Systematic Conservation Planning provides a comprehensive guide to creating conservation area networks that effectively represent biodiversity. It outlines methods for identifying biodiversity priority areas using the concept of complementarity, setting biodiversity targets, and incorporating costs and constraints into area selection to balance production and protection. The book includes case studies and emphasizes the socio-economic and cultural contexts of conservation planning. It is of interest to graduate students, conservation biologists, planners, decision-makers, and NGOs. The authors are Chris Margules and Sahotra Sarkar, both experts in conservation biology. The series "Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation" includes books on various ecological and conservation topics, targeting advanced students, researchers, and professionals. The book "Systematic Conservation Planning" discusses biodiversity surrogates, data collection, data treatment, conservation-area networks, persistence and vulnerability, and satisfying multiple criteria. It also includes case studies and a conclusion on the importance of systematic conservation planning. The book emphasizes the need for systematic conservation planning to address biodiversity loss, which is a major threat to the planet's biological diversity. It highlights the importance of understanding ecological processes and the political, social, historical, economic, and legal frameworks that influence conservation practices. The book discusses the use of biodiversity surrogates, data collection and treatment, and the identification of conservation-area networks. It also addresses the challenges of balancing conservation with other land uses and the importance of involving stakeholders in the planning process. The book outlines a structured approach to systematic conservation planning, including stakeholder engagement, data collection and treatment, identification of biodiversity surrogates, establishment of conservation targets and goals, review of existing conservation areas, prioritization of new areas for conservation action, assessment of biodiversity persistence, refinement of conservation networks, multi-criteria analysis, implementation of conservation plans, and periodic reassessment of the network. The book emphasizes the importance of transparency, stakeholder involvement, and the use of scientific data in conservation planning. It also highlights the need for flexibility and cost trade-offs in conservation planning. The book concludes with the importance of systematic conservation planning in achieving biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management.Systematic Conservation Planning provides a comprehensive guide to creating conservation area networks that effectively represent biodiversity. It outlines methods for identifying biodiversity priority areas using the concept of complementarity, setting biodiversity targets, and incorporating costs and constraints into area selection to balance production and protection. The book includes case studies and emphasizes the socio-economic and cultural contexts of conservation planning. It is of interest to graduate students, conservation biologists, planners, decision-makers, and NGOs. The authors are Chris Margules and Sahotra Sarkar, both experts in conservation biology. The series "Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation" includes books on various ecological and conservation topics, targeting advanced students, researchers, and professionals. The book "Systematic Conservation Planning" discusses biodiversity surrogates, data collection, data treatment, conservation-area networks, persistence and vulnerability, and satisfying multiple criteria. It also includes case studies and a conclusion on the importance of systematic conservation planning. The book emphasizes the need for systematic conservation planning to address biodiversity loss, which is a major threat to the planet's biological diversity. It highlights the importance of understanding ecological processes and the political, social, historical, economic, and legal frameworks that influence conservation practices. The book discusses the use of biodiversity surrogates, data collection and treatment, and the identification of conservation-area networks. It also addresses the challenges of balancing conservation with other land uses and the importance of involving stakeholders in the planning process. The book outlines a structured approach to systematic conservation planning, including stakeholder engagement, data collection and treatment, identification of biodiversity surrogates, establishment of conservation targets and goals, review of existing conservation areas, prioritization of new areas for conservation action, assessment of biodiversity persistence, refinement of conservation networks, multi-criteria analysis, implementation of conservation plans, and periodic reassessment of the network. The book emphasizes the importance of transparency, stakeholder involvement, and the use of scientific data in conservation planning. It also highlights the need for flexibility and cost trade-offs in conservation planning. The book concludes with the importance of systematic conservation planning in achieving biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management.