Changes in the Global Distribution of Protected Areas, 2003–2012

Between 2003 and 2012, the terrestrial area protected for conservation increased slightly, from 11.9 to 12.2 percent globally. Using data from the World Database on Protected Areas and Olson et al.'s (2001) ecological regionalization scheme, we examined the changing distribution of nationally designated protected areas. Over this period, the distribution of protected areas became slightly more even by realm, but biases increased across biomes. Current biases perpetuate long-standing trends, favoring more biodiverse ecosystems (especially tropical rainforests) at the expense of the “less lush” (particularly dry forests and deserts). Ecosystems of high agricultural value, especially temperate grasslands, also remain underrepresented.