As we saw in Chapter 15, the first national parks were developed in the nineteenth century. They were the forerunners of many nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. As the conservation movement has gathered momentum, in situ management of reserved areas has become the key strategy employed by conservationists in their efforts to secure the future of biodiversity. There are many types of reserves of different sizes: all are fragments within a matrix of surrounding territories that might have different land use. Considering the size, geographical location and ‘connectedness’ of lands set aside for conservation, how far has it proved possible to secure the future of endangered species and ecosystems? Also, what ‘strengths and weaknesses’ have been identified after more than a century of experience in managing reserves?

Reserve design

The theory of island biogeography proposed by MacArthur and Wilson (1967) drew on important earlier research by Preston and others (see Mann & Plummer, 1996). The theory explored the implications of the observation that species richness tended to be low on small isolated islands far from land. In contrast, biodiversity was often greater on large islands close to the mainland. On the basis of these ideas conservationists proposed a number of model systems for reserves and national parks.