Potential of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves to advance the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

As one of UNESCO's three key site-based designations, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (BRs) integrates conservation and development, setting it apart from traditional protected areas (PAs). Yet its conservation effectiveness and role in advancing the global biodiversity agenda remain underexplored. This evidence-based global assessment of BRs' effectiveness and potential in supporting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) indicates that generally BRs maintained habitat quality not lower than that of PAs, with region-specific instances where BRs surpassed sites in IUCN Categories IV-VI. Including BRs-typically omitted from global conservation statistics-into conservation efforts increased terrestrial coverage for KMGBF Target 3 from 16.57% to 19.65%. With effective implementation, integration of BRs into the global area-based conservation network would produce measurable coverage gains across six KMGBF-linked opportunity templates, including +8.47% for Biodiversity Hotspots (per Target 1), +4.05% for Risk Ecoregions (per Target 2), +7.01% for Phylogenetic Diversity Hotspots (per Target 4), +7.25% for areas of high Traded Functional Diversity (per Target 5), +4.37% for regions of High Biomass Carbon (per Target 8), and +1.95% for globally Indigenous Lands (per Target 22). Based on integrated assessments of conservation value and coverage rate, 17 Udvardy's Biogeographical Provinces were identified as post-2025 WNBR expansion priorities that align with the KMGBF and the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan (2026-2035).

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Journal
National Science Review
Published
2025-10-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf449
Primary Topic
Ecology, Conservation, and Geographical Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Potential of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves to advance the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Zufei Shu, Wenchao Qi, António Domingos Abreu, Tao Liu et al.
National Science Review
Ecology, Conservation, and Geographical Studies
article

Potential of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves to advance the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Zufei Shu, Wenchao Qi, António Domingos Abreu, Tao Liu, Ting Hua, Zhenrong Du, Qiang Zhao, Li Zhu, Yixuan Li, Keping Ma, Jianqiao Zhao, Yue Cao, Xiaoli Shen, Le Yu, Jian Tan, Shijun Zheng, Hui Wu, Lijia How
article en

Abstract

As one of UNESCO's three key site-based designations, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (BRs) integrates conservation and development, setting it apart from traditional protected areas (PAs). Yet its conservation effectiveness and role in advancing the global biodiversity agenda remain underexplored. This evidence-based global assessment of BRs' effectiveness and potential in supporting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) indicates that generally BRs maintained habitat quality not lower than that of PAs, with region-specific instances where BRs surpassed sites in IUCN Categories IV-VI. Including BRs-typically omitted from global conservation statistics-into conservation efforts increased terrestrial coverage for KMGBF Target 3 from 16.57% to 19.65%. With effective implementation, integration of BRs into the global area-based conservation network would produce measurable coverage gains across six KMGBF-linked opportunity templates, including +8.47% for Biodiversity Hotspots (per Target 1), +4.05% for Risk Ecoregions (per Target 2), +7.01% for Phylogenetic Diversity Hotspots (per Target 4), +7.25% for areas of high Traded Functional Diversity (per Target 5), +4.37% for regions of High Biomass Carbon (per Target 8), and +1.95% for globally Indigenous Lands (per Target 22). Based on integrated assessments of conservation value and coverage rate, 17 Udvardy's Biogeographical Provinces were identified as post-2025 WNBR expansion priorities that align with the KMGBF and the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan (2026-2035).

National Science ReviewVol. 12(12)
UNESCO (FR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO), Dalian University of Technology (CN), United States Army Reserve (US), Dalian University (CN), Ministry of Education (IR), Ministry of Education (ME), Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany (CZ), Beijing University of Agriculture (CN), Institute of Botany (CN), Imperial College London (GB), Northeast Forestry University (CN), China Agricultural University (CN), Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (CN), Tsinghua University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, EarthLab, University of Washington
Openalex Percentile: Top 70%
Ecology, Conservation, and Geographical Studies
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