Extending and repeating assessments is a key tool to reveal barriers to effective management of protected areas

Abstract

Here we assessed protected area (PA) management effectiveness while also checking for potential barriers. We addressed 21 PAs of the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Out of these, we assessed 10 PAs under state level administration that lacked thus far a standardized assessment. For PAs under federal administration, we got assessment data from the government itself. We contrasted the PAs regarding the level of administration and collected a list of aspects that could result in differences in management effectiveness between PAs. We checked the relationship between PA aspects and mean effectiveness with linear models. The same aspects were also related to PA management elements, namely context, planning, inputs, processes, and outputs, using redundancy analysis. Management effectiveness and scores of management elements were found to be lower for PAs either with unresolved land tenure, lacking management plans, being under many pressures and threats, or being under state level administration. Our results call for extended assessments to reach the reality of the Brazilian PA network with different administration levels. Assessments must be carried out regularly since it is the only way to effectively flag a barrier, clear it, then find the next one to be tackled.