Identifying the conservation priority: Using limited resources to best effect

Abstract

Conservation organisations are generally responsible for directly managing, or overseeing the management on, many sites of conservation interest. Without exception, the resources available for doing this are limited and it is essential that they are used wisely. Despite this, I have seen only one management plan that that lists the key habitats and species on a site in priority order (Usher, 1973). This plan, which was developed for Aberlady Bay in Scotland, made it absolutely clear where to focus the management and monitoring effort if resources were limited.