SOME cherished conservation principles simply do not work, a review of projects in 11 countries suggests. The study found that educating local communities about biodiversity and encouraging sustainable development do not help conserve species – a controversial finding that is sure to spark debate among conservationists.
A team led by Thomas Struhsaker at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, asked 23 researchers and 13 conservation managers at 16 African parks and wildlife reserves to rate how successfully their protected area prevented species loss. The managers also filled in a questionnaire detailing various features of the park, such as numbers and salaries…
