E.M., Joseph L.N., Ortega-Argueta A. & Possingham H.P. (2011) Does recovery planning improve the status of threatened species?. Biological Conservation, 144, 1595-1601.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Develop/implement species recovery plans

Action Link
Reptile Conservation
  1. Develop/implement species recovery plans

    A controlled, paired species, before-and-after study in 2010 in Australia (Bottrill et al. 2011) found that species with a recovery plan (including 3 reptile species) were not more likely to have improved conservation status compared to species without a plan (including 3 reptile species). The chance of the status of a species being stable or improving was similar for species with a recovery plan (66%) and without a plan (62%). The evaluation assessed species status of 56 species (including 3 reptile species: striped legless lizard Delma impar, Bellinger River Emydura Emydura macquarii signata, Blue Mountain’s water skink Eulamprus leuraensis) with a recovery plan and 67 threatened species (including 3 reptile species: Flinders Ranges worm-lizard Aprasia pseudopulchella, Mary River turtle Elusor macrurus, Krefft’s tiger snake Notechis scutatus ater) without a recovery plan. All species were listed under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act and either had an approved single-species plan or were lacking a federal recovery plan.

    (Summarised by: Maggie Watson, William Morgan)

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