Critchlow, Robert Donald, Plumptre, A. J., Andira, B et al. (5 more authors) (2016) Improving Law Enforcement Effectiveness and Efficiency in Protected Areas Using Ranger-collected Monitoring Data. Conservation Letters. ISSN 1755-263X
Abstract
Protected areas are fundamental for conservation, yet are constantly threatened by illegal activities, such as cattle encroachment and wildlife poaching, which reduce biodiversity. Law-enforcement is an essential component of reducing illegal activities. Although necessary, law-enforcement is costly and its effectiveness in the field is rarely monitored. Improving ranger patrol efficiency is likely to decrease illegal activity occurrence and benefit biodiversity conservation, without additional resource implications. Using ranger-collected data, we develop a method to improve ranger patrol allocation, targeting different combinations of conservation priorities, and predict that detections of illegal activities can be greatly improved. In a field test in Queen Elizabeth Protected Area, Uganda, we increased detections of illegal activities in some cases by over 250% without a change in ranger resources. This easily implemented method can be used in any protected area where data on the distribution of illegal activities are collected, and improve law-enforcement efficiency in resource-limited settings.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016, The Authors. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Biology (York) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY UNSPECIFIED WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY UNSPECIFIED |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 06 Sep 2016 12:52 |
Last Modified: | 21 Jan 2025 17:22 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12288 |
Status: | Published online |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/conl.12288 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:103874 |