Embedding Evidence on Conservation Interventions Within a Context of Multilevel Governance

Abstract:
We outline a conceptual strategy for implementing conservation interventions
in a multiscale, multiactor, and multilevel governance world. Using farmland
as an example, we argue that conservation interventions should be implemented
within a multiscale framework of guiding ecological principles. In
this context, findings from multilevel governance research can inform a nuanced
understanding of the role of evidence in conservation governance and
decision-making. We propose that principles of evidence-based conservation
can be used to refine guiding ecological principles across scales, thereby creating
a comprehensive evidence base that underpins decision-making. This
evolving evidence base, in turn, should be operationalized by considering the
fit of ecologically relevant scales to governance levels, paying explicit attention
to issues such as democratic legitimacy and interplay with existing governance
structures. We outline two specific steps for meeting this challenge. Drawing
on a strategic combination of conservation interventions, guiding ecological
principles, and insights from multilevel governance research promises to improve
both the effectiveness and legitimacy of conservation action.